Autonomy in foreign language learning in technology-mediated contexts

Abstract

As Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) takes a leading role in foreign language teaching and learning, student training in language learning strategies has become an imminent necessity when using technology-mediated environments for Foreign Language (FL) learning. It is this training which fosters language learners’ autonomy. O’Malley and Chamot, (1990) divide these strategies into four: cognitive, metacognitive, affective and social strategies. According to Oxford (1989), language learning strategies are “operations employed by the learner to aid the acquisition, storage, retrieval and use of information”. The present study has considered the strategies formerly mentioned to help students obtain more benefit from a blended learning environment which incorporates Task Based Instruction as well as Cooperative Learning. The purpose was to help them to obtain more benefit from a blended learning environment that has been proven effective for foreign language learning (Morales and Ferreira, 2008).The findings showed that the maintained training in language learning strategies used throughout the course was useful in developing students’ linguistics skills that enabled them to master the language. Metacognitive strategies promoted students’ abilities to assess their learning process. Cognitive strategies helped them to learn new linguistic forms, therefore fostering their grammatical competence. Affective strategies were very beneficial to help students control anxiety when interacting with the online resources and the e-learning application. Finally, social strategies empowe-red students to look for opportunities of interaction in the target language. In sum, it is highly recommended to enhance student autonomy in second language acquisition that language teachers make use of language learning strategy training in technology-mediated contexts.