Leading the Proverbial Thirsty Horse to Water: ESL Learners’ Experience with Language Learning Contracts

Normah Ismail,Masdinah Alauyah Md Yusof

doi:10.37237/030409

Normah Ismail, Masdinah Alauyah Md Yusof

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.37237/030409

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Abstract

There is agreement among language educators that the process of language teaching and learning should aim to develop autonomous language learners. While the advantages of autonomy seem to be quite obvious, fostering autonomy in practice can prove to be difficult for some language learners. This paper describes the use of learning contracts as a strategy for enhancing learner autonomy among a group of ESL learners in a Malaysian university. Through learners’ account of their experiences with the contracts, the study concludes that the learning contract has potential use for language learning and that learners’ positive learning experience remains the key to the success of any endeavour seeking to promote learner autonomy. The paper ends with some implications for teachers and learners who wish to use the contracts as a strategy for language teaching and learning.

Highlights

Over the years, there has been growing recognition of the importance of learner autonomy and the role of the individual language learners in directing their own language learning process
It is not always clear how to support learners in this role and whether they are prepared to assume it. This is just like the proverbial thirsty horse being led to water and not drinking, learners who are led to self-access learning opportunities do not necessarily become autonomous learners. This analogy serves as a background for the purpose of this study which is to explore the use of learning contracts as an English Language teaching and learning strategy to promote learner autonomy
Thirteen out of the twenty five volunteers mentioned feeling happy, satisfied or proud with their language learning. This implies that the feeling of being successful in learning is a powerful motivating factor for developing autonomy in learners because they would persist until a goal is accomplished

Summary

Introduction

There has been growing recognition of the importance of learner autonomy and the role of the individual language learners in directing their own language learning process. It is not always clear how to support learners in this role and whether they are prepared to assume it. This is just like the proverbial thirsty horse being led to water and not drinking, learners who are led to self-access learning opportunities do not necessarily become autonomous learners. This analogy serves as a background for the purpose of this study which is to explore the use of learning contracts as an English Language teaching and learning strategy to promote learner autonomy. The study focuses on learners’ experience in using the learning contracts for language learning and looks at the extent to which the contracts could be viably used to develop learners’ ability to become more autonomous language learners

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