Independent Language Learners

"What do you do to help students take ownership of their own learning and therefore become more self-regulated and independent language learners?"

The past two semesters I have started my classes with an introduction to the language proficiency levels. Using an shared by Kara Parker my students create sample texts in English for each of the proficiency levels (Novice low - Intermediate high). We then evaluate the texts to underscore what constitutes each level. I conclude this activity by asking each student to state what they can already do with the Spanish language, what they want to be able to do with the language, and how they will meet their goal. Their input gives me a sense of where they are when we begin and we refer back to those responses at the end of the semester to see what has been achieved.

To continue along this path of employing the performance levels, after each unit assessment students work in groups to tackle the writing performance task and the speaking performance task that were on the test. Each group brainstorms and develops a group response. The responses tend to employ more language then they produced as individuals but it shows them how to tackle the assessments and provides them with strategies for future assessments. As part of this activity they exchange group products and assign a performance level. This helps them become more comfortable with the criteria and with the idea of assessing one's own work.

I plan to expand this activity for my introductory language students to include a strategy that David Thompson presented in the Language Educator article Developing Student Awareness with Self-Assessment Exercises (Feb 2014).  Students will complete a post-test reflection which Thompson refers to as a wrapper (54).  The self-assessment that occurs will presumably aid students in preparing for the next assessment. I anticipate that once students have completed the post-test reflection individually they will share their ideas for preparing for the next assessment.

At the start of first semester Spanish my students read an article which presents ten strategies that one can use to learn a language. I ask them to rank the activities from the strategies they are most likely to employ and find helpful to the least and to explain why they ranked certain activities at the top. We then discuss the strategies and how they can best accelerate and solidify their learning.

Self-motivated students who spend time watching movies and programs in the target language, reading authentic text, and creating quizzes to review the vocabulary on Quizlet are precious few. Many students do the minimum and expect favorable results both in grades and in proficiency. It takes consistent guidance and encouragement to inspire these students to set personal goals and rise above the status quo.

I believe that technology has a role to play in helping students to expand and assess their growth with the language. I provide students with a list of different tools so they can use the tool which best meets their needs and interests. One current student of mine has chosen to use Rosetta Stone to add to his vocabulary and improve his pronunciation. Another creates quizzes for herself that not only reinforce unit vocabulary but have an auditory component so she can hear the words and then spell them. A third student uses Duo Lingo to expand her skills with the language. Giving these students an opportunity in class to share the merits of the tools they are using and how they are independently taking control of their own learning is another way that I can help to promote students learning on their own.