Learning outside the classroom

1. Learning outside the classroom • Richard Watson Todd • King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi • http://arts.kmutt.ac.th/call/doc/outsideclass.ppt

2. Why learning outside the classroom is important • Time • Differences between language inside and outside the classroom • Promoting lifelong learning • Lack of evidence for effectiveness of classroom learning

3. Some relevant issues • Motivation for learning • Resources for learning • Tasks for learning • Focus of learning

4. Motivation for learning • Is the learner studying an English course? • If no, autonomous learning • If yes, does the teacher assign work outside class? • Is the learner free to choose what work to do?

5. Resources for learning • Is the situation EFL or ESL? • If ESL, can the learner use the community or the family? • Are learning resources (e.g. self-access) available? • What media can the learner access?

6. Tasks for learning • What skill does the learner want to improve? • If speaking or writing, how can the learner gain feedback? • If reading or listening, should the learner engage in open-ended or closed-ended tasks? • Students prefer to focus on receptive skills in outside-class learning (Hyland, 2004)

7. Focus of learning • Does the learner intend to practise English? • Does the learner want to engage in meaningful use of English?

8. 2 examples • Homework • Autonomous CALL

9. Homework • Motivation: teacher assigns work • Resource: usually paper-based exercises • Task: usually to complete closed-ended practice exercises • Focus: specific language points

10. Summary of research into homework • 4 main types of homework (Freiberg and Driscoll, 2000) • rehearsal (repetitive practice) • preparation (e.g. pre-reading) • review (transfer of skills to new situations) • integration (e.g. project work)

11. Summary of research into homework • Actual use of homework (North and Pillay, 2000) • Teachers perceive main purpose of homework as practice • Teachers most commonly assign grammar practice exercises

12. Summary of research into homework • Consequences of standard homework practices (Calzoni, 2003; Warwick and Jeffrey, 2003) • Students find homework one of the least enjoyable aspects of courses • Students especially dislike practice exercises • Students believe homework does not help their learning much

13. Summary of research into homework • Directions to improve homework (Cole and Chan, 1987; Stern, 1997) • Homework should encourage reflection • Teachers need to plan homework carefully • Teachers must give feedback on homework • Students should be involved in deciding on homework

14. Summary of research into homework • Homework, parents and the community (North and Pillay, 2002; Lazear, 2000; Stern, 1997) • Teachers rank involving parents with homework as a low priority • However, parents should be involved, especially in applying school learning to real situations • Parents can help with space and time for homework • Parents should be supportive, not competitive • Where possible, homework should be integrated with the community (e.g. NGOs, visits to museums, factories etc.)

15. Summary of research into homework • Innovative homework practices (Stern, 1997) • Integrating homework with what students want to do • Analysing camera angles while watching a TV concert • Comparing TV soap operas with real life • (e.g. no-one goes to the toilet, no swearing)

16. Conclusions about homework • Reduce reliance on grammar practice • Assign innovative tasks • Involve students and parents in homework

17. Autonomous CALL • Motivation: learner works voluntarily • Resource: CALL resources • Task: Internet, CMC • Focus: meaningful English use

18. Types of CALL • Multimedia CALL software • Language exercises on the Internet • Knowledge resources on the Internet • Computer-mediated communication (CMC) • (cf. Linder, 2004)

19. Multimedia software and Internet exercises closed-ended meaningless language-focused Internet resources and CMC open-ended meaningful content-focused Characteristics of CALL

20. Teachers’ assignments of CALL • Teachers want learners to focus on English • Teachers want learners to acquire specific language points • Teachers assign multimedia software and Internet exercises

21. Learners’ autonomous use of CALL • Learners want to fulfill real-world tasks • Learners want to focus on content • Learners use Internet resources and CMC

22. Conclusions about autonomous CALL • If learners are learning autonomously, they will focus on meaningful content-oriented CALL • Will learners learn any English from this?

23. How to learn outside the classroom • If homework consists of innovative tasks not focused on language practice, • and if autonomous CALL is content-focused, • then how can we be sure that learners will learn anything?

24. Types of autonomous learning • Self-instruction: learning is deliberately planned • Naturalistic learning: unintentional engagement with English and incidental learning • Self-directed naturalistic learning: learners seek naturalistic situations that can help English learning • (Benson, 2001)

25. Types of autonomous learning • If self-instruction, learners may engage in language-focused tasks • For all types of autonomous learning, learners are more likely to engage in content-focused tasks • Still need to consider how to promote language learning in content-focused tasks

26. Theories of learning • Child development theories (e.g. Piaget) • Not relevant to older students • Classroom-oriented theories (e.g. scaffolding, data-driven learning) • Not relevant to autonomous learning • Traditional broad theories (e.g. behaviourism, constructivism) • Learners need feedback (problem with open-ended tasks)

27. Learning orientations • Attention, noticing, awareness • Language learners need to: • pay attention to input • pay particular attention to whatever aspect of the input is of special concern • look for clues to why English speakers say what they say • if a generalised principle cannot be identified, focus on specific instances in specific contexts • (Schmidt, 1995)

28. Applicability to autonomous learning • Exposure to language is not sufficient • Attention and noticing can help learning • Noticing is possible without a teacher • BUT is noticing innate or is it learnt? • If it is learnt, do teachers need to train learners in noticing to promote lifelong learning? • How can such training be conducted?

29. Guidelines for noticing • Use checklist of questions to guide noticing of new language • Where did you see/hear the new language? • Who wrote/said it to whom? • What happened before it was shown/said? • What happened afterwards? • What do you think the new language means? • (Adams, 2001)

30. Conclusions about learning outside class • Need to consider learners’ motivations, available resources and tasks, and learning focuses • Teacher-assigned learning should lead towards autonomous learning • Tasks should be open-ended, meaningful and content-focused

31. Conclusions about learning outside class • Parents should be involved • Teachers can help students prepare for autonomous learning by promoting attention and noticing