Exploring Learners' Autonomous Abilities in Blogs Designed for Independent Learning A thesis ...

105 Pages·2010·0.46 MB·English

Exploring Learners’ Autonomous Abilities in Blogs Designed for Independent Learning

A thesis presented to
the faculty of
the College of Arts and Sciences of Ohio University

In partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the degree
Master of Arts

Nurenzia Yannuar
June 2010
© 2010 Nurenzia Yannuar. All Rights Reserved.
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This thesis titled
Exploring Learners’ Autonomous Abilities in Blogs Designed for Independent Learning

by
NURENZIA YANNUAR

has been approved for
the Department of Linguistics
and the College of Arts and Sciences by

Greg Kessler
Assistant Professor of Linguistics

Benjamin M. Ogles
Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
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ABSTRACT
YANNUAR, NURENZIA, M.A., June 2010, Linguistics
Exploring Learners’ Autonomous Abilities in Blogs Designed for Independent Learning
(105 pp.)
Director of Thesis: Greg Kessler
Teachers have always been challenged to integrate technology and teaching; and with the
emergence of Web 2.0, they are allowed to make use of collaborative technologies such
as moodles, wikis, and blogs in their language classrooms (Bloch, 2007; Ducate &
Lomicka, 2008; Kessler, 2009; Kessler & Bikowski, 2010). Most previous research on
the blogosphere discourse was conducted in either a face-to-face classroom or blended
course environment. To fill this gap, this research focuses on a blog that was established
independently and not as part of any language classroom, the British Broadcasting
Corporation (BBC) Language Learning Blog. This study uses Littlewood’s framework to
examine the interaction between teachers and learners of English in blog postings to
identify learners’ autonomous abilities. The results suggest that learner autonomy was not
a static concept, but rather exists on a continuum. Additionally, learner autonomy was
developed when learners accessed the blog voluntarily, posted questions, and replied to
teachers or other learners’ responses.
Approved: _____________________________________________________________
Greg Kessler
Assistant Professor of Linguistics
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DEDICATION

To Eri Yoga Sidharta
Because time has given us a way to eternity…
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I am heartily thankful to my committee chair, Dr. Greg Kessler, for his sincere
guidance and encouragement. His extraordinary knowledge and enthusiasm motivated me
throughout the whole writing process. I could not imagine having a better advisor for my
thesis.
I am also very grateful to have Dr. Dawn Bikowski on my committee. I really
appreciate her tremendous help. Her thoughtful comments and feedback helped me
complete a thesis that I can be proud of.
I would like to thank Dr. Peter Githinji, my committee member, for his great
support. His insightful ideas have been very valuable for me.
I am also indebted to my teachers in the Linguistics Department of Ohio
University, Dr. Hiroyuki Oshita, Dr. Scott Jarvis, Dr. Richard McGinn, Dr. Harry
Aveling, Dr. Liang Tao, Dr. Ludmilla Marchenkova, Dr. Michelle O’Malley, Dr. David
Bell, Dr. Alla Zareva and also the other members of the Ohio University Department of
Linguistics for their guidance, patience, understanding, and inspiration.
I owe my deepest gratitude to my parents, Nurhadi and Sri Endah Tabiati, and my
little sister, Devi, for always being there for me. I would also like to thank all of my
friends in Ohio University and the United States, for their support, love, and friendship.
Finally, I would express my deepest appreciation for my Fulbright advisors both from IIE
and AMINEF.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Abstract ............................................................................................................................... 3 
Dedication ........................................................................................................................... 4 
Acknowledgments............................................................................................................... 5 
List of Tables ...................................................................................................................... 8 
List of Figures ..................................................................................................................... 9 
Chapter 1: Introduction ..................................................................................................... 10 
Chapter 2: Literature Review ............................................................................................ 17 
Web 2.0 and Blogs ........................................................................................................ 17 
Web 2.0 in Language Classrooms ................................................................................ 19 
Blogging Alternatives in Language Classrooms .......................................................... 24 
Autonomy in Language Classrooms ............................................................................. 25 
Traditional Views on Language Teaching .................................................................... 28 
Teachers’ Feedback to Students’ Writing ..................................................................... 30 
Chapter 3: Methodology ................................................................................................... 32 
The BBC Language Learning Blog .............................................................................. 33 
The Content of the BBC Language Learning Blog ...................................................... 34 
Teacher Blog Section .................................................................................................... 35 
BBC Learning English Teacher Blog Participants ....................................................... 37 
Research Questions ....................................................................................................... 38 
Procedure ...................................................................................................................... 38 
Chapter 4: Findings ........................................................................................................... 41 
The Language Questions Learners Asked .................................................................... 41 
Form .......................................................................................................................... 42 
Meaning-Related ....................................................................................................... 50 
General Questions ..................................................................................................... 54 
Idioms/Expressions ................................................................................................... 58 
Vocabulary ................................................................................................................ 61 
Old English ............................................................................................................... 63 
Writing ...................................................................................................................... 65 
Speaking .................................................................................................................... 66
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Questions that Initiated Ongoing Discussions .............................................................. 67 
Responded to by Other Learner Questions ................................................................... 71 
Ignored Questions ......................................................................................................... 73 
Chapter 5: Discussion ....................................................................................................... 81 
Language Questions Learners Asked in the Blog ......................................................... 81 
Most Popular Questions ............................................................................................ 81 
Reasons for Asking Language Questions ................................................................. 83 
Language and Technology ........................................................................................ 86 
Teachers’ and Learners’ Interaction within the Blog ................................................... 87 
Ongoing Discussion Questions ..................................................................................... 90 
Learners’ Autonomy ..................................................................................................... 91 
Creating a More Autonomous Environment ................................................................. 93 
Pedagogical Implications of Research .......................................................................... 95 
Suggestions for Further Research ................................................................................. 96 
References ......................................................................................................................... 98
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LIST OF TABLES
Table
1. Focus of the Language Questions Distribution ........................................................42
2. Form Questions ........................................................................................................43
3. The Distribution of Responses in Form Category ...................................................50
4. Meaning Related Questions .....................................................................................51
5. The Distribution of Responses in Meaning Related Category .................................54
6. General Questions about Language Learning Strategies or Tools ...........................55
7. The Distribution of Responses in General Questions Category ..............................57
8. Idioms/Expressions Questions .................................................................................58
9. The Distribution of Responses in Idioms/ Expressions Category ...........................61
10. Vocabulary Questions ..............................................................................................62
11. The Distribution of Responses in Vocabulary Category .........................................63
12. Old English Questions .............................................................................................64
13. The Distribution of Responses in Old English Category .........................................64
14. Writing Questions ....................................................................................................65
15. The Distribution of Responses in Writing Category ................................................66
16. Speaking Questions ..................................................................................................66
17. The Distribution of Responses in Speaking Category .............................................67
18. The Distribution of Ongoing Discussion Questions ................................................68
19. Ongoing Discussion Questions ................................................................................69
20. Questions that were Responded to by Other Learners .............................................72
21. The Distribution of Questions that were Responded to by Other Learners .............72
22. Ignored Questions ....................................................................................................73
23. The Distribution of Ignored Questions ....................................................................80
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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1 Entries in Teacher Blog Section ........................................................................36
Figure 2 Comments in Teacher Blog Section ..................................................................37
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CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
Technologies are seen as important in our daily life. Almost every aspect of
modern human life is interconnected with technology. Within the last decades,
communication technology has developed very rapidly. Technology enhancement has
introduced us to the era of mobile communication, allowing people to be connected to
each other at anytime and anywhere through cellular phones. People now perceive
technology and communication as two elements that are closely related to each other and
are very enthusiastic about any new forms of communication technology. Most people
have lost their awkwardness with technology by intense use of simple forms of
communication technology in their life.
Apart from cellular phones, the Internet is considered the core of modern
technology for communication. Since its introduction in the late 1970s, it has grown to be
a tool that shapes the face of world communication. The world has become more
connected and integrated. Vossen and Hagemann (2007) mention that the flat world has
allowed people to “interact, play, do business with each other, and collaborate” no matter
where they reside (p. 7). In other words, numerous business accomplishments,
negotiations, and understandings are said to have been achieved with the help of
affordable Internet service.
The Internet is a growing technology, and within its development over the past
two decades it has been through a lot of changes. Web 2.0 is probably the most discussed
Internet form. It is a result of a series of innovations that finally resulted in a medium by
which people could not only socialize and interact, but could also participate and