Assessing the Needs for Developing the Students' Capacity for Autonomous Basic English Vocabulary Learning

摘要

Basic English vocabulary learning needs special attention since its success will lay the foundation for further success in learning this foreign language. However, very little attention, if any at all, is paid to vocabulary teaching because of time constraints due to the heavy curriculum burden. Such a situation necessitates students to learn the vocabulary autonomously. Nevertheless, our observation has shown that they are not trained to do it and the teachers lack knowledge and skills to facilitate them to do it. Our study was conducted to assess the students' needs for building their capacity to learn autonomously and the teachers' needs for building their capacity to facilitate the development of students' learning autonomy. Data were collected through a four-scale questionnaire and interviews with selected students and all the teachers. Results of data analysis indicated that: (1) the students are aware of the importance of learning vocabulary autonomously but they have very little knowledge of the ways of learning vocabulary autonomously; and (2) the teachers agree that learning vocabulary autonomously is important but they have very little knowledge of the ways to facilitate their students to develop their learning autonomy. The findings imply the importance of an intervention to ensure that the vocabulary learning autonomy develops well within students and that the teachers become knowledgeable and skillful in facilitating their students' autonomous learning.