IT Tools for Foreign Language Writing Practice in Pre-service Teacher Education: user experience and autonomy
Type: Brief Paper Topic: English Education
Room: 8
Thu, Mar. 6 3:10 PM-3:30 PM
Authors:
Betül Tarhan, University of Georgia, USA
Müge Satar, The Open University, UK, UK
Abstract:
In formal education being an autonomous learner means to be able to “develop a capacity for detachment, critical reflection, decision making, and independent action” (Little 1991:4). Previous studies on learner autonomy mainly concentrate on the development of autonomy in the classroom and among the language learners rather than as part of the teachers’ own development. While recent studies (such as Little, 2007) have begun to focus on the teachers, the literature is yet to suggest ways to diminish the ‘teacher scepticism’ and ‘lack of teacher know-how'. Therefore, this paper aims to demonstrate an approach to incorporate information technologies (online concordance, thesaurus and dictionary) into the language teacher education programme for foreign language writing practice as tools to foster autonomy in teacher trainees which would in turn develop their linguistic skills and create an awareness of autonomous language learning for their future practices.