Abstract
This paper presents the results of a study funded by an Innovative Teaching Project with the goal of improving the learning outcomes of students of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) registered at a Spanish University. These students start to learn English at primary school or before. However, they often complain about a low level of oral skills in English. This research aims to help students to develop strategies for autonomous learning that will help them to improve their listening and pronunciation skills. For this, we have developed a set of novel training activities based on metacognitive principles. The materials are five short audios selected for their interest and appeal for young adults. Topics include idioms, emojis, conversation skills, the artistic brain and music. The activities took place over five weeks. Participants are 75 students aged 19 to 21 who are registered for a degree in Primary Education at a Spanish University. Each week, participants recorded themselves reading the text prior to the listening. Then they listened to the audio a minimum of once a day for five days and recorded themselves once more at the end of the week. Data was collected via questionnaires (initial, medial, and final), participants’ logs, and participants’ recordings. Preliminary analyses show that participants committed to the project were very satisfied since they realised they were making progress even from week one and they felt motivated to continue. We discuss the application of metacognitive principles to EFL and share pedagogical guidelines
Presenters
Paz MarínEnglish Teacher, Universidad Católica de Valencia, San Vicente Mártir, Valencia, Spain
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Learning English as a Foreign Language, Listening and Pronunciation Skills, Metacognitive Strategies, Autonomous Learning
