Towards learner autonomy in EFL academic writing: Peer feedback and self-monitoring

San Martín de Los Andes

Conferencia; XXXVII FAAPI Conference; 2012

FAAPI

The relevance of learner autonomy has generated interest in the contribution made by students to the teaching and learning process and in the learning strategies they employ. A lot of research has been done on the strategies-based approach to foreign language learning. Results have shown that, through this learner-focused method, students can gradually become less dependent on the teacher because they are given tools to move towards greater autonomy. However, studies of strategy use have tended to pay more attention to broad categories of strategies than to the effectiveness of individual strategies (Oxford, 1990). The current study presents a more detailed picture than others by systematically examining the use of specific strategies to foster learners' autonomy in EFL academic writing. The general objective of this study is to determine whether social/affective and metacognitive strategy training leads to improved performance in EFL academic writing tasks. The specific objective is to assess whether the use of specific social/affective and metacognitive strategies for the writing skill, namely cooperation through peer feedback and self-monitoring, leads to changes in students' observable strategy use and self-perceptions. This study concludes with limitations, pedagogical implications and avenues for further research.