Effective Use of the EPOSTL by Student Teachers of English -EFUESTE- Sinem Hergüner Cemre Zengin Self-assessment and Learner Autonomy in EFL Teacher Training: Why and How?

Learner Autonomy, Self-assessment and ELP in Language Learning Assessment Any methods used to better understand the current knowledge that a student possesses (Collins & O’Brien, 2003, p. 29). Any process that provides information about the thinking, achievement or progress of students (Crooks, 2001, p. 1). Some of the methods which instructors use to measure their students’ learning are written tests, book reports, project work, homework exercises, oral presentations, and question-and-answer activities (Baniabdelrahman, 2010). 2

How does it affect the students? Anxiety, fear, or disappointment Unfortunately students might be disappointed at the fact that what they concentrate on differs from what the instructor emphasizes in his/her questions (Guskey (2003) and Shaaban (2005). Perhaps the most important factor of a successful teaching-learning process is active student involvement (Stiggins, 2001). 3

Some educators argue that students often find external assessment by instructors or supervisors unfair (Harris, 1997). Therefore, if students are given the chance to assess themselves, they will be more confident to give more accurate information about their progress (Angelo & Cross, 1993). 4

Self-assessment The CEFR describes self-assessment as judgments about your own proficiency. The main potential for self-assessment is in its use as a tool for motivation and awareness raising: helping learners to appreciate their strengths, recognize their weaknesses and orient their learning more effectively. Self-assessment may give some ideas about the content of the lesson. 5

Students’ main concern is to pass the class or get a good mark which will provide them better opportunities for further study or employment. By the help of self assesment, students can become more active when they realize that they have the final decision and responsibility for their learning. Through self-assessment learners can realize that studying languages is different from other kinds of learning at their school or university, that the prime objective is performance in the language rather than knowledge about the language (Harris, 1997). 6

Learner Autonomy One of the fundamental elements of self-directed language learning is the opportunity for learners to assess their own progress and thus help them to focus their own learning (Harris, 1997). In formal educational contexts, genuinely successful learners have always been autonomous (Little, 1995). An autonomous learner is the one who takes responsibility for his or her own learning. 7

An apparent relationship between present and future learning. Learners who accept responsibility for their learning are more likely to achieve their learning targets; and if they achieve their learning targets, they are more likely to maintain a positive attitude to learning in the future (Little, 1995). 8

In the past two decades, as our language teaching practice shifted to a more communicative approach, it has also become more learner-centered (Yang, 1998). Nunan (1993) suggests that teachers become active participants, monitors, consultants and guides when they work closely with their students' language learning and help students develop better techniques for learning. 9

Teachers and learners are inevitably co-producers of classroom language lessons (Allwright, 1991: 6f.). Teacher' s task is to bring learners to the point where they accept equal responsibility for this coproduction, not only at the affective level but in terms of their readiness to undertake organizational (hence also discourse) initiatives. 10

Teachers and learners are inevitably co-producers of classroom language lessons (Allwright, 1991: 6f.). Teacher' s task is to bring learners to the point where they accept equal responsibility for this coproduction, not only at the affective level but in terms of their readiness to undertake organizational (hence also discourse) initiatives. 11

2. Teacher autonomy, Reflection and Self- assessment and EPOSTL in EFL Teacher Training Little stated (1995) “genuinely successful teachers have always been autonomous in the sense of having a strong sense of personal responsibility for their teaching” (p. 179). 12

Pearson and Hall (1993, p. 172) described teacher autonomy as “the right of teachers to manage themselves and their job environment” while Shaw simply defined it as “the capacity to take control of one’s own teaching” (2002, p. 2). 13

Dewey (1933, p. 36) suggested that “reflection is an important human activity in which people recapture their experience, think about it, mull it over and evaluate it. It is this working with experience that is important in learning. The capacity to reflect is developed into different stages in different people and it may be this ability which characterizes those who learn effectively from experience”. 14

One of the main materials developed by the ECML is The European Portfolio for Student Teachers of Languages (EPOSTL), a standard self-assessment tool for students in foreign language teacher training departments across Europe. EPOSTL was developed to contribute to the autonomy of the candidate teachers of languages to overcome the constraints the traditional tools cause. 15

3.Conclusion Concerning the development of learner autonomy Dam (1995, p. 79) indicated that “it is the teacher’s responsibility to develop learner autonomy”. 16

Autonomy and reflection which can be realized self-assessment tools such as EPOSTL are also in the centre of teacher development, which is preferable to teacher training in that it allows the teachers to see their own weaknesses and strengths and try to find out solutions to them in various ways like action researches, seminars, conferences and so on. 17

All in all, EPOSTL can be described as a true instrument to enhance autonomy in student teachers by helping them to reflect on their strengths and weaknesses. As they take the control to evaluate themselves, they can organize their own learning process as student teachers by putting new goals necessary to develop teacher competencies that they need to see better. 18

In one of his studies, Mirici (2007) proposed seminars, symposiums and conferences should be organized to share ideas and broaden the viewpoint concerning ELP development, implementation and dissemination, which can be carried out through collaboration between the Ministry of Education, national contact persons, portfolio developers, academics and teachers. There seems to be a similar necessity for the EPOSTL, as well. 19

References Angelo, T., & Cross, K. (1993). Classroom assessment techniques: A handbook for college instructors(2nd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Baniabdelrahman, Abdallah Ahmad. "The Effect of the Use of Self-Assessment on EFL Reading Comprehension in English." TESL-EJ 14.2 (2010): n2. Collins, J., & O’Brien, N. (2003). The Greenwood dictionary of education. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. Council of Europe. (2001). Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, teaching, assessment. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. Crooks, T. (2001). The validity of formative assessment. Paper presented to The British Educational Research Association Annual Conference, University of Leeds, September,2001. Dam, L. (1995). Learner autonomy 3: From theory to classroom practice. Dublin: Authentik. Dewey, J. (1933). How we think: A restatement of the relation of reflective thinking to the educative process. Boston: D.C. Heath and Company. Dickinson, L. (1995). Autonomy and motivation a literature review. System, 23(2), Harris, M. (1997).Self-assessment of language learning in formal settings. ELT Journal, 51(1), Little, D. (1995). Learning as dialogue: The dependence of learner autonomy on teacher autonomy. System, 23(2), Little, D. (2005). “The Common European Framework and the European Language Portfolio: involving learners and their judgments in the assessment process”. Language Testing, 22 (3): Language Testing Mirici, I. H. (2007).“Training Mlticultural and Plurilingual Children with an Identity of European Citizenship”.Proceedings of the International Academic Conference Children’s Identity and Citizenship in Visegrad Context, Presov University, Nunan, D. (1993). From Learning-Centeredness to Learner-Centeredness. Applied Language Learning,4, Pearson, L.C.,& Hall, B.C. (1993). Initial construct validation of the teaching autonomy scale. Journal of Educational Research, 86(3), 172–177. Stiggins, R. (2001). Student-involved classroom assessment (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice-Hall. Yang, N. D. (1998).Exploring a new role for teachers: Promoting learner autonomy. System,26(1),

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