Classroom Activities Viewed from Different Perspectives: Learners' Voice and Teachers' Voice.

The present study aimed at investigating learners’ beliefs about different learning activities and the degree of discrepancy between learners’ preferences and instructors’ awareness of those preferences in foreign language learning. The study involved 603 EFL students majoring in different fields who responded to a questionnaire on their preferred activities in the “General English” course. In addition, 27 instructors who taught the “General English” course were asked about their perceptions of students’ preferences in the same context. The questionnaire included 40 classroom activities. A comparison was made between these two participant groups’ responses. The results indicate that, in communicative activities, there is a significant difference between students’ preferences and instructors’ perception of those preferences. Students’ preferences for communicative activities were significantly higher than their instructors’ beliefs. The results indicate that instructors are not highly aware of students’ preferences in relation to communicative activities. The results have implications for syllabus and material design and classroom practice. Introduction Insights gained from nearly two decades of research in second and foreign language (L2) development in natural as well as formal settings have made us aware that language learning is primarily a learner-and learning-oriented activity (Brown, 2001; Nunan, 1988a; Wright, 1990). Consequently, in recent years there have been more emphases on the role of the learner in the language learning process. Learners’ beliefs about language learning is one of the more recently discussed learner variables in the field. [-1-] In curricula based on a learner-centered approach, learners have greater roles in teaching/learning processes, and this can result in the promotion of their interests and preferences toward language learning (Makarova, 1997). Moreover, Rifkin (2000) asserts that learners’ The Electronic Journal for English as a Second Language Home About TESL-EJ All Issues Books How to Submit Editorial Board Access Sitemap beliefs (including their preferences) about the learning process are “of critical importance to the success or failure of any student’s efforts to master a foreign language” (p. 394). According to Nunan (1988a, p. 177), “no curriculum can claim to be truly learner-centered unless the learner’s subjective needs and perceptions relating to the processes of learning are taken into account.” Unfortunately, as Allwright (1984) says, “very many teachers seem to find it difficult to accept their learners as people with a positive contribution to make to the instructional process” (p. 167). Based on Bada and Okan (2000), many teachers acknowledge the need to understand learners’ preferences, but they may not actually consult learners in conducting language activities. Teachers may believe that learners are not capable of expressing what they want or need to learn and how they want to learn. However researchers like Block (1994, 1996) claim that learners do have an awareness of what goes on in classes and that teachers should therefore make an attempt to align their task orientation to that of learners. Breen (cited in Block, 1996) showed that students were able to identify specific techniques adopted by the teacher that they preferred and believed that it helped them with understanding the new language. Nunan (1989) describes two Australian studies that show learners favor traditional learning activities over more communicative activity types. It should be noted that curriculum developers, syllabus designers, and teachers should become aware of their students’ preferences. Once they come to know them, they can, “if necessary,” take into consideration those preferences and plan and implement alternative behaviors and activities in their classes (Barkhuizen, 1998). Even if learners’ desires and those of teachers’ are in contrast with each other (e.g., teachers emphasize communicative activities and learners tend toward traditional activities), they can shift to a negotiated syllabus procedure and come to reasonable agreements (Jordan, 1997). Learners’ preferences are one side of the coin. The other side of the coin is teachers’ awareness of those preferences, which plays a considerable role in influencing their decision-making processes and classroom behaviors (Spratt, 1999). Some studies indicate that there are considerable discrepancies of opinions between learners and their teachers or syllabus experts. A divergence of opinions between these two groups has been noted in relation to what they prefer, what learners need, and the nature of language and language learning (Kern, 1995; Kumaravadivelu, 1991; Nunan, 1988a, 1988b). Block (1994, p. 473) found that “teachers and learners operate according to quite different systems for describing and attributing purpose to tasks.” According to Kumaravadivelu (1991) both teachers and learners bring with them their own perceptions of what constitutes language teaching and learning. In other words, learners and teachers interpret classroom activities from their own perspectives, which may not always match. [-2-] A prominent example of the divergence of opinion between learners’ preferences and teachers’ perception of those predispositions is the study performed by Spratt (1999) involving EFL learners in Hong Kong. The results of this study showed that “teachers were able to gauge their learners’ preferences with accuracy for 54% of activities” (p. 141), which is a considerable degree of discrepancy. In another study by Barkhuizen (1998), ESL teachers in South Africa frequently became surprised when they found out their students’ thoughts, feelings and indications. In considering learners’ views towards instructional activities, sociocultural norms of different societies may also play an important role. In some societies with a top-down curriculum, social roles of teachers and learners are so rigidly drawn that expecting learners to participate in decision-making in the classroom may not be viewed as appropriate. The traditional learning styles and habits of the learners may influence learners’ perceived self-confidence and their knowledge base to make informed choices in relation to instructional activities. In these contexts promoting learners’ participation in the educational process needs to be done with care and sensitivity. As Cortazzi and Jin (1999) assert, the culture of learning that students and teachers bring to classroom becomes an invisible yardstick for judgments about how to teach or learn, about whether and how to ask questions, and about the role of the textbooks in the curriculum. They illustrate through examples that mismatches in cultures of learning can affect participants’ interpretation of one another and sometimes lead to misunderstandings. Using multimethod qualitative research procedures, Rao (2002) discovered that Chinese students’ perceived difficulties with Communicative Language Teaching had their source in the differences between the underlying educational theories of China and those of Western countries. Based on the results, Rao suggests that, to update English teaching methods, EFL countries like China need to modernize, not westernize, English teaching. As Cray and Currie (1996) suggest, the important point is that teachers do not have to act on behalf of their learners but with their learners. Attention needs to be given to students’ ways of learning and their preferences and unless teachers are aware of those preferences they cannot consider them in their teaching activities and classroom practices. This study was conducted in order to broaden the scope of studies done in the area of students’ and instructors’ perceptions of instructional activities, and to include learners of a different profile and in a different sociocultural context from previous studies. The context of English language teaching in Iran, with its anti-Western sentiments after the Islamic revolution, the limited amount of exposure to English language and relative lack of native English speaking tourists and visitors in the country, is different from the EFL teaching contexts reported in other studies ( e.g., Bada & Okan, 2000; Nunan, 1989; Rao, 2002; Spratt, 1999). Therefore, it will be insightful to see if similar findings will be reached. This study will give information regarding this particular group of learners’ perceptions of different activity types and different areas of language learning, as well as a profile of students’ subjective needs. Moreover, the findings will clarify the areas of mismatch between learners’ and their teaches’ perception of different language learning activities. [-3-] It should be noted that the terms likes or Preferences, following Spratt (1999), has been used in its simplest form. Thus, when students prefer an activity, it means that they either enjoy it or find it useful. The Study Research questions The following research questions were addressed in this study: 1. Is there a significant difference between students’ preferences and instructors’ perceptions of those preferences in language learning? 2. Is the type of activity (communicative vs. non-communicative) significantly related to the degree of discrepancy between students’ preferences and instructors’ perception of those preferences in language learning? 3. Is the area of activity (speech-based vs. text-based) significantly related to the degree of discrepancy between students’ preferences and instructors’ perception of those preferences in language learning?