Towards an understanding of a language learning community: a study on a university-based toastmasters international club in Taiwan

• Main Authors: Chen, Yi Ning, 陳伊寧
• Other Authors: Chao, Chin Chi
• Format: Others
• Language: en_US
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/72091189361700334139

碩士 === 國立政治大學 === 英國語文學研究所 === 99 === This study aimed to obtain an understanding of how a group of Taiwan college students as EFL learners made use of the attainable resources on campus, that is, a Toastmasters International club, to work on autonomous learning and develop English proficiency outside the classrooms. Ethnographical methodology was adopted to explore the relationship among the setting (the club), the activities (club activities), and the persons (the learners as members). All of the club members were the participants of this study, but four of them with diverse experiences in the club were invited to be the focal participants. The data collection stage lasted for one semester (fall, 2009). During this period, qualitative data were elicited from interviews, on-site observation, and document collection, and situated learning theory served as the theoretical and analytic framework. The findings of this study indicated that this club functioned as a valuable environment where members took advantages of its resources and social engagements to develop autonomous English learning. The four focal participants of this study were aware of the affordance of this club and valued the opportunities to engage in the club activities, but the degree of participation among them was influenced by individual commitment and the length of membership in the club. It was found that the seasoned members with higher commitment tended to participate more in the club activities, and they demonstrated more autonomous behaviors in developing language proficiency. During the process of participating in the club activities, all of the four participants encountered diverse problems and conflicts. In addition, members of the learning community exerted influence on one another members’ learning in terms of autonomous behaviors and degree of participation. Moreover, social contacts were of vital importance in strengthening the cohesiveness of the learning community, which influenced members’ participation and learning afterwards. It is suggested that, first, teachers and professors alike could encourage the establishment of learning community since the social and interactive support from the peers in the community is of vital importance for learners’ development of language proficiency and learner autonomy. Second, teachers and experienced members of a community could encourage help-seeking behaviors in an autonomous learning community and pay more attention to learners’ concerns of face-saving. It is hoped that this study could cast light on autonomous language learning community as a structure for future English education in Taiwan.