Date of Award

2020

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Education

Abstract

The study addressed learners experiences of following plans for suggested independent foreign language practice in support of their formal training in the university foreign language classroom and also of their burgeoning learner and language autonomy. At the end of 17 weeks, descriptive statistical analysis was used for identifying and comparing independent practice times and frequency, preferences for autonomous language activities, obstacles to implementing a recommended plan for independent language practice, and the relative usefulness of autonomous activities for specific language features. The study found out-of-class Spanish practice time increased by an average of nearly 5 minutes per week over the semester for the students who implemented a personalized language autonomy plan. The study also used qualitative description to explore potential relationships between self-reported plan implementation and perceived gains in skills and autonomy among three students. Professional language educators, CALL developers, university modern foreign language programs, language learners, and marketers of language learning tools all have a stake in learning to capitalize on present-day, authentic modes of communication and cultural expression for the sake of effectively and efficiently promoting autonomous language learning and language usage.

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