Improving Function Phrase Use and Developing Learner Autonomy : Using Self-Check Sheets

This article introduces a student-centered activity to help achieve course objectives through review and self-evaluation.Students use a teacher-prepared self-check sheet before and after inclass discussion activities every week both to review targeted function phrases and to monitor and improve their use of these functions through self-assessment.Phrases from current and / or previous weeks' lessons are left partially blank on the self-check sheets, and students must work together to recall and write down the phrases.After the discussion is completed, students then recall and assess their own usage of the phrases.This activity aims to enhance retention of the phrases through practice and awareness building, to develop learner autonomy and responsibility through self-assessment, and to increase motivation.In addition, the activity can be seen as one element of on-going formative assessment in the class. INTRODUCTIONOne of the main goals of the English Discussion Class (EDC) at Rikkyo University is to increase students' ability to discuss issues in English with their peers, and a key way to help them achieve this goal is by encouraging the use of communication functions and function phrases.Thus, specific function phrases (e.g."Could you tell me why?" to ask for reasons) are taught in each lesson to aid the students in discussing selected topics.In addition, a guiding principle of the program is to make the classes as learner-centered as possible, as this is thought to be beneficial for meeting the needs of students in the acquisition of communicative skills and overall language proficiency (e.g.Nunan, 1988;Tarone Tudor, 1996).For these reasons, it is important to help students not only improve their ability to use the function phrases, but also to set up activities that do not require a teacher-centered instructional style for the teaching of these phrases.A corollary of the learner-centered classroom is the need to develop learner autonomy.Learner autonomy has become a much-discussed topic in the field of TESOL in recent years, and is thought to be important for ideological reasons (such as recognizing and valuing students' individuality, or empowering students to express their own political or cultural views), as well as for improving language learners' progress (Benson Benson, 2001).One aspect of learner autonomy is self-assessment, as learners must be able to assess their own strengths and weaknesses in order to set goals and direct their future learning.These elements may also help students develop more motivation to learn the language.According to Dornyei (2001), goal-orientation, cooperation among learners (both part of the self-assessment process described in this article), and learner autonomy are just some of the elements that can positively impact learner motivation.Recently, there has also been much discussion in the field of language teaching regarding formative assessment (as contrasted with summative assessment).In formative assessment, students have a chance to get frequent, incremental assessment (for example, directly after activities in class), with an aim towards consistent improvement and development (Centre for Educational Research and Innovation, 2005; Lynch, 2004).Self-assessment activities