English Language Teachers’ Beliefs About Developing Independent English Language Learning Among Jordanian Students and Their Instructional Implications

Abstract

The ultimate goal of every learning action should be that the learner can do it on his or her own. This study attempted to probe the beliefs of teachers of English regarding  independent English language learning in Jordan and their associated instructional implications. Therefore, a sample of thirty (30) EFL teachers, from Amman Second Directorate of Education, responded to a close questionnaire designed to achieve this purpose. The results of the study indicated the essential need to train language learners and their teachers on the development of independent language learning throughout, for example, the gradual emancipation of students from the excessive dependence on their teachers and also the elimination of the classical didactic methods still used by some EFL teachers. These results were also supported by some qualitative results in this study which confirmed the same findings. Based on the study results, it was recommended that EFL learners and their teachers should be trained on developing learner’s independence and that this new approach should be integrated into the educational system. It was also recommended that teachers of English be trained to account for independent English language learning.

Keywords:  learner independence, ESL/EFL teacher education, foreign/ second language learning