Learner Autonomy and Vocabulary Development for Female Learners of English as a Foreign Language at a College Level in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

This dissertation examines how English language learners in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) realize learner autonomy, especially in the context of the learner’s meaning development via purposeful vocabulary acquisition. This project is a qualitative case study that engages both teachers and English learners as subjects over a prolonged period of time, examining their teaching and learning practices, agentive roles in language development, and strategies in accessing and developing meaning. It investigates EFL students’ perceptions and applications of autonomous learning strategies for the purpose of English vocabulary development, as well as their adapted methods for learning English. This research draws on a social constructivist framework and transformative learning theory, both of which approach the learner as an agentive self and in the sociocultural context of language learning. Data collection took place at the Female University Campus in the KSA. It includes face-to-face semistructured interviews of 8 students and 6 teachers from two different classrooms, classroom observations (of the 8 students and 2 of the 6 teachers), and audio recordings of instructional practices. It also examines the student participants’ reflections on specific English coursework and English learning autobiographies. The findings reveal that the implementation of autonomous learning is a significant factor in students’ intrinsic engagement and motivation to develop vocabulary knowledge. The findings also confirm the students’ appreciation of the English language and showed how various autonomous learning methods developed their sense of self-possession. This study aims to offer guidance to language teachers and researchers who advocate for learner autonomy theory and innovative classroom practices. It recommends new strategies for cultivating learner autonomy in English education, both in the KSA classroom and elsewhere.

Grantor dc:publisher

State University of New York at Buffalo

Year dc:date.issued

2018

Author dc:creator

• Almusharraf, Norah

Contributors dc:contributor

• Brutt-Griffler, Janina
• Learning and Instruction

• foreign language education

Statement dc:rights

• Users of works found in University at Buffalo Institutional Repository (UBIR) are responsible for identifying and contacting the copyright owner for permission to reuse. University at Buffalo Libraries do not manage rights for copyright-protected works and cannot assist with permissions.
• Copyright retained by author.

Language dc:language

eng

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/10477/78022

OAI record oai:identifier

https://ubir.buffalo.edu/oai/request?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=qdc&identifier=oai%3Aubir.buffalo.edu%3A10477%2F78022