| Sumario: | Objective: It is reported that students who are highly motivated, confident, and having enjoyment in student-centered communicative English class can expect higher TOEIC IP scores. In response to the finding, the reasons why this is the case are explored in this study. Design: A qualitative essay-based study was conducted in four classes at a Japanese university. Methods: The EFL 108 freshmen were taught in English in a student-centered, communication-oriented class which includes how to write an essay. Students were required to write an in-class essay on the last day of the course. The essay title was how the students felt about the student-centered class. Results: Many students noted that student-centered classes are good for students who are autonomous, motivated, and like to collaborate with classmates. This seemed to increase their motivation, confidence, and enjoyment in class. On the other hand, it was not suitable for students who lacked motivation and autonomy because it required them to prepare for class. There seemed to be individual differences in preference for this form of instruction. Conclusion: The results of this qualitative study showed that students who favorably accept the student-centered language learning system enjoy studying in pairs/groups with their classmates, are highly motivated, and are autonomous. This result proved to support the quantitative study result. However, individual differences in preferred learning styles made it difficult to tailor lessons to all students. Therefore, teachers' efforts to create a constructive learning environment are required and some advice is presented.
|
|---|