| This study sets out to research English teachers' roles in learner autonomous learning in MCR (multimedia computer room). With the development of the theories in Second Language Acquisition, psychology and social-psychology, language teaching tends to change from teacher-centered to learner-centered. Students are guided to learn to be more autonomous, participative and more responsible for their own learning. Although recent studies (e.g. Gardener 2001, Nunan 2001, Davies and Pearse 2002) have offered reinterpretations of the roles concerning the autonomous learning, no specific or systematic study appears to have been carried out to focus on how teachers can exert their best roles in MCR.This study addresses the need or a concrete understanding of English teachers' roles by looking at subjects' own understandings.There are three main purposes: to promote understanding of the concept of English teachers' roles; to explore English teachers' roles for learner autonomous learning in MCR; to confirm students' attitudes towards the English teachers' roles in MCR.The data for the study was obtained through three instruments—English proficiency tests, questionnaires and interviews. SPSS was used to analyze the data collected from questionnaires and language proficiency tests. The subjects were 115 Science learners in Taiyuan University of Technology. Test scores showed positive results after the researcher practiced teachers' roles in MCR. Questionnaire and interviews were administered to the subjects to confirm the results of the study. The data was analyzed by using Descriptive analysis and Independent t-test. The problems in the study are supported by both quantitative and qualitative studies.The findings of the study indicate that: Firstly, students favor teachers' roles when they study in MCR autonomously because of their EFL learning background and examination-oriented purpose. It is proved that the change of teachers' roles is evolutionary rather than revolutionary in nature. Secondly, Students need some time to get acclimated to this method of learning style in MCR. They need teachers' help, because they can not deal with autonomous learning style immediately. After some time learning in MCR, they have learned how to learn autonomously and adapted to the new learning mode. Teachers can help students shorten this period. Thirdly, task-based teaching and teachers' monitoring can play very important roles in helping students' autonomous learning. From the test scores and the questionnaire and interviews, we can conclude that when teachers practice more roles during student autonomous learning, they will achieve more in their studies. It indicates that the more roles teachers play in MCR, the more benefits students gain from the MCR learning. Fourthly, students have learned how to study autonomously after spending some time to get used to learning autonomously in MCR and then adapt to this kind of learning style. So teachers should help students try to shorten this period. Lastly, MCR is not a place for learners to handle all the learning staff by themselves. It is a place for learners and teachers to fulfill the task together.This study has its limitations too, for example, the sample seems not big enough to get a more widely covered and compelling conclusion. And subjects are confined to the engineering students, which should be expounded in the further research. The other explanation of the language proficiency is measurement. Possibly the final test of the subjects could not represent their true language master level. It is better to take English Examination Band Four to test the experiment. Lastly, this study is focused on the roles of organizer and monitor and many other teachers' roles can be tested in this field.From the results, the researcher also finds out the other areas or problems which are needed to probe further, such as the interaction between teachers and students, the environment in MCR learning and the improvement of the courseware for the students. |
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