Learner Autonomy

Our honorable Dean, Dr. Abdullah Al-Melhi, was invited as a guest to The First International Conference on EFL Education (ICEFL 2016) held by the University of Jeddah at the Hilton Hotel from 10/31/2016 to 11/02/2016. The theme of the conference was to expand research and improve outcomes. Its main aim was to put together a fantastically diverse and engaging collection of speakers and workshops to enhance English Language teaching practices. The Faculty of Languages and Translation bolstered ICEFL’s 2016 main aim through the excellent representation of Vice Dean, Dr. Ali Alamir, and Lecturer, Mr. Md Mahmudul Haque. The papers presented at this conference were: 1-"The L2 Performance of Saudi EFL Students in the Online Environment."      Dr. Ali Hussein Alamir 2-"The Catalytic Role of Metacognition in Fostering Learner Autonomy for ESL/EFL Learners."      Mr. Md Mahmudul Haque Several Keynote speakers and distinguished L2 researchers from different parts of the world including the USA, the UK, and Canada participated in this conference! A large number of Saudi educators from various Saudi public and private sectors (e.g., students, teachers, advisers, educational consultants, and managers) as well as both domestic and international educational institutions and publishers attended this event and participated in some of the allocated training workshops for this conference. Some of our MA students also attended several sessions of this conference. The event was an extraordinary scientific occasion for EFL Education in Saudi Arabia and Saudi EFL Educators in particular. Participants enthusiastically enjoyed the conference papers, presentations, and workshops. They expressed their exhilaration to be part of this event and have the opportunities to learn more about the current issues of Saudi EFL education and research. Moreover, they were overjoyed by the ability to share their constructive comments and feedback with keynote guests and other respected participants. Overall, the conference was a comprehensive event which contributed to the collective understanding of creative teaching and active learning.   Date: 11-9-2016 Source: Faculty of Languages and Translation

Mr. Mahmudul Haque delivered a presentation organized by the Language Research Center of King Khalid University held on October 24, 2016. In his presentation, which was titled Learner Autonomy and Metacognition in Language Learning, he shared his views on how Learner autonomy facilitates the learning process. First, He defined autonomy and highlighted its brief history. Then he showed its role in language learning. He pointed out the fact that learners need to be independent in terms of choosing materials and learning strategies. He also focused on the roles a teacher can play to help learners become autonomous. Second, he talked about metacognition, a mental process involved in various learning styles. He concluded that successful learners are more self-reliant and autonomous learners at the same time are more metacognitively aware.    It was an overall successful seminar. Date: 10-24-2016 Source: MD Adil Multimedia Contribution: MD Sirajul Islam