The relationship between independent study time, self-directedness, and language gain

Abstract

This paper examines the links between independent study time inside and outside a self-access centre, self-directedness and language gain. 71 university students taking English classes at a private university in Japan completed surveys of their typical weekly self-access centre usage, typical weekly independent language study time and the Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale (SDLRS) survey, and these data were compared to changes in pre- and post-study Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) reading and listening scores. The analysis showed that there were few statistically significant correlations between most of the data. The results suggest that SDLRS score predicts independent language study time and that language students with high self-directedness are less likely to require the support of a self-access centre. The authors recommend further research and that future studies use different measures of language gain that are criterion-referenced and cover more language skills, and examine the types of learning activities carried out rather than just the amount of time spent.