Takako RAMSDEN    Department   Kyoto University of Foreign Studies  Department of British and American Studies, Faculty of Foreign Studies    Position   Associate Professor
Date	2025/08/29
Presentation Theme	Encouraging autonomous learning through a vocabulary-building out-of-class activity using online spreadsheets: Case studies from translation and exam preparation courses
Conference	EUROCALL 2025
Promoters	EUROCALL
Conference Type	International
Presentation Type	Speech (General)
Contribution Type	Individual
Country	Italy
Venue	Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan
Holding period	2015/08/27～2025/08/30
Publisher and common publisher	ラムスデン多夏子
Details	Since Holec (1981) emphasized the importance of learner autonomy in second language acquisition, numerous pedagogical studies and practices have targeted the encouragement of autonomous learning. With technological advancements making linguistic resources more accessible, fostering autonomy within formal education has become an increasingly critical issue. At the presenter’s university, even students majoring in English often exhibit low motivation and lack autonomous learning habits. The traditional lecture-style and passive learning methods in the education system are still commonplace in Japan, and this is frequently cited as a contributing factor. In the case of vocabulary, in particular, students are typically given word lists selected by instructors or textbooks, that reinforce a generally passive approach to study. To address this, the presenter implemented an out-of-class learning activity designed to support autonomous learning attitudes across multiple courses. Using online spreadsheets, students created and maintained their own vocabulary databases, selecting words they wished to learn by themselves. These databases were then shared with the entire class, incorporating collaborative learning elements that area known to enhance motivation. This presentation introduces two case studies from an English-to-Japanese translation class and a TOEIC exam preparation course, both conducted with English majors at a Japanese university at the mainly CEFR B1 proficiency level. It will outline and detail the implementation of this spreadsheet-based learning approach, discuss the content students engaged with, and examine changes in their perceptions of learning, as measured by post-course surveys. The findings suggest that allowing students to take ownership of their vocabulary learning can foster greater autonomy and motivation, offering insights into practical strategies for integrating technology into autonomous learning initiatives.