Auto-evaluation and language learning

This paper describes a method to build self-reflection into students' learning of language at tertiary level. At the beginning of the course, students are given a graded chart summarizing different language skills. They are asked to assess their own abilities for each of these skills. The results of this experiment reveal that students get a heightened sense of their progress over a semester and acquire a critical attitude towards their learning in the target language. Self-reflection thus becomes an integral component of a learner-based approach to language teaching.