Özet:

Although there were a massive increasing number of online English learners, not much research has clarified the assumed relationships between language learning effort and learner autonomy in the context of online distance learning in higher education. This paper aims to investigate and compare the EFL learners’ levels of foreign language learning effort and autonomy perceptions in online distance education. Data was collected from 220 EFL freshmen students taking an online English course and studying in various disciplines at a state university in Turkey. Two questionnaires were used in order to explore the relationship between language learning effort and autonomy of online English learners. The Foreign Language Learning Effort Scale (Karabıyık & Mirici, 2018) was used in order to assess the participants’ levels of foreign language learning effort and the Autonomy Perception Scale (Demirtaş, 2010) was administered so as to identify the level of autonomy perceptions of the students towards language learning. Additionally, a background information form was also utilized in order to determine individual information of the participants. The study was designed based on a baseline descriptive survey method. The data were analyzed using basic descriptive statistics (means and standard deviations) and Pearson correlation coefficients analysis. The results of the study displayed that the learners often employed effort in learning a foreign language. Moreover, the learners generally were not capable of using autonomous learning skills in learning a language although they had the capacity to employ some autonomous learning skills to a sufficient degree

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