Attention to the learning process Atmosphere with an ideal stressanxiety level

f. Attention to the learning process

The sixth principle of conditions for optimal language learning environments is students are guided to attend mindfully to the learning process. Salomon 1990, as cited in Egbert, Chao, and Hanson-Smith 1999: 6, indicates that to make the best of the learning opportunities given to them, students need to be “mindful” during the learning process; in that, they should be “motivated to take the opportunities ” given and to be “cognitively engaged when they perform them ”. Egbert, Chao, and Hanson-Smith also state that to cater learning and support cognitive engagement, “a certain degree of metacognitive guidance instructions and examples about how to learn” is required p.6. According to Ellis 2008, metacognitive guidance enables students to “think consciously about how they learn and how successfully they are learning” p.971. By consciously understanding and advantaging the guidance given to them, students are encouraged to be aware of their use of language and learning, which makes them be more effective in both Egbert, Chao, Hanson-Smith 1999. Several studies also show the effective role of metacognitive guidance for language learning Zhang Goh 2006; Rahimi Katal 2011; Selamat Sidhu 2013. Indeed, attending students to the learning process by providing metacognitive guidance will help them gain effectiveness in language use and learning. In CALL environments, students can get metacognitive guidance not only from teachers and instructors, but also the learning medium they are engaged with. In a web-based language learning, for instance, students can get unlimited access and resources about learning explanation, instructions, and examples through the web.

g. Atmosphere with an ideal stressanxiety level

The seventh principle is learners work in an atmosphere with an ideal stressanxiety level. What is meant by “ideal” here is that the appropriate stressanxiety level of the learning atmosphere in which the students feel comfortable to learn and are still willing to do the learning activities. Experiencing an ideal level of anxiety in the language learning environment is essential to support students‟ comfort, confidence, and motivation before they are engaged and willing to express their ideas Egbert, Chao, and Hanson-Smith 1999. Promoting students‟ self-confidence is important because as Brown 1994, cited in Johnston 1999 suggested, it is an essential element that determines their success. As with the asynchronous communication form of computer-mediated interaction in CALL applications, students can work on tasks according to their own preferred time and place. Such more relaxed situation is expectedly help students complete tasks more successfully. In addition to this, teacher‟s role is also significant , especially to deal with students‟ “technophobia” or “computer anxiety” Johnston 1999: 339. As stated by Johnston 1999, teachers can overcome this by establishing, facilitating, and maintaining a pleasing classroom atmosphere, such as by involving the class and making it into a collaborative and cooperative learning situation.

h. Learner autonomy