Benefits of Using Self-Study Centres on Language Learning

Abstract

Self-study centres play an important role in language learning. In these centres, students have the opportunity to practice the target language through a wide variety of software on the Internet. Since classroom time is limited, students do not have much time to use and practice the target language adequately in class. Therefore, self-study centres enable students to study at their own pace and according to their individual needs outside the class. In the English Preparatory School of Eastern Mediterranean University, it has been observed that some students continually make use of the available resources and technology offered in these centres wile others are not aware of the benefits. The aim of this research was to investigate the relationship between students' achievement and the amount of time spent in these centres. The participants of this study were 50 students studying at the Intermediate level of the EPS program. For this research study, it was necessary to collect two sets of data: student interviews and test results. The results collected from the data clearly indicated that there is a positive correlation between student test results and the amount of time spent in the centres. According to the data, the students who regularly use the self-study centres performed better in the tests.