Successfully flipping the ESL classroom for learner autonomy1

Abstract

One of the most significant current discussions in education is that of the flipped classroom.
According to Bergmann and Sams (2012) and Strayer (2007), a paradigm shift from the traditional
educational model to a pedagogy-centered approach has received considerable attention, and
extensive research and practice have been carried out in the field of classroom flipping (Fulton, 2012;
Moravec, Williams, Aguilar-Roca, & O’Dowd, 2010; Pierce & Fox, 2012). Research on classroom
flipping, however, has mostly focused on general subject areas, such as biology (Moravec et al., 2010),
mathematics (Fulton, 2012), and pharmacotherapy (Pierce & Fox, 2012), rather than language
learning. Therefore, its effectiveness in the English language teaching (ELT) setting still remains
untapped. This paper introduces a flipped classroom model for an adult community English language
program in the United States in 2013. A new course structure was designed by combining Nation’s
(2007) “four strands” approach and Strayer’s (2007) theoretical framework of flipped learning. As the
semester came to an end, a positive impact on learner autonomy among the ESL students was
witnessed. Based on this experience, this paper aims to present a theoretical model of flipped learning
in second language acquisition by exploring how the model provides a platform for successful
language leaning and results in the significant development of learner autonomy.