Do English foreign language (EFL) students can learn without going to classes? Students with a higher level of self efficacy use more learning strategies, reduce their anxiety, and increase their academic results (Shi, 2016). The self learning can help EFL students to improve their literacy by using collaborative learning, listening to music, and using translators. Because these strategies function with the autonomy, the students of EFL without time to attend classes should use them to improve by themselves. The use of translators may help in the acquisition of vocabulary. The use of collaborative learning helps individuals to mix different points of view to improve their writing skills. Besides increasing the vocabulary, music helps students to improve their reading. EFL students without the opportunity to attend classes should improve their literacy by implementing techniques of self- study as using music, collaborative review, and translators.
Listening to music in English improve the reading skills and increase vocabulary of EFL students without the possibility to assist classes. Listening to any kind of music to learn a second language support English foreign learners to increase their vocabulary while having them in contact with the language (Chesley, 2011). Music allows EFL students to get in contact with the language and it will help to acquire vocabulary. Because listening to music while reading the lyrics develops cognitive knowledge, EFL learners should listen to music in order to increase their reading skills (Bernard- Mwansa, 2011). Students who apply listening while reading the lyrics of songs improve fluency because they follow a rhythm while listening to the song. EFL students without the opportunity to assist classes should start listening to music in the target language in order to get in contact with the language frequently, increase their vocabulary, and improving their reading skills. Moreover, using translators is another technique that helps vocabulary.
Beginning using translators leads EFL students without the opportunity to assist classes to get ideas or meanings of words that they are struggling with. Although teachers prefer to not use translation, it is a strategy that the EFL students use to understand, produce, and even retain and learn words and phrases (Liao, 2006). Some teachers recommend to not use translation, but using it is a strategy that helps learners to improve their skills and learn different information or words. EFL students should use translators as a tool for getting the meaning of their translation in order to be more confident with their writing skills (Selcuk, Jones, & Vonkova, 2019). Because students may know the meaning of certain words in their own language, translation helps students to feel better about their writing skills. Besides knowing the meaning of words, or vocabulary, affects the writing skills, the writing skill takes support from having a peer review or collaborative learning.
EFL students without the possibility to attend classes should begin implementing a collaborative learning strategy in order to have different points of view to correct mistakes. EFL students should have a critic of writing tasks because it helps to develop a better self correction in the revision of drafts (Alireza Memari, 2019). When two people review the writing, it is easier to find mistakes in the text; as a result, it becomes easier to correct these mistakes and create improvement of the skill. EFL teachers apply collaborative learning with their students because through peer evaluation, they link different learning styles for achieving their goals in an efficient way (Yu-Chen, Hui-Chun, & Chi-HaoH, 2015). Teachers consider that collaborative learning is a strategy because it helps students to apply different ideas and styles of performance. Collaborative activities of reviewing give more opportunities to students to improve the performance quality since they think and mix different ideas to improve.
The absence of the chance to go to classes make students start applying strategies of self-learning to improve their literacy. These strategies such as listening to music, using translators, and revision of task in pairs or groups are self-learning and function in the EFL. These strategies improve learners' skills and help learners when they do not have the opportunity of attending classes. Each strategy has its own target, purpose, and skill target. The learning has been seen as a process already determined, but nowadays we know that it is possible to use different tools to learn. Tools such as the social media, books, and multimedia help students to improve their learning easier and quicker. learning about education and know ways to learn by ourselves are strategies that learners and teachers should implement.
Alireza Memari, Y. (2019). Collective peer scaffolding, self-revision, and writing progress of novice EFL. IJES, International Journal of English Studies, 19(1), 1578-7044. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/334273992_Collective_peer_scaffolding_self-revision_and_writing_progress_of_novice_EFL_learners
Bernard Mwansa, N. (2011). The role of music in reading literacy: Symphonies of an anthem in English as a second language in multilingual contexts. Journal of Music Research in Africa, 8(1), 120-135. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/254334439_The_role_of_music_in_reading_literacy_Symphonies_of_an_anthem_in_English_as_a_second_language_in_multilingual_contexts
Chesley, P. (2011). You Know What It Is: Learning words through listening to Hip-Hop. PLoS ONE, 6(12), 80-81. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3244393/
Liao, P. (2006). EFL learners' beliefs about and strategy use of translation in english learning. RELC Journal, 37(2), 191-215. Retrieved from https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0033688206067428