The 7-Day Challenge: Taking Steps Towards a Learning Habit

For many English-language learners around the world, how to make meaningful progress outside of the classroom is an ongoing challenge. Many learners feel that they want to study on their own but lack the resources or knowledge on how to proceed effectively. Thus, this paper reports on an initial investigation into a seven-day independent learning challenge where learners were set the task of completing five independent learning tasks across a single week with the intention of establishing a habit of studying English. The study took place at a Japanese university with non-English majors and represented the culmination of a series of independent learning tasks. Results focus on the nature of tasks completed throughout the challenge as well as learners’ perceptions of it and the feasibility of independent learning tasks across the semester. Broadly feedback was positive, and findings suggest that learners felt they made progress with their English and in establishing a study habit. Recommendations for future research and applications to other classroom contexts are presented.