Abstract:
This investigation seeks to address two issues: first, to discover if there is evidence that
university students in foundational language courses need information resources to support their
language learning and second, if such evidence exists, what the specific information resource
needs might be and how important those resources are to students’ language learning. After
engaging in a year of foreign language study, the author used the evidence gathered to develop
and conduct a survey of the user needs of language students at the Self Access Centre (CAADI)
of the University of Guanajuato, Mexico. Results of the survey supported the personal learning
experiences of the author. Over 80% of students surveyed reported using the information
resources in the CAADI at least once a week with general grammar books, course text books and
films being reported as the most important resources. This investigation provides a starting point
for research in to the collection development practices of academic libraries supporting the
learning of foreign languages. By examining the information needs of one population, evidence
has been provided that these students do indeed need information resources to support their
language learning. The study suggests specific resource types that could be important for these
users.
