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【Abstract】this article gives an explanation about the term autonomy and explores how it is implemented in the author’s teaching context from three aspects. Then the difficulties during application are presented and some suggestions are provided accordingly.
【Key words】autonomy； autonomous learners； self-learning
How to help the students to become autonomous learners outside as well as during class time has been an important topic in second language learning. Some proliferated relating terms relating to autonomy has also emerged since 1980s： for instance， learner autonomy， self –directed learning， learner training， and self-access learning. The rise about autonomy provides opportunities for researchers to focus on how learners’ own ability on language planning and management contributes to their L2 achievement.
What is autonomy
Helec’s （1981） definition of learner autonomy has the most influential effects and widely accepted in the field. According to him， autonomy is recognized as ‘the ability to take charge of one’s own learning’ and much attention was devoted to this concept for creating a better understanding between teachers and students. He regards autonomy as an attribute of the learners and it involves the planning， selection of materials， monitoring language process and self-assessment.
The application of autonomy in my local context
My application is mainly from curriculum， learner and technology aspects， and the implementation is explained from my six-year English teaching experience in a medium-sized city in China.
Give agency to my learners by journal writing （curriculum- based）
One way I use to increase my learners’ autonomy is to encourage them to take over their own learning by themselves， or as we called the term from social science： to give them agency. To specific， learners are allowed to decide or choose what they want to learn， which materials they would like to use and what kind s of homework they prefer to do. I encourage my learners to write journals. This is because journal writing is not only a practice for writing， but also could be more logical than spontaneous conversation in expressing their feeling. From reading their journals， I can have an access to their individual concerns and needs and provide more opportunities for them to reflect how they learn and what they have learned.
Develop my learners’ four strategies in learner training （learner-based） In order to encourage their independence in language learning， four strategies will be provided to help my learners in thinking how they learn and how this learning can be more effectively. They include cognitive strategies， metacognitive strategies， communication strategies and socio-affective strategies.
Taking metacognitive strategies as an example， it involves planning for learning， thinking about learning and how to make it effective， self-monitoring during learning and evaluation after learning. To cultivate my learners’ metacognitive strategy， a positive relationship between my metacognition instruction and the learners’ achievement is built. A pedagogical cycle suggested by Vandergrift （2007） is used in class. It encourages learners to actively create and check predictions， establish and address gasps in their understanding， and monitor and reflect on their performance. This procedure has been practiced in my listening classroom， and received good response.
Beyond classroom： CALL （technology-based）
Computer-assisted language learning （CALL） is also used in my speaking class to increase autonomy. Learners are encouraged to collect materials by absorbing information online to design their speaking presentations. More importantly， they need to record their presentation and email me as speaking homework. They have to self-evaluate and reflect their recording before they send them to me. In this way it creates more chances for them to practice since a complete speaking model need to be modified and recorded more than once.
Difficulties and suggestions for autonomy application in my local context
Since self-directed learning is originated from western cultures， whether it is universally appropriate is still controversial. It has been suggested that ideas about independent learning are not so easily applicable to Asian cultures. In China’s EFL teaching environment， learners are used to rely on teachers to decide what should do rather than explore by themselves. This phenomenon might come from cultural notions of the respective roles and responsibilities of teachers and learners which have fostered certain habitual styles of learning. Therefore， as local teachers， what we should concern is take our roles and mediate between cultures to find a way forward， which require careful classroom management and learners’ support to step into a new methodology.
【Key words】autonomy； autonomous learners； self-learning
How to help the students to become autonomous learners outside as well as during class time has been an important topic in second language learning. Some proliferated relating terms relating to autonomy has also emerged since 1980s： for instance， learner autonomy， self –directed learning， learner training， and self-access learning. The rise about autonomy provides opportunities for researchers to focus on how learners’ own ability on language planning and management contributes to their L2 achievement.
What is autonomy
Helec’s （1981） definition of learner autonomy has the most influential effects and widely accepted in the field. According to him， autonomy is recognized as ‘the ability to take charge of one’s own learning’ and much attention was devoted to this concept for creating a better understanding between teachers and students. He regards autonomy as an attribute of the learners and it involves the planning， selection of materials， monitoring language process and self-assessment.
The application of autonomy in my local context
My application is mainly from curriculum， learner and technology aspects， and the implementation is explained from my six-year English teaching experience in a medium-sized city in China.
Give agency to my learners by journal writing （curriculum- based）
One way I use to increase my learners’ autonomy is to encourage them to take over their own learning by themselves， or as we called the term from social science： to give them agency. To specific， learners are allowed to decide or choose what they want to learn， which materials they would like to use and what kind s of homework they prefer to do. I encourage my learners to write journals. This is because journal writing is not only a practice for writing， but also could be more logical than spontaneous conversation in expressing their feeling. From reading their journals， I can have an access to their individual concerns and needs and provide more opportunities for them to reflect how they learn and what they have learned.
Develop my learners’ four strategies in learner training （learner-based） In order to encourage their independence in language learning， four strategies will be provided to help my learners in thinking how they learn and how this learning can be more effectively. They include cognitive strategies， metacognitive strategies， communication strategies and socio-affective strategies.
Taking metacognitive strategies as an example， it involves planning for learning， thinking about learning and how to make it effective， self-monitoring during learning and evaluation after learning. To cultivate my learners’ metacognitive strategy， a positive relationship between my metacognition instruction and the learners’ achievement is built. A pedagogical cycle suggested by Vandergrift （2007） is used in class. It encourages learners to actively create and check predictions， establish and address gasps in their understanding， and monitor and reflect on their performance. This procedure has been practiced in my listening classroom， and received good response.
Beyond classroom： CALL （technology-based）
Computer-assisted language learning （CALL） is also used in my speaking class to increase autonomy. Learners are encouraged to collect materials by absorbing information online to design their speaking presentations. More importantly， they need to record their presentation and email me as speaking homework. They have to self-evaluate and reflect their recording before they send them to me. In this way it creates more chances for them to practice since a complete speaking model need to be modified and recorded more than once.
Difficulties and suggestions for autonomy application in my local context
Since self-directed learning is originated from western cultures， whether it is universally appropriate is still controversial. It has been suggested that ideas about independent learning are not so easily applicable to Asian cultures. In China’s EFL teaching environment， learners are used to rely on teachers to decide what should do rather than explore by themselves. This phenomenon might come from cultural notions of the respective roles and responsibilities of teachers and learners which have fostered certain habitual styles of learning. Therefore， as local teachers， what we should concern is take our roles and mediate between cultures to find a way forward， which require careful classroom management and learners’ support to step into a new methodology.