WEEK 7: Learner Autonomy

I found both articles on learner autonomy very enriching. I’d like to highlight some concepts I found particularly relevant. To start with, I completely agree with Thanasoulas (http://iteslj.org/Articles/Thanasoulas-Autonomy.html) when he states that learner autonomy is an ongoing process instead of a final state or product reached once and for all. However, that process cannot take place spontaneously. Instead, it requires the teacher to foster and facilitate its development by awakening their students’ passion for learning, curiosity and awareness of the need to do their share in the learning process. Thus, according to Leni Dam (1990, cited in Gathercole, 1990: 16), drawing upon Holec (1983), teachers would do a great job if they empowered learners to independently choose aims and purposes and set goals; choose materials, methods and tasks; exercise choice and purpose in organizing and carrying out the chosen tasks; and choose criteria for evaluation. In fact, that perfectly matches the constructivist point of view, which states that “knowledge cannot be taught but only learned (that is, constructed)', because knowledge is something 'built up by the learner'.

However, Samuel P-H Sheu in his article at http://coyote.miyazakimu.ac.jp/learnerdev/LLE/8.1/sheuE.html makes two very interesting points. On one hand he mentions that fostering learner autonomy can be hampered at certain educational contexts where teachers are required to work with a specific syllabus and textbook, under time constraints and/or within examination-oriented systems. It may be true. Nevertheless, I think that similarly as what he did, it’s up to the teacher to find ways and apply techniques to adopt "learner training/awareness activities accompanied with the textbook" that would foster a certain degree of learner autonomy.

On the other hand, Sheu adds a very interesting and usually neglected aspect in the analysis of this topic: the interconnections between learner autonomy and teacher autonomy. I agree. How could we, teachers, foster autonomy in our students if we didn’t actively outline and carry out our own teacher development? Like Sheu, I also like Richard Smith’s concept of "teacher-as-learner autonomy (in a variety of areas of professional expertise)” In my opinion, the more autonomous “learners” we become as professionals, the better we will know ourselves, our own strategies and beliefs and the challenges faced throughout this ongoing process. These self-knowledge gained will enable us to help our students work towards their own autonomy as learners of a foreign language better. More importantly, we would be doing so from an ethical position since our actions would be speaking louder than our words.

Margarita