TESL 4340 – Learner
autonomy
Dr. Henry Tao GUO
Email: henryguo@uic.edu.hk
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Some thoughts to start with
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Tell me and I will forget; show me and I will
remember; involve me and I’ll learn.
-Chinese saying
If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a
day, if you teach a man to fish you feed him
for a lifetime.
-the Confucius
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What is autonomy
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The history of autonomy in language learning
Autonomy beyond the field of language
education
Defining and describing autonomy
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The history of autonomy in language
learning
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CRAPEL(1971) -a focal point for research
and practice in autonomy in language
learning
Henry Holec (1981)-the author of a key
document on learner autonomy and a
founder of Melanges Pedagogiques, a journal
which plays an important role in the
dissemination of research on autonomy
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Autonomy beyond the field of
language education
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Galileo on teaching and learning
You cannot teach a man anything; you can
only help him find it within himself.
Galieo Galilei (1564-1642)
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Rousseau on teaching and learning
…suggest problems but leave the solving of
them to him. Whatever he knows, he should
know not because you have told him, but
because he has grasped it himself. Do not
teach him science: let him discover it. If
ever substitute authority for reason in his
mind, he will stop reasoning and become the
victim of other people’s opinions…
Boyd (1956:73-6)
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Defining and describing autonomy
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Autonomy is described as ‘the ability to
take charge of one’s own learning’. ( Holec
1981:3)
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To take charge of one’s own learning is to have,
and to hold, the responsibility for all the decisions
concerning all aspects of this learning, i.e.:
Determining the objectives;
Defining the contents and progressions;
Selecting methods and techniques to be used;
Monitoring the procedure of acquisition properly
speaking ( rhythm, time, place, etc.)
Evaluating what has been acquired
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The autonomous learner is himself capable of
making all these decisions concerning the learning
with which he is or wishes to be involved
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Some other most well known
definitions
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'Autonomy is essentially a matter of the
learner's psychological relation to the process
and content of learning' (David Little)
'Autonomy is a situation in which the learner is
totally responsible for all the decisions
concerned with his [or her] learning and the
implementation of those decisions'. (Leslie
Dickinson)
'Autonomyis a recognition of the rights of
learners within educational systems'. (Phil
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Benson)
Autonomy and culture
Is autonomy inimical to Asian learning
cultures?
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If you are in doubt, think it out by yourself. Do
not depend on others for explanations. Suppose
there was no one you could ask, should you stop
learning? If you could get rid of the habit of being
dependant on others, you will make your
advancement in your study.
Chu Hsi (1130-1200)
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Autonomy and CALL
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In looking at autonomy, the self-access
setting can offer learners choices in time,
location, and pace of learning; the path
through the material to be chosen; and the
topics of interest.
CALL can play a role in all of these.
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Reference
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Benson, P. (2001). Teaching and Researching
Autonomy in Language Learning. Harlow:
Longman.
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