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Learner Autonomy: An Educational Goal of Teaching English as a Foreign Language

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Autonomy, Agency, and Identity in Teaching and Learning English as a Foreign Language

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Abstract

The last three decades have witnessed a substantial increase in the amount of attention and interest given to learner autonomy (LA) in foreign language education. LA has become the focus of a growing number of researchers, teachers and classroom practitioners. Likewise, changes in society have influenced the goals of English language education throughout the world. Concurrently, new insights into learning English related to language use and learning styles have greatly increased current interpretations of what the English-learning process involves. In addition, in the face of growing dissatisfaction with long-established examination-oriented education, the education system has begun to emphasize learner-centered methods and autonomous learning in recent years. This chapter critically summarizes various aspects of learner autonomy involved in teaching English as a foreign language (EFL). However, the concept of learner autonomy developed in the field of language learning is complex and multifaceted. For EFL learners to be actively involved in the learning process, a teacher’s responsibility is not to patiently wait for them to become active learners, but to show them how to become autonomous learners, and encourage them to be prepared to learn on their own.

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  1. Department of Education Studies, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong

    (Mark) Feng Teng

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Teng, (. (2019). Learner Autonomy: An Educational Goal of Teaching English as a Foreign Language. In: Autonomy, Agency, and Identity in Teaching and Learning English as a Foreign Language. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-0728-7_1

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