On Promoting Learner Autonomy Of Non-English Majors Through Classroom Instruction

Now, learner autonomy is, as Little(1991)describes it, the new 'buzz-word' in the field of applied linguistics. With great advocacy of quality-oriented education and gradual rise in learner-centered language teaching and lifelong education, more and more attention has been given to the learners' autonomous ability and fulfillment of their potential over the learning process. Education should also be aimed at developing learner autonomy for the benefit of learning for life. Just as the old Chinese saying goes, give a man a fish and he eats for a day; teach a man how to fish and he eats for a lifetime. The pursuit of learning autonomy is now generally recognized as a legitimate need and goal in the field of education. Attention given to autonomy as an educational goal has required learners to become aware of the learning process and to possess the 'ability to take on more responsibility for their own learning' (Ellis& Sinclair, 1989:3).Based on the probing into the current situation of English learning and teaching in China, the problem seems that these learners are lack of responsibility for their language learning and they do not know how to control their learning process. This paper focuses on how to promote learner autonomy to improve the efficiency of English learning with regards to the characteristics and needs of Chinese learners. The key questions addressed in this paper are:a. Is it necessary to promote learner autonomy in China?b. What are learner autonomy and strategy training in EFLT?c. How to use strategy training to help our learners to be autonomous?With regard to the research, a hypothesis is put forward that learning strategy training can promote learner autonomy. The study, conducted in two classes in Jianghan University, explored the incorporation of learning strategy training into the teaching and learning of a second language with the purpose to promote learning autonomy. The data was gathered from the two classes with questionnaire, and examination. The results of the study showed that significant changes were found in language learning strategies used by the two classes and that the score increase range of the experimental class in the post-training examination is obviously elevated compared with that of the controlled class. Therefore, the hypothesis was proved to be feasible and valid.