On Fostering Learner Autonomy In ELT In China

As we all know,changes in the field of language teaching have never stopped. Among the changes that took place in recent years,the main one has been a shift of focus from teachers onto the language learner. 'The reasons for this shift are twofold:both goals of language learning and insights into the process of language learning have changed' ( cited in Reinders,2000). Firstly,Society has posed its demands on education and has influenced its shape. Secondly,research in fields such as psychology,cognitive psychology,sociology,linguistics and others,have added to our knowledge of how language learning takes place. These two developments have,among others,led to a greater interest in learner autonomy. Learner autonomy is as Little (1991) describes it,the new 'buzz-word' in the field of applied linguistics. It is starting to be an unquestionable goal and integral part of language learning methodologies throughout the world. This brief introduction to learner autonomy forms the first part of the thesis. But what is learner autonomy? What is its rationale? Is learner autonomy a universal concept that is also adaptable to Chinese context? If so,what's the significance of fostering learner autonomy in ELT in China? And how can it be fostered? All of these questions get discussed in the rest parts of this thesis.In the second part of this thesis,definitions of learner autonomy given by Holec,Huttunen,Littlewood and Benson & Voller are separately discussed. But we don't think any of these definitions is suitable to describe the learner autonomy that we discuss here. In addition to ability,we think that consciousness and motivation also should be included in the definition of learner autonomy. Thus,on the basis of all these discussions we formulate a working definition:Learner autonomy is learners' capacity that is exercised and displayed during the process of autonomous learning,while autonomous learning is an act of learning whereby motivated learners consciously make best decisions about their own learning. Besides,we point out that autonomous learning is not learning in isolation. It also needs cooperation and facilitation.The third part of the thesis concerns with the rationale for learner autonomy in language learning. Discussions in this part cover eight aspects:constructivism,the key idea of which is that effective learning is 'active' learning;Maslow's self-actualization theory,which stresses the importance of an individual's wish is to develop as a whole person (to actualise oneself);schemata,which stresses that knowing and thinking develop with experiences;humanistic curriculum and learner-centredness,both of which emphasize learners' role in language learning;learning styles & strategies,which are treated as a precondition for learner autonomy;motivation,which is regarded as an important characteristic of autonomous learners;metacognition,which is believed to be related to success in language learning;and consciousness,which determines whether learners can make appropriate decisions about their own learning or not.The fourth part of the thesis concerns with the significance of fostering learner autonomyin ELT in China. Firstly,on the basis of the discussion about learner autonomy's 'cross-cultural appropriacy',we point out that learner autonomy is a universal concept that is also suitable to Chinese context. Secondly,fostering learner autonomy in ELT in China matches our wider educational goal - to train learners to be independent individuals who can live and work successfully and independently in society;and it meets practical societal needs like life-long learning and educational reform in China. Thirdly,it is helpful to the implementation of Quality-Oriented Education. Fourthly,it helps students make improvements beyond knowledge.The fifth part of the thesis focuses on ways to foster learner autonomy. This part is divided into three big sections. The first section introduces Nunan's suggested ways to foster learner autonomy and the second section Benson's suggested ways to foster learner aut...