Developing Learner Autonomy For Non-English Majors In English Classroom

The rapid development of science and technology has turned the 21st century into an epoch of knowledge-based economy, which is characterized by the explosion of information, thus urging for human beings' life-long learning capacity. Meanwhile, the acceleration of globalization has been attaching more and more importance to English since English is the most important international language for cross-cultural communication. It is under such global social contexts that 'learner autonomy' (LA) became a buzzword in the field of English language teaching and learning (ELTL) all over the world.The entry into the World Trade Organization and the forthcoming of the 2008 Olympic Games have made the innovation of current 'English Language Teaching and Learning' in China an unprecedented challenge. To meet both the demands of the Life-long Learning Era and the requirements of current society, the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China (PRC) issued its 'Teaching Requirements for College English Curriculum' (Teaching Requirements'). But the 'Teaching Requirements' is theoretically based on the presuppositions that universities are ideal places for promoting LA in ELTL because the external learning facilities at universities are supposed to be advantageous for initiating learner autonomy, and that college students are prepared, both physically and psychologically, for LA in ELTL. These two presuppositions sound reasonable but whether they make sense in ELTL practice is open to question. To examine whether these two presuppositions are justifiable in reality, the present study adopted a semi-quantitative approach to survey the current ELTL practice for non-English majors from the perspective of 'learner autonomy' by using a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews to focus on the following three research questions.1) Are those learning facilities supposed to be advantageous for developing learner autonomy at universities really made full use of by college students to foster their autonomy? If so, how well are they used?2) Are college students really prepared, both physically and psychologically, for exerting their LA? If so, how well are they prepared for learner autonomy in English language teaching and learning?3) How is the English language teaching and learning practice for non-English majors in English classroom, seen through learners' eye? Is it favorable for promoting learner autonomy, as the 'Teaching Requirements' anticipated?The survey results of the present study indicate that the presupposed facilitative external learning facilities are not fully taken advantage of by college students to foster their autonomy, and college students are not virtually prepared for learner autonomy in English language teaching and learning and at the same time, the current ELTL practice for non-English majors in classroom is not, as the 'Teaching Requirements' expected, supporting the development of learner autonomy but rather impeding it. In this sense, under the criteria of the 'Teaching Requirements', the current ELTL practice for non-English majors is at dilemma.Since learner autonomy is not an all-or-nothing concept and there are various degrees of learner autonomy, it would be ludicrous to assert that learners should come into the learning situation with the knowledge and skills to plan, implement, monitor, and evaluate their learning, or to make decisions on contents or objectives. Nevertheless, learner autonomy is an ideal that can, and should, be realized, if English teachers will adapt resources, materials, and methods to learners' needs.Therefore, to lead current English language teaching and learning practice for non-English majors out of dilemma, English teachers should help learners to become aware of their strategies, needs, and goals as a learner. And teachers should also create supportive learning contexts to allow students the opportunity to reconsider and refashion their approaches and procedures for optimal learning. At the same time, English teachers should give learners a helping hand in transmitt...