On The Cultivation Of Autonomy In Learning English At Vocational Schools On The Basis Of Autonomous Learning Theory

Nowadays, emphasis on English teaching has shifted from how to teach to how to learn, from learning results to learning processes, from mechanical drills to the comprehension and application of knowledge. That is to say, the students are given an active role in learning, and what the teachers do is to promote autonomous learning outside the classroom so that the students will develop successfully in the future.As we all know, English is an important international language. It's necessary for vocational school students to learn English, to acquire some linguistic knowledge and develop language competence. But the learning environment at vocational schools is not so satisfying. Some students didn't learn English well at junior high schools, and they are not interested in English learning. Of course, the teachers often find their work difficult. How can we solve the problem? This paper suggests cultivating learning autonomy.The concept of "autonomous learning" stemmed from debates about the development of life-long learning skills and the development of independent thinkers in the 1960s. Holec defined autonomy as "the ability to take charge of one's own learning" . Autonomous learning is an approach to language learning. It is individualized and its ultimate goal is the moving of learners from teacher dependence towards autonomy. The paper discusses the characteristics and conditions for autonomous learning.This view is based on Constructivism Theory. According to constructivism, autonomous learning is metacognitively self-monitored. The learner is totally responsible for all of the decisions concerned with his learning and the implementation of those decisions. He adjusts the strategies according to his ability and the learning task so as to actively construct what needs to be learned.