On The Development Of Autonomous Learning In Senior High Learners

The New Curriculum Criteria for Senior High English Teaching requires that one of the major objectives for foreign language teaching is to cultivate students'comprehensive language competence and to foster their autonomous learning capability. The new curriculum makes it urgent for foreign language teachers to take actions accordingly to make learners real masters of the learning process. With some preliminary studies of the language acquisition theories concerned, the author set out on the research work, focusing on the aspects of autonomous learning of students in Senior High Schools. The author did a survey and some interviews on Seniorâ…¡students, concerning the following five aspects : autonomous awareness, setting goals, using learning strategies, self-monitoring learning process and assessing outcomes. After careful analysis of the collected data, the author discovered that the autonomous learning abilities of Senior High School students are not optimistic. They are still passive knowledge receptors, so it's necessary to get down to developing their autonomous awareness, learning strategies and learning habits. Based on modern humanistic learning theory, constructivism, and social interaction theory, a suggestion specified for autonomous learning process concerning learners and teachers is put forward. Firstly, students should be trained to establish the awareness of their autonomous learning. Secondly, with the help of teachers, students should set up their learning objectives and their own learning plans. Thirdly, effective learning strategies should be taught in order to give them further instructions for higher learning efficiencies. Lastly, students should be instructed to self-monitor their learning process which is an indispensable part of autonomous learning. Meanwhile, teachers should transfer their concept of teaching and re-orientate the roles they play in their teaching process, preparing themselves for experts in learners'autonomy and becoming real strategic teachers.