Research On Learner Autonomy In A Web-Based Context

With the rapid progress of science and information technology, Computer Assisted Language Learning(abbreviated as CALL), emerged in the late 1960's,has gained its popularity among people all over the world nowadays. The use of the Internet is widespread in numerous fields. It also carries great potential for educational use, specifically the foreign language teaching and learning.In the last ten years,educational field has witnessed a big shift from treating computer as a source of supplementary educational material to a platform where effective teaching/learning can be promoted. The development of the Internet helps to quicken the shift from the teacher-centered paradigm to the learner-centered paradigm in education. The quick development of the Internet has brought into the being of numerous language learning websites, just like the bamboo after a spring rain, these websites developed so fast that Internet learning has become a mode of fashion nowadays.This paper first reviews the development of Computer Assisted Language Learning, and outlines the advantages and disadvantages of CALL, especially those of using Internet in English learning. Then it analyzes the factors to be considered for autonomous learning through the Internet; and presents some suggestions in terms of the changes of teacher's role in online learning as well.Based on my own experience of online learning and teaching, I wish to dig further on the topic of students'autonomous learning ability through the website. Some factors concerned including goals setting, self-monitoring, self-instruction, self-assessment will be discussed in this paper.