Fostering Learner Autonomy In Senior High School English Teaching

Changes in the field of language teaching have never stopped. Among the changes in recent years, the main one is a shift from focusing on the teacher's teaching to the student's learning. So fostering learner autonomy attracts more and more attention in the field of EFL teaching and learning. Meanwhile, the Senior English Curriculum (教育部2003, 2) puts forward a basic concept——"improving learning styles and fostering learner autonomy". Therefore, the traditional classroom teaching is facing a big challenge and being replaced by the"learner-centered"teaching style. Learner autonomy is lively to be misunderstood as"learning in isolation"or"self-instruction / learning without a teacher". Little (1995, 178) argues:"It is sometimes thought that learner autonomy necessarily entails total independence——of the teacher, of other learners and of formally approved curricula, but this is not so: total independence is not autonomy but autism". This argument has made a correction to the misunderstanding of learner autonomy. In most senior high schools, English teachers have known the importance of fostering learner autonomy, but they do not know how to do it.This thesis, at first, analyzes the current situation of English learning and necessity of learner autonomy in senior high schools. The traditional exam-oriented English teaching style and less attention to learner's affective needs result in low efficiency in English language learning in senior high school. Then Chapter Two presents the definitions of learner autonomy, the theory of'Zone of Proximal Development', the cognitive constructivist learning theory and Roger's humanist learning theory. At last, the author explores some effective ways of fostering learner autonomy in senior high school English teaching, and states that shift of teacher's roles, a relaxing and positive learning atmosphere and strategy training are the three main aspects of fostering learner autonomy in English teaching.The author hopes that this thesis will be helpful to senior high school English teachers in their lesson plans and teaching practice in fostering learner autonomy.