Abstract
Implementing autonomy in language learning and teaching in most institutional contexts is still, even after decades of research and practice, a challenge for teachers and learners. Facing these challenges may be easier, if this is done not in isolation, but rather as part of a learning and teaching community. My experience at the Centre for Independent Language Learning (CILL) at the Language Centre of the Freie Universität Berlin is that the first step towards implementing autonomy is encouraging it by building a community of practice. In the present article, I describe the opportunities I create for teachers and student assistants to discuss their understanding of autonomy, share their experiences, compare perspectives, and reflect on the provision of the CILL in order to promote a culture with more space for autonomous and reflective teaching and learning. Although the work is challenging, this community of practice brings its fruits both in everyday life at the CILL and for the personal and professional development of each of the participants.
Highlights
When I started to work on autonomy twelve years ago, while setting up the Centre for Independent Language Learning (CILL) at the Freie Universität Berlin, I thought, quite naively, that giving learners opportunities for exercising control over their own learning would have been enough to foster their autonomy
Seen from the perspective of complex dynamic systems (CDSs), autonomy needs a community – a learning community, a community of practice – in order to be exercised by individuals in a given context
Afterwards, I will illustrate how the work of the staff of CILL, of the student assistants, and of some teachers is aimed at reaching more space to manoeuvre, and autonomy; I will briefly illustrate the advantages issued from this community of practice
Summary
When I started to work on autonomy twelve years ago, while setting up the Centre for Independent Language Learning (CILL) at the Freie Universität Berlin, I thought, quite naively, that giving learners opportunities for exercising control over their own learning would have been enough to foster their autonomy. To describe the work with student assistants, teachers and learners at the CILL, I prefer to use the word ‘encouraging’ instead of ‘fostering’ autonomy, since the first steps towards autonomy require that individuals feel the courage to change, to develop themselves towards different ways of learning and/or teaching, and feel free to do so.
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