The Complexities of Learner Agency and Teacher Agency in Foreign Language Education

Abstract

The concept of agency has been central to language education. The educational goal that learners become capable of independent learning has had a profound impact on learner agency. Learner agency refers to a conscious initiative in learning taken by the learners, rather than the requirements that are imposed to the learners from the teacher, curriculum, and so forth (Biesta et al. in Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice 21(6):624–640, 2015). In our traditional teaching mode, most of the schools tend to cater for groups of learners with a one size fits all approach. Many students felt disenfranchised or became passive (Mercer in System 39(4):427–436, 2011). Exploring the issue of agency is important, following the continuous call for enhancing learners’ autonomous leaning and teachers’ capacity in taking control of their teaching. This chapter attempts to contribute to a fuller understanding of agency through exploring the components of teachers’ and learners’ agentic systems. This chapter also attempts to explore the complex components related to learner and teacher agency, which pose a challenge for educational theory as to how best language educators can use such insights to help teachers and students to become more effective in English language teaching and learning.