The Pedagogy of Learner Autonomy: Lessons from the Classroom

Sara Cotterall

doi:10.37237/080204

Abstract

Learner autonomy in language learning has been the focus of enthusiastic investigation for the last 25 years. Research has focused on three key areas: the nature of autonomy, efforts to foster learner autonomy and the relationship between learner autonomy and effective language learning (Benson, 2011). This article focuses on the second area – the pedagogy of learner autonomy – and reports on insights gained from a career spent exploring learners’ efforts to learn a language. The paper is organized around a pedagogical model (Cotterall & Murray, 2009; Murray, 2013) which aims to enhance learner engagement and autonomy. The model consists of five affordances – engagement, exploration, personalization, reflection and support – which emerged from analysing the interviews and written narratives of Japanese university students engaged in independent language learning. The paper first discusses each of the five affordances and the way they contribute to the quality of language learning opportunities (Crabbe, 2003) in a given environment. Next, the affordances are illustrated in relation to five different learning contexts in an attempt to highlight the diverse ways in which learner autonomy can be promoted. Rather than prescribe particular classroom activities, the model identifies principles which can guide pedagogical decision-making. The paper concludes by considering the model’s potential as a set of guidelines for teachers who wish to promote learner autonomy.

Highlights

Within the field of research into learner autonomy in language learning, I see myself principally as a pedagogue and am usually happy to leave theory-building to colleagues
This paper emerges from an attempt to theorise what I have learned from 30 years spent trying to promote learner autonomy in a range of language teaching/learning contexts
The model was developed as the outcome of a 3-year research programme into independent language learning in a Japanese university (Cotterall & Murray, 2009)

Summary

Not her real name

I would like to consider my most recent teaching context in relation to our model. Opportunities for learners to reflect on their learning (about writing and about research) were offered throughout the course but for most students, understandably, the project itself (the content rather than the process) tended to dominate What do these five stories tell us about the pedagogical model? Whether we are teaching reading or writing skills, or providing speaking and listening practice, there must be an element of the unknown in the tasks, the texts, the procedures and the outcomes In this way, language learning proceeds through an authentic search for meaning. It is our responsibility to create learning environments where the activities we engage our learners with are achievable, given the range of scaffolds we have provided Once again, this implies that teachers know their learners well enough to be able to accurately anticipate the kind of support they need. We need to systematically build support into our materials and activities

Conclusion

Notes on the Contributor