As a goal of education and an effective approach to educational practice, learner autonomy is an integral part of learning of any kind. This survey aims at firstly confirming the results of previous study in the literature, and secondly disclosing more besides the existing results. Simulating the previous study on autonomy awareness made by the same author, this survey not only collects the attitudes of 80 college students by using the same questionnaire as previously, but also investigates the comments of 40 teachers, which is not included in previous studies. In addition, reflective self-reports by 4 of the students are also studied in this survey. This survey indicates that the results of previous studies are confirmed. However, it also shows that Chinese learners are ideologically ready but behaviorally not for autonomy in language learning. Four suggestions are put forward to foreign language teachers in China.
References
[1]
Almusharraf, N. (2018). English as a Foreign Language Learner Autonomy in Vocabulary Development Variation in Student Autonomy Levels and Teacher Support. Journal of Research in Innovative Teaching & Learning, 11, 159-177. https://doi.org/10.1108/JRIT-09-2018-0022
[2]
Boud, D. (1988). Moving towards Autonomy. In D. Boud (Ed.), Developing Student Autonomy (pp. 17-39). Kogan Page.
[3]
Fischer, R. (2006). Congruence and Functions of Personal and Cultural Values: Do My Value Reflect My Culture’s Value? Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 32, 1419-1431. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167206291425
[4]
Gieve, S., & Clark, R. (2005). “The Chinese Approach to Learning”: Cultural Trait or Situated Response? The Case of Self-Directed Learning Programme. System, 33, 261-276. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2004.09.015
[5]
Han, B., Dai, M., & Yang. L. (2004). A Survey on Issues in College English Testing. Foreign Languages and Their Teaching, 179, 17-23.
[6]
Helwig, C. C. (2006). The Development of Personal Autonomy. Cognitive Development, 21, 458-473. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogdev.2006.06.009
[7]
Higgs, J. (1988). Planning Learning Experiences to Promote Autonomous Learning. In D. Boud (Ed.), Developing Student Autonomy (pp. 40-58). Kogan Page.
[8]
Ho, J., & Crookall, D. (1995). Breaking with Chinese Cultural Traditions: Learner Autonomy in English Language Teaching. System, 23, 235-243. https://doi.org/10.1016/0346-251X(95)00011-8
[9]
Holec, H. (1981). Autonomy and Foreign Language Learning. Pergamon Press.
[10]
Illés, é. (2012). Learner Autonomy Revisited. ELT Journal Special Issue, 66, 505-513. https://doi.org/10.1093/elt/ccs044
[11]
Jin, S. (1999). The Reason Why College English Education in China Is Both Time-Consuming and Inefficient. Foreign Language Teaching and Research, 31, 21-23.
[12]
Jones, J. F. (1995). Self-Access and Culture: Retreating from Autonomy. ELT Journal, 49, 223-234. https://doi.org/10.1093/elt/49.3.228
[13]
Lee, I. (1998). Supporting Greater Autonomy in Language Learning. ELT Journal, 52, 282-289. https://doi.org/10.1093/elt/52.4.282
[14]
Littlewood, W. (1999). Defining and Developing Autonomy in East Asian Context. Applied Linguistics, 20, 71-94. https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/20.1.71
[15]
Littlewood, W. (2000). Do Asian Students Really Want to Listen and Obey? ELT Journal, 54, 31-36. https://doi.org/10.1093/elt/54.1.31
[16]
Niu, Q. (2001). Issues in Current Foreign English Language Testing. Foreign Language Teaching and Research, 33, 140-143.
[17]
Pellegrino Aveni, V. A. (2005). Study Abroad and Second Language Use. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511620584
[18]
Qi, H. B. (2004). A Survey on Autonomy Awareness of Second Language Learners in China Foreign Language Education. Language Teaching, 25, 90-92.
[19]
Ryan, R. M. (1991). The Nature of the Self in Autonomy and Relatedness. In J. Strauss, & G. R. Goethals (Eds.), The Self: Interdisciplinary Approaches (pp. 208-238). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-8264-5_11
[20]
Yasmin, M., Naseem, F., & Abas, N. (2020). Constraints to Developing Learner Autonomy in Pakistan: University Lecturers’ Perspectives. Educational Research for Policy and Practice, 19, 125-142. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10671-019-09252-7
