Analysis of Learner Autonomy in College English Learning—ThroughWeb—based English Autonomous Learning Platform

武亚琪 钟潇

【Abstract】The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of learner autonomy in Chinese college English learning through web-based English learning platform as well as its potential constraints. As the traditional learning method gradually fails to meet the demand of the society， it is urgent to probe the depth of Educational reform in Chinese Universities. Rapid development of Internet has transformed the lives of people across China with far reaching positive effects， yet an increasing number of people are steered towards this more advanced tool to enhance their ability.

【Key words】Analysis； Learner Autonomy

1. Introduction

In the context of traditional second language teaching， a learners duty is to concentrate on the class， finish the homework on time and memorize everything imparted by the teachers and finally get a remarkable score in the exams. On the surface， the rule-bound institution， good discipline in the class， well-ordered course content and activities are regarded as the most efficient means to achieve the teaching objectives. However， this kind of authoritarian， to a certain extent， manacles students self-access knowledge acquisition limits their field of vision and suppresses creativity and constrains their development of personalities. Modern language teachers seek ways of motivating the students independent learning abilities. Autonomous learning is an effective way to increase students range of abilities， levels of interest， confidence etc. It tends to get closer to the idea that each student can find a best way according to his or her manners since there is no absolute learning methodology that suits everyone.

2. Definition of learner autonomy and the role of learner autonomy in China

2.1 Learner autonomy

Learner autonomy is “the ability to take charge of ones own learning” （Gardener， 1985：3）. As Little （1991：31） mentions， learner autonomy does not mean learning all by oneself， that is， learning without a teacher. Additionally， learner autonomy is neither a specific learning methodology nor an observable behavior. It allows for individual learning as well as for collaborative peer learning. In fact， it is “a capacity for detachment， critical reflection， decision-making， and independent action.” To be specific， it is a capability that the learner can independently set his or her goal， learning context and learning methodology. The students are expected to fulfill the process of “self-direction”， “self-motivation” and “self-supervision”. Learning a language is not only a cognitive activity， the learner dose not consider his or her study situation only from their input language or the best way to achieve their learning objectives. The success of learning activity depends on learners attitude towards the world， especially towards themselves and their desire to learn.

2.2 The role of learner autonomy in China

Owning to the economic globalization， the knowledge of English largely determines an individuals academic and career prospect. “The dominance of English in access to higher education and employment opportunities is reflected in the compulsory of English as a core academic subject for all students from the age of 6， the beginning of primary school” （Benson， 2007：41-42）. The traditional way of learning stems from students rely on the text-based pedagogy. In face of a growing dissatisfaction with the long-established teacher-centered education， the mainland of China began to give weigh to student-centered method and autonomous learning. The concept of learner autonomy is regarded as a unique cultural property of western traditions to some extent， because it matches with the individual learning habits in western countries rather than in China. Some expects argue that， the concept of learner autonomy has conflicts with those non-western educational customs. For instance， Pennycook （1997） declares that， if we encourage learner autonomy in the worldwide range without considering the local culture and educational traditions， it may lead to “inappropriate pedagogies” and or even “cultural impositions”. However， Skehan （1998：125） identifies the term learner autonomy from a special perspective， he argues for “representing the students from Hong Kong as rounded， fully and naturally autonomous human beings”. And also， Littlewood （2000：34） challenges some prejudice of Asian students learning attitude， he observes “Asian students do not， in fact， wish to be spoofed with facts from an all-knowing “fount of knowledge”. They want to explore knowledge themselves and find their own answers”.

3. Web-based autonomous learning in Chinese universities

If we consider learners autonomy as a featured aspect of western education， in comparison， Chinas English education focuses more on the result of learning instead of the process， which implies that there may lack a serious consideration， or we can also say an overlook of students independent and autonomic involvement in studying. Thats why grammar and vocabulary plays such a big role in Chinas English teaching. It allows the teachers to mark and rank the students.

With the popularity of computers and the Internet， learning English with PCs， laptops， etc. becomes a prevailing supplementary means among English learners. Both students and teachers benefit from Internet-and-computer-based learning styles （Warschauer， 2000）. Students are exposed to a great number of resources in English. The selections of learning materials are diverse so that students are able to choose their own studying-type based on their interests. Besides， web-based learning also offered students opportunities to communicate with native English-speakers. For this reason， many universities have set up their English learning website， i.e. English autonomous learning system. This system combines Web-based learning and disciplinary training together， and the universities are still exploring to achieve fusion and equilibrium of the two. For most universities， they build up online studying forum for each class， students need to register with other student ID； in this way， each time they log on， there is a record of their presence. Usually there are different kinds of training materials for students to select. Teachers also posted reading material picked from western newspapers or journals to share with students； they not only play a role of leading the study but also join as participators. Furthermore， there are feedback sections for students to post their ideas of improving the course； they can choose to speak anonymously or not. Moreover， students can discuss together in communication board to share and exchange thoughts. Students wont get the credits for the course if they only finish the online assignments； their participation marks are equally valuable. The learner can control the pace of language learning and also the time length. From this point， web-based learning has its overwhelming superiority in English language learning.

4. Constraints of learner autonomy

Due to the fact that the teacher are able to track the students performance in web-based autonomous learning， and at the same time the university will conduct an evaluation to see to what extent the web-based autonomous learning achieved its goal. Owning to the reason that the online resources are extremely abundant and the students ability of self-control and also their mixed levels of handling the Internet， they are prone to neglect their real task but to browser blindly which is a waste of time. They maybe have the patience to fulfill the task at first， but after some time they will feel tedious and switch to a movie or online game. Therefore， the web-based learning is to some extent lacking of concentricity and certainty. Some students are eager to seek novelty， efficiency and stimulation and they are content with the superficial understanding. By introducing the students the technology to their learning experience cannot directly cause learner autonomy. The students still need instructions and as I mentioned the de previous paragraph， the teacher should teach the students learning strategies about how to learn autonomously. Only when the students acquire certain skills and strategies can they make good use of the network and thus develop their autonomous learning to a higher level. In English language learning， collaboration between the peers is very important because it will help the learners facilitate language acquisition especially in developing oral English. However， in web-based learning system， the students are isolated and lack of collaboration. In order to improve this situation， we should advocate collaborative learning. In the mean time， as a teacher， they should provide the students with enough electronic collaborative tasks， making them experience the benefit of collaborative learning. Only by avoiding the side effects properly can we give free rein to the maximum advantage so as to gain efficiency in learner autonomy. Additionally， some educators are not capable of setting up a qualified network system. In order to perfect the web-based English autonomous learning， there must be an integrated teaching resource base， such as a set of courseware， various exercises and learning materials. These are big challenges for the educators because of both the huge cost and highly required techniques.

5. Conclusion

Notwithstanding all the benefits learner autonomy will bring to us， promoting and facilitating learner autonomy in China is not an easy task let alone popularizing web-based autonomous learning system. More observational studies should be conducted about the autonomous learning behaviors in web-based learning environment. The teachers role should be redefined in the process of learner autonomy. Teachers beliefs are very important component of their teaching practice. Learner autonomy cannot be achieved fully without the relevant knowledge provided by the teachers. Good instruction is more than just presenting information.

Reference：

[1]Gardner，G.C.1985.Social psychology and second language learning：The role of attitudes and motivation.London：Edward Arnold.

[2]Palfreyman & R.Smith（eds.）Learner Autonomy across Cultures：Language Education Perspectives，pp.110-26.London：Palgrave Macmillan.

[3]Littlewood，W.1996.Autonomy：autonomy and a framework system.London：Longman.

[4]Little，D.1991.Learner Autonomy：Definitions，Issues and Problems.Dublin：Authentik.

[5]Pennycook，A.1997.Cultural alternatives and autonomy.In P.Benson & P.Voller（eds.），Autonomy and Independence in Language Learning，pp.35-53.London：Longman.

[6]Skehan，P.1998.A Cognitive Approach to Language Learning.Oxford：OUP.

[7]Warschauer，M.2000.On-line learning in second language classroom：An ethnographic study.Cambridge：Cambridge University Press.