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    Running Head: AUTONOMOUS LEARNING 1

    Autonomous Learning

    Diego A. Garzon Moreno

    Institution Universitaria Colombo Americana

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    AUTONOMOUS LEARNING 2

    Abstract

    The autonomous language learner takes responsibility for the totality of his learning situation. He

    does this by determining his own objectives, defining the contents to be learned and the progression

    of the course, selecting methods and techniques to be used, monitoring this procedure, and

    evaluating what he has acquired. With this project, I will try to develop the idea we have about

    autonomous learning, because so far personally I think the idea that we have about it is vague.

    This work is divided in three parts.

    1. Definition of Autonomous Learning

    2. Origins of the concept of Autonomous Learning.

    3. Autonomous Learner Profile

    Key words : autonomous learning, knowledge, methods, abilities.

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    AUTONOMOUS LEARNING 3

    In troductio n

    The idea of autonomy often provokes reactions. To its critics, autonomy is an idealist goal and its

    promotion a distraction from the real business of teaching and learning languages. To its advocates,

    autonomy is precondition for effective learning; when learners succeed in developing autonomy,

    they not only become better language learners but they also develop into more responsible and

    critical members of the communities in which they live. (Benson, 2001)

    The principal idea of this project is that you understand and star using this method of study.

    The project is going to show you how to create a good concept of autonomy because autonomy it s a

    huge topic so that you have to understand and apply it in a good way.

    Furthermore this project going to explain you why you have to became autonomy and why you have

    to do it now.

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    AUTONOMOUS LEARNING 4

    Auto n omous Lear n ing

    The autonomous learning is an important part of knowledge since it gives you the opportunity to

    learn things by yourself. Understanding the meaning of independent learning is facilitated by

    reviewing the concept of autonomy. Autonomy refers to the ability of a person to choose what is

    valuable to him, to take elections in line with its self-realization.

    Also autonomy is usually defined as the capacity to take charge of, or responsibility for, one s own

    learning.

    Little (Little, 1990)argues that autonomy is not a single, easily describable behavior.

    However Little planted 5 important points those described what autonomous learning is NOT.

    y Autonomy is NOT a synonym for self-instruction; in other words, autonomy is NOT limited to

    learning without a teacher.

    y In the classroom context, autonomy does NOT entail and abdication of responsibility on the

    part of the teacher; it is NOT a matter of letting the learners get on with things as best they

    can.

    y On the other hand, autonomy is NOT something that teachers do to learners; that is, it is

    NOT another teaching method.

    y Autonomy is NOT a single, easily described behavior.

    y Autonomy is NOT a steady stated achieved by learners. (Little, 1990)

    Other important definition that I want to take into account is Holec s definition where autonomy is

    described as the ability to take charge of one s own learning . Holec elaborates on this basic

    definition as follows:

    T o take charge of one s own learning is to have, and to hold, the responsibility for all the decisions

    concerning all aspects of this learning, i.e.:

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    AUTONOMOUS LEARNING 5

    y D etermining the objectives;

    y D efining the contents and progressions;

    y Selecting methods and techniques to be used;

    y M onitoring the procedure of acquisition properly speaking (rhythm, time, place, etc)

    y E valuating what has been acquired.

    T he autonomous learner is himself capable of making all these decisions concerning the learning with

    which he is or wishes to be involved. (Holec, 1980)

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    AUTONOMOUS LEARNING 6

    O rigin s of the co ncept of Auto n omous Lear n ing

    According to Gremmo and Riley (The history of an idea, 1995), early interest in the concept of

    autonomy within the field of language education was in part a response to ideals and expectations

    aroused by the political turmoil in Europe in the late 1960 s.

    The concept of autonomy first entered the field of language teaching through the Council of Europe s

    Modern Language Project, established in 1971. One of outcomes of this project was the

    establishment of the Centre de Recherches et d Applicattions en Langues (CRAPEL) at the university

    of Nancy, France, which rapidly became a focal point for research and practice in the field. Yves

    Chlon; the founder of CRAPEL, is considered by many to be the father of autonomyin language

    learning (Holec, 2001).

    The concept of autonomy was created to provide student teacher and all the people interested to

    learn a second language one model of learning when the student take all the responsibility about

    their learning process. Also we can say that autonomy gives student the opportunity to create his

    own study routine.

    As I mentioned at the beginning learning is not to stay in front of a computer and try to get

    knowledge, we need the support and the advice of a teacher that guide the student to improve his

    skills in regards to learning.

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    AUTONOMOUS LEARNING 7

    Auto n omous Lear ner Profile

    As the other leaning styles to be autonomous we need to consider some characteristics that make

    the difference between the others learning styles.

    Candy has listed more than 100 competencies associated with autonomy in learning. These are

    grouped under 13 headings. According to Candy, the learner capable of autonomous learning will

    characteristically:

    1. Be methodical and disciplined.

    2. Be logical and analytical.

    3. Be reflective and self-aware.

    4. Demonstrate curiosity, openness and motivation.

    5. Be flexible.

    6. Be interdependent and interpersonally competent.

    7. Be persistent and responsible.

    8. Be creative

    9. Show confidence and have a positive self-concept.

    10. Be independent and self-sufficient.

    11. Have developed information seeking and retrieval skills.

    12. Have knowledge about, and skill at, learning processes.

    13. Develop and use criteria for evaluating.

    At the same time these factors are often described in such a way that the autonomous learner

    appears to be a particular kind of person, rather than a person who possesses particular cognitive

    skills or abilities that can be acquired. Moreover the longer list, the less clear it is that we are dealing

    with a finite number of characteristics associated with autonomy and the closer we come to a

    description of the ideal learner . (Candy, 2001)

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    AUTONOMOUS LEARNING 8

    Con clusio n

    We can conclude that autonomy is theoretical construct, accepted by many as a goal of language

    education so that this revolutionary method give us the opportunity to became in active learners

    using properly the tools that teachers give in the classroom and we just need to use them in our

    house.

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    AUTONOMOUS LEARNING 9

    R efere n ces

    Benson, P. (2001). Iintroduction. En T eaching and Researching Autonomy in Language Learning (pg.1). London: Longman.

    Candy. (2001). Profiling the automous learner. En P. Benson, T eaching and Researching Autonomy inLanguage Learning (pgs. 85-86). London: Longman.

    Holec. (2001). The Origins of Autonomy in Language Learning. En P. Benson, T eaching and Researching Autonomy in Language Learning (pg. 8). London: Longman .

    Holec, H. (1980). Levels of control. En H. Holec, Foreign language learning (pgs. 30-45). Sydney:pergamon.

    Little, D. (1990). Autonomy in language learner. En Autonomy in language learning (pgs. 7-15).London: Ian Gathercole.

    T he history of an idea. (1995). Georgia: Guglielmino.