The topics of autonomy and independence play an increasingly important role in language education. They raise issues such as learners' responsibility for their own learning, and their right to determine the direction of their own learning, the skills which can be learned and applied in self-directed learning and capacity for independent learning and the extents to which this can be suppressed by institutional education. This volume offers new insights into the principles of autonomy and independence and the practices associated with them focusing on the area of EFL teaching. The editors' introduction provides the context and outlines the main issues involved in autonomy and independence. Later chapters discuss the social and political implications of autonomy and independence and their effects on educational structures. The consequences for the design of learner-centred materials and methods is discussed, together with an exploration of the practical ways of implementing autonomy and independence in language teaching and learning . Each section of the book opens with an introduction to give structure to the development of ideas and themes, with synopses to highlight salient features in the text and help build upon the material of previous chapters.

This text defines autonomy in language learning, how it is implemented and how research and independence/autonomy can inform each other.

TAKING CONTROL: Autonomy in Language Learning focuses on an area of language learning and teaching that is currently receiving an increasing amount of attention. The book, featuring 18 chapters from key figures around the world in the field of autonomous and self-access language learning, provides insightful coverage of the theoretical issues involved, and represents a significant contribution to research in this area. At the same time, it provides a variety of examples of current practice, in classrooms and self-access centres, at secondary and tertiary levels, and in a number of different cultural contexts. This volume is a timely publication which will be of interest to all those concerned with learner autonomy and self-directed language learning.

Autonomy in Language Education offers a holistic overview of and novel contribution to a complex and multifaceted, yet under-studied, field of inquiry that is transforming language pedagogy: It offers nineteen original chapters that critically analyze the impact of Henri Holec’s seminal 1979 book Autonomy in Foreign Language Learning; unpack theoretical, empirical, conceptual, methodological, ethical, and political developments over the last forty years from many perspectives; explore practical implications for teaching, learning, and teacher education; and suggest future avenues and challenges for research and practice in this broad, diverse, essential field.

This book is a collection of papers that explores the notion of learner autonomy and the problem of helping language learners to manage their learning effectively. The first part of the book deals with issues of definition: what is the cognitive base for autonomous learning behaviour and how is this mediated by social and cultural expectations of a learner's role? The second part reports on experiences of working with learners and with teachers to promote learner autonomy. In working with learners, the focus is on language learning strategies and how strategic learning might be developed through strategy training, materials design, reflection and counselling. In working with teachers, the focus is on bringing about change in traditional perspectives on the roles of learners and teachers within education systems.

This book seeks to expand the research agendas on autonomy in language learning and teaching in diverse contexts, by examining the present landscape of established studies, identifying research gaps and providing practical future research directions. Based on empirical studies, it explores research agendas in five emerging domains: language learning and teaching in developing countries; social censure and teacher autonomy; learner autonomy and groups; learner autonomy and digital practice; and finally, learner autonomy and space. In doing so, it sheds new light on the impact of digital media, group dynamics and the application of ecological perspectives on learner autonomy. The contributors present a novel reconsideration of new learning affordances, and their discussion of spatial dimensions provides much needed expansion in the field. This book will have international appeal and provide an invaluable resource for students and scholars of second language learning and higher education, as well as teacher educators. Chapter 2 of this book is open access under a CC BY 4.0 license via https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1057%2F978-1-137-52998-5_2.pdf.