This week has brought about another important topic: learner autonomy. I am a huge advocate of it! I believe learner autonomy creates not only better learners but better people as well.
In order to become autonomous in their learning process, students need to master learning skills and tools, have to develop critical thinking, have to be able to perform higher level cognitive activities such as application, evaluation and analysis. But not only that, I believe that developing autonomy in learning reinforces all the above mentioned. One needs critical thinking skills in order to be able to become autonomous learner, but autonomous learning helps further develop those critical thinking skills. It is a reciprocal process.
Once this is realized, learners take responsibility of their own learning and are able to appreciate the teacher's role of a facilitator. Speaking from personal experience, once the process is started, positive outcomes never cease to impress you. And seeing your students become autonomous in their EFL learning, and transfer the skills to other study fields as well, is the biggest satisfaction a teacher can get.
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In order to become autonomous in their learning process, students need to master learning skills and tools, have to develop critical thinking, have to be able to perform higher level cognitive activities such as application, evaluation and analysis. But not only that, I believe that developing autonomy in learning reinforces all the above mentioned. One needs critical thinking skills in order to be able to become autonomous learner, but autonomous learning helps further develop those critical thinking skills. It is a reciprocal process.
Once this is realized, learners take responsibility of their own learning and are able to appreciate the teacher's role of a facilitator. Speaking from personal experience, once the process is started, positive outcomes never cease to impress you. And seeing your students become autonomous in their EFL learning, and transfer the skills to other study fields as well, is the biggest satisfaction a teacher can get.
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