Learner Autonomy is one my favorite topic when it comes to teaching; I truly believe it plays an essential role in the acquisition of the L2. The best way we could foster Learner Autonomy is in a student-centered class, as we all may know, in student-centered class is not a place where the students decide what they want to learn and what they what to do. It is a place where we consider the needs of the students, as individuals and as a group and encourage them to participate in the learning process all the time, the role of the teacher should be a facilitators and not an instructor and just guide or help students while they participate in the learning process actively, let us not get confused with the “teacher”. To me, being a teacher means helping students to learn, manage their activities and direct their learning. In the student-centered class the teacher becomes just another member of the class.
I enjoyed reading the article by Dimitrios Thanasoulas, especially the part where he mentions “ To posit ways of fostering learner autonomy is certainly to posit ways of fostering teacher autonomy” as well as the Samuel P-H Sheu article, I love the phrase “a bird-in-the-bush rather than a bird-in-the-hand” the way I can interpret this is that if we do not help ourselves learn, they might not do it or maybe yes but not the way we want to. I usually tell my students that they go to class to pick ideas, information, guides and ways to learn.
I will keep telling my students that the best way to learn English in being curious with the language, autonomous and not depending on the teacher all the time.
