THE ROLE OF STUDENT AUTONOMY IN ESP CLASSES
THE ROLE OF STUDENT AUTONOMY IN ESP CLASSES

Summary/Abstract: The concept of learner autonomy often causes strong reactions. Its critics regard it as an idealistic goal which distracts learners and teachers from their main objective – developing communicative competence, linguistic competence and cultural understanding. Its advocates see it as a prerequisite for effective learning. Students who succeed in taking control of their learning experiences become not only better language learners, but also responsible members of the community they belong to. Autonomous learners are self-motivated and reflective, which is why their learning is efficient and effective. Unfortunately, most learners often rely on their teachers for instructions and guidance. Instead of avoiding tasks that require autonomy, teachers should equip students with the skills and know-how to rely on themselves. The present paper aims to analyse the correlation between learner autonomy and academic performance, the relationship between autonomous and controlled motivation and aspects of students’ perception of working autonomously in a higher education setting.

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