Autonomy In Language Learning

Since the late 60s and early 70s, there has been a significant shift within the field of language learning and teaching with greater emphasis on learners and learning rather than on teachers and teaching. It seems a reasonable goal for language teachers to make their students become less dependent on the teachers and reach a level of autonomy (O’Malley and Chamot, 1995). Learners need to keep on learning even if the formal classroom setting is not available. Learner autonomy is in line with current views about the active involvement of learners, popularity of learner-centered approaches, and learners’ independence of teachers (Littlewood, 1996). A key component of an autonomous approach to language learning and teaching is the learner’s active

In this regard, many researchers dealing with the area of second / foreign language learning have explored language learning strategies (LLSs) that language learners use either consciously or unconsciously (Rubin, 1975; Bialystok, 1981; Huang and Naerssen, 1987; Oxford and Nyikos, 1989; Ehrman and Oxford, 1989, 1990; Nyikos and Oxford, 1993; Oxford and Ehrman, 1995; Sugeng, 1997). Language learning strategies as a determinant factor in the facilitation of learning a new language have been defined in different ways. Rubin (1975: 43) describes them as “... the techniques or devices which a learner may use to acquire knowledge.” Richards, Platt, and Platt (1992:209) define LLSs as “intentional behavior and thoughts that learners make use of during learning in order to better help them understand, learn, or remember new information.” In a well-known study, Wenden and Rubin (1987:19) define learning strategies as “... any sets of operations, steps, plans, routines used by the learner to facilitate the obtaining, storage, retrieval, and use of information.” Here in this study, the definition of LSS is adopted from Oxford (1990) as “specific actions taken by the learner to make learning easier, faster, more enjoyable, more self-directed, more effective, and more transferable to new situations

In the context of language learning, instrumental motivation refers to the learner’s desire to learn a language for “utilitarian” purposes (such as employment or travel), whereas integrative motivation refers to the desire to learn a language to integrate successfully into the target language community. Following the issues discussed above, the main objective of the present study has been specified to investigate the use of LLSs by Iranian EFL university students and its relation to the factors of attitude (positive and negative) and motivation (instrumental and integrative). More precisely, it attempts to answer the following research questions: 1. What LLSs do Iranian EFL university students use more frequently? 2. Are there any differences between students with positive attitude and those with negative attitude regarding their strategy use? 3. What are the differences between integratively-motivated and instrumentallymotivated learners concerning their strategy choice? 4. What is the difference in the types of strategies used by freshmen