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    The document is a literature review that discusses the concept of autonomy in foreign/second language learning. It explores how autonomy has been defined by various researchers over decades as learners' ability to take charge of their own learning. Autonomy is a multidimensional concept involving capacities like self-directed learning, critical reflection, and decision making. Recent research also examines social dimensions and classroom-based approaches to fostering autonomy. The review defines an autonomous learner as one with the independent ability and willingness to make choices that govern their actions. It concludes that autonomy exists on a continuum and can vary across learning situations and over time.

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    The document is a literature review that discusses the concept of autonomy in foreign/second language learning. It explores how autonomy has been defined by various researchers over decades as learners' ability to take charge of their own learning. Autonomy is a multidimensional concept involving capacities like self-directed learning, critical reflection, and decision making. Recent research also examines social dimensions and classroom-based approaches to fostering autonomy. The review defines an autonomous learner as one with the independent ability and willingness to make choices that govern their actions. It concludes that autonomy exists on a continuum and can vary across learning situations and over time.

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    The document is a literature review that discusses the concept of autonomy in foreign/second language learning. It explores how autonomy has been defined by various researchers over decades as learners' ability to take charge of their own learning. Autonomy is a multidimensional concept involving capacities like self-directed learning, critical reflection, and decision making. Recent research also examines social dimensions and classroom-based approaches to fostering autonomy. The review defines an autonomous learner as one with the independent ability and willingness to make choices that govern their actions. It concludes that autonomy exists on a continuum and can vary across learning situations and over time.

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    The document is a literature review that discusses the concept of autonomy in foreign/second language learning. It explores how autonomy has been defined by various researchers over decades as learners' ability to take charge of their own learning. Autonomy is a multidimensional concept involving capacities like self-directed learning, critical reflection, and decision making. Recent research also examines social dimensions and classroom-based approaches to fostering autonomy. The review defines an autonomous learner as one with the independent ability and willingness to make choices that govern their actions. It concludes that autonomy exists on a continuum and can vary across learning situations and over time.

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    of 1

    The EUROCALL Review, Volume 25, No.

    2, September 2017

    namely a research question, description of participants, data collection tools and


    analysis. This is followed by the presentation of the results of the study. The article
    closes with discussion and conclusions.
    2. Literature review
    2.1. Autonomy in foreign/second language learning
    The concept of autonomy in second/foreign language learning and teaching has been
    the focus of attention for many researchers and practitioners for more than three
    decades. According to Benson (2001), the notion of autonomy was introduced and
    popularized in 1981 by Henri Holec in his seminal report for the Council of Europe
    entitled Autonomy in Foreign Language Learning in which the researcher defined
    autonomy in the context of language learning as “the ability to take charge of one’s own
    learning” (Holec, 1981, p. 3). Holec’s idea of autonomy encompasses some components
    and capacities on the part of language learners (e.g. self-directed learning). For some
    other authors autonomy also involves “a capacity – for detachment, critical reflection,
    decision-making, and independent action” (Little, 1991, p. 4) and “the capacity to take
    control of one’s own learning” (Benson, 2001, p. 46). As stated by Benson (2011, p.
    16), “autonomy is multidimensional and takes many different forms according to the
    person, the setting, and multiple contextual and micro-contextual factors” and it is “a
    multi-faceted concept that consists of several layers” (Reinders, 2011, p. 48) whose
    roots are based in political, societal and educational developments. In addition to this,
    work on autonomy emphasizes social dimensions of learner autonomy in view of the
    fact that “autonomous learners always do things for themselves, but they may or may
    not do things on their own” (Little, 2009, p. 223) and that by means of social
    interactions language learners “develop a capacity to analyze, reflect upon and
    synthesize information to create new perspectives” (Lee, 2011, p. 88). It should also be
    noted that recent research shows that fostering autonomy is no longer predominantly a
    matter of individualizing learning through out-of-class initiatives since the dominance of
    classroom-based approaches (Benson, 2011). Finally, it has to be added that
    researchers, in general, seem to be in agreement with the following claims suggested
    by Benson (2011): “(a) language learners naturally tend to take control of their
    learning, (b) learners who lack autonomy are capable of developing it, and (c)
    autonomous language learning is more effective than non-autonomous language
    learning” (p. 16).
    Perhaps in order to define the concept of autonomy in language learning it is necessary
    to understand who autonomous learners are. As Littlewood (1996) claims, an
    autonomous learner is “one who has independent capacity to make and carry out
    choices which govern his or her actions” (p. 428). The researcher argues that this
    capacity depends on two major components such as ability and willingness, and he
    claims that the attributes can also be further subdivided. Thus, ability depends on
    having knowledge about the options from which one can choose and skills so as to
    choose the most suitable alternatives. When it comes to willingness, this depends on
    having motivation and confidence in order to take responsibility for adequate choices.
    Moreover, Littlewood (1996) argues that if an individual is to be successful in being
    autonomous, all of these components have to be present all together.
    At the close of this section, a few words are in order on the notion of autonomous
    language learning. An interesting description of the concept in question is offered by
    Reinders (2011), who defines autonomous language learning as “an act of learning
    whereby motivated learners consciously make informed decisions about that learning”
    (p. 48). According to the said researcher, it is not possible or needed in all acts of
    learning to be able or ready to intentionally make decisions since different learning
    situations present different demands. Reinders (2011) further argues that “autonomy is
    not an either-or concept, but has to be seen as a continuum” (p. 48). This is because a
    learner can display more or less autonomy in different learning circumstances.
    Autonomy, in Reinders’ terms changes over time between skills and within skills and
    thus it is difficult to achieve and is not invariably permanent (Reinders, 2011).

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