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Learner Autonomy and Groups

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Autonomy in Language Learning and Teaching

Abstract

Working in groups is a popular teaching strategy associated with communicative, task-based and other approaches in ELT. Learner autonomy has also become an influential concept and has been linked to groupwork. However, ideas about how learner autonomy (often seen as a set of skills in an individual) might develop through groupwork have tended to develop by practice and intuition more than through research. This chapter will consider some relevant questions about learner autonomy and groupwork, for example, individual autonomy in a group, learner support, autonomy development, group autonomy and conditions for group and individual autonomy. It will also discuss research approaches which have proved useful in other fields and how these might be applied in language learning and teaching contexts.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. English and Writing Studies Department, Zayed University, Dubai, UAE

    David M. Palfreyman

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  1. David M. Palfreyman
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Educational Studies, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, Australia

    Alice Chik

  2. Graduate School of Letters, Osaka University, Kobe, Japan

    Naoko Aoki

  3. Centre for Applied Linguistics, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom

    Richard Smith

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Palfreyman, D.M. (2018). Learner Autonomy and Groups. In: Chik, A., Aoki, N., Smith, R. (eds) Autonomy in Language Learning and Teaching. Palgrave Pivot, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-52998-5_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-52998-5_4

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Pivot, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-137-52997-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-137-52998-5

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