Assignment 2

Write an annotation for one article on building language-learning environments

for EFL learners.

Benson, P. (2006). Autonomy in language teaching and learning (State-of-the-art

article).
https://www.academia.edu/2249383/State_of_the_art_article

The article attempts to point out the reason the growing interest in autonomy in
language learning. The continuous development of the field of language teaching is
the basic factor which is driven by the growing popularity of communicative
principles and the deconstruction of traditional teaching processes. The trend first
emerged and developed in 1980s and 1990s in Europe, and then it is contributed by
the wave of literature on autonomy from Asia and Latin American in recent years.
The article also emphasizes the reciprocal relationship between autonomy and
sociocultural theory and expects future development of this link. However, since the
turn of the century, the concept of autonomy has become a problematic one because it
is examined in various dimensions, which means the relationship between autonomy
and other student-centered concepts, including, self-regulation, self-motivation,
agency and identity. Despite the development of the theoretical literature on
autonomy, the empirical work on the matter remains vague. The article suggests more
practical research should be done in the future on autonomy and provides guidelines
for teachers to help their learners become more autonomous.