Autonomy in English Language Teaching and Learning During Secondary Education: A Study of Autonomous Language Learning Experience Recollections Among Engineering Students in a Sri Lankan State University

Abstract

Autonomy is a central concern of language teaching and learning that has various sources and wide-ranging implications. There are several advantages of autonomous learning practices in a country like Sri Lanka, where the English language learning contexts are non-egalitarian. Autonomy is a concept that impacts both teachers and learners. It does not mean that the learners are fully independent and alone in this practice. In reality, teachers have a prominent role in fostering autonomy among learners, and it is a process to be started at the secondary education level. Mainly the teachers’ willingness to shift the English as a Second Language (ESL) pedagogy from teacher-centered to learner-centered mode is significant in this context. This basis the learners get from the school makes them lifelong and independent learners, which also minimizes the reluctance and difficulties of using the English language among people from all walks of life. Realizing the importance of the teacher’s role in teaching autonomous learning, this study focuses on collecting data through the recollections of 300 engineering undergraduates in a state university in Sri Lanka who had their secondary education from various schools island-wide. A questionnaire was distributed via a link, and the collected data were thematically and statistically analyzed. The data were collected on multiple language learning experiences the learners had from the autonomous learning point of view and the impact of the teachers’ involvement in this regard. The study concludes that most learners are unsatisfied with their secondary ESL education and emphasize the importance of increasing speaking practices. Most importantly, the respondents suggest that even though the teachers assigned them various extra activities, the outcome and teachers’ awareness of autonomous teaching and learning practices are questionable. Significantly, all the participants emphasized the importance of learning the English language and being independent learners.