Introduction: Culture and Learner Autonomy

In one of the earliest works referring to ‘learner autonomy’, Holec (1981: 3) describes it as “the ability to take charge of one’s own learning”. The concept of learner autonomy, promoted by Holec and others in the context of language education in Europe, has in the last twenty years become influential as a goal in many parts of the world (Pemberton et al., 1996; Benson and Voller, 1997b; Cotterall and Crabbe, 1999; Sinclair et al., 2000; Little et al., 2000; Benson, 2001). Several arguments may be used in favour of developing autonomy in language learners: for example, that autonomy is a human right (e.g. Benson, 2000); that autonomous learning is more effective than other approaches to learning (e.g. Naiman et al., 1978); and that learners need to take charge of their own learning in order to make the most of available resources, especially outside the classroom (e.g. Waite, 1994).