While reading from “How Language Works” and the article “What is Learner Autonomy and How Can it be Fostered?” I was surprised and a little intimidated by learning how much thought and effort goes into becoming an autonomous language learner. The learner must be highly motivated to take the initiative to move forward in the language and continually evaluate his or her progress. HLW analyzes how words, or lexemes, possess meaning, and the article states that “the autonomous learner is a self-activated maker of meaning” (Thanasoulas 2). In short, the autonomous learner is finding his own way of understanding the meaning of words, from the context of his life and previous language learning experiences. This is a great undertaking, but also a very freeing one. The learner is able to direct his language study in the ways best suited to who he is and how he learns, but he is also responsible for evaluating himself, and learning to understand when he is going wrong in his study and how he can improve.
One of the most intimidating parts of self-directed language learning for me is knowing where to start. HLW covers the idea of “selective focusing”, in areas such as vocabulary, grammar, or phonology, “selective focusing of this kind . . . is an essential part of the business of discovering how language works, and is also a helpful way of simplifying the task of description” (HLW 181). Having categories in which different parts of language are separated helps one navigate the sea of options, providing direction and order. Although the language learner is still responsible for choosing where to begin and where to focus, having ideas of how language can be divided is very helpful.
One characteristic of autonomous learners mentioned by the article is that they are “willing to take risks, i.e.,
to communicate in the target language at all costs.” (Thanasoulas 2). This is one area I know I need practice in, because for one reason or another I struggle with confidence in expressing myself in a foreign language, especially orally. Learning to take risks, and not being afraid of failure, is an essential part of being an autonomous language learner.
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