Learner and Teacher Autonomy in Higher Education ─ Perspectives from Modern Language Teaching

This volume seeks to foster the development of teacher and learner autonomy in language learning in higher education. It pools the insights and experiences of a group of international researchers who present their reflections and research on different aspects of autonomy and related issues. Although autonomy is acknowledged as one of the main goals of education, in higher education the need for accountability and standardisation of learning outcomes may constitute external limitations to its development. In order to overcome teaching traditions and mainstream academic culture, teachers may need to reorient themselves and face the challenge of a substantial change involving their own and their learners’ beliefs, their practice and their role in the institution.

Manuel Jimenez Raya is Full Professor and Head of the English and German Department at the University of Granada, Spain. His main research interests are pedagogy for autonomy, experiential learning, modern language teacher education, and case pedagogy. He has published numerous articles and co-authored several books on FLT methodology and teacher education.

Jose Javier Martos Ramos is an Associate Professor of the German Department at the University of Seville, Spain. He teaches German linguistics at undergraduate and graduate levels. His research interests include the relationship of students' attitudes towards autonomous foreign language learning, the use of educational applications and interactional linguistics.

Maria Giovanna Tassinari is Director of the Centre for Independent Language Learning at the Language Centre of the Freie Universitat Berlin, Germany. Her research interests include learner autonomy, language advising, affect in language learning and teaching, as well as formal and informal learning, on which she publishes frequently.