The Effect of English Learning Portfolio on    the Fostering of Learner Autonomy : a Case Study

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The Effect of English Learning Portfolio on the Fostering of Learner Autonomy : A Case Study By Zhang Liu Dalian University of Foreign Languages Abstract Learner Autonomy(LA) as a concept has come into existence for over three decades. Though the theoretical discussion of learner autonomy is far from coherent and consistent, three more systematically categorized practices have been adopted with the focus on the media to develop autonomy: self-access language learning center, strategy training and portfolio development. In order to explore the role of English Learning Portfolio (ELP) in fostering learner autonomy, a longitudinal study has been conducted on the experiences of 65 freshmen at the Dalian University of Foreign Languages. For a better illustration of the effect of ELP in a more detailed manner, this paper takes an in-depth look at the experiences of one individual student. Before recounting this learner’s story, the paper first presents a review of the theoretical constructs which guide the analysis, then a brief description of the current problem of English education in China and it concludes by considering the implications for teachers and policy makers. Key words: learner autonomy English learning portfolio case study 1. Introduction From its first appearance in Henri Holec’s Autonomy and Foreign Language learning(1981), the discussion about the definition of learner autonomy has never ceased. Despite the fact that there is never a consensus on the concept of LA, the educational significance of developing LA is widely recognized and the ways to foster LA can be generalized into three: self-access language learning center, strategy training and portfolio

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