Autonomy thoughts by Klaus - sorry, this got longer than anticipated...

Well, this is quite a task, especially, to be honest, since discussing theories always makes me quite tense as they often do not reflect reality. And I think when we talk about student/teacher autonomy, we have to keep in mind the confusion that, as I read from Alex's post and as is evident from the key readings, exists in the literature. The central problem appears to be that autonomy as a single word can have various facettes of meanings. It can describe a self-sufficient, autarcic entity, but it can just as well be used to indicate a self-driven process - a 'taking of responsibility'.

To me, Holec's definition of "...the responsibility for all the decisions concerning all aspects of this learning..." appears very dangerous, as it leaves the question unanswered who does the teaching in this learning process. Surely, a few gifted people might manage to learn something as complex and dynamic as a living language all by themselves - autonomously. However, the vast majoroty of language learners require some guidance, someone to point them in the right direction, someone to discuss problems or exciting findings with, someone to conform that their newly acquired knowledge is accurate.

This in mind, a few words about the term 'teacher' seem in order. It appears to be a very widespread and equally unsettling habit to rename things as soon as there are new ideas. I do remember a wave of new general job descriptions that cropped up in the 90s, when everyone was suddenly the manager of something because some job titles were considered derogatory or attached to certain stereotypes.
To rename a teacher or tutor and make him or her a 'counsellor' seems outright dangerous, as a new definition for the current profession of counsellor would be needed. To make a teacher an 'animator' could be regarded as an affront against the teaching profession, even though it sometimes may feel like that is what we are doing.... So, rather than spending too much time on restructuring the terminology of the teaching context, perhaps it would be more prudent to give some thought to the actual reality, the application of autonomous learning and teaching.

From my personal point of view, promoting learner autonomy as a teacher is crucial to the success of the students. In a European academic context (yes, whether they like it or not, Great Britain is a part of Europe), one cannot hope to excel without the ability to take charge of their own learning efforts, without the willingness to do so and without the knowledge of how to learn independently - because that, I believe, is the meaning of learner autonomy: the ability and willingness to go beyond what is taught in the classroom.
Learner autonomy entails a real interest in what one is doing. Thus, a student who participates in an EAP course only out of necessity (e.g. "want IELTS 6...") will find it difficult to actually reach their goal. A student who develops a real interest in the language he or she is trying to acquire may stand a much better chance of succeeding.
It is vital to make clear to EAP students at a British university that independent learning is absolutely expected in the academic environment.
Now, this makes me sound like a dictator rather than someone who encourages autonomy, but I feel very strongly that this is one of the responsibilities of an EAP tutor. We do not only each English with an eye on academic conventions and language, we also have the function of "academic life coach".
To fulfill this role, it is necessary to remind students that the time they actually spend in the classroom or in tutorials is very limited, and all that can happen in a classroom is to lay the foundation on which they have to build their language abilities. It cannot be a teacher's responsibility to create the perfect academic English speaker, neither is it the teacher's responsibility to guarantee the perfect learning outcome. In fact, no one can guarantee that. It is the teacher's responsibility to provide the student with the tools and the support to achieve the best possible outcome themselves. So, to me, learner autonomy is a skill and a process that should be developed and happen in cooperation with a teacher/tutor (since coming to England, I use this words rather synomymously - in German they have quite different meanings) and other learners, as independent study or autonomy does not mean that one has to do everything alone - in fact, that appears to be a rather unwise course of action.

As for teacher autonomy, many of the above thoughts apply as well. It cannot mean that a teacher is an entity, servered from all opinions, ideas or colleagues - it cannot mean that a teacher has to do everything by themselves; it does also surely not mean that a 'good EAP teacher' should strive to become a one-man or woman faculty. Teacher autonomy to me means that a teacher is at liberty and willing to be creative and flexible in a set framework, e.g. a 10-week EAP course with certain expectations in terms of content.

There must be guidelines for both tutors and students, but there must also be a great degree of willingness to achieve more than the bare necessary minimum. Often that is a very difficult thing, taking into account time constraints and constant pressure. In EAP, precision is vital for both teachers and students. And that is why many tutors may be reluctant to leave the allegedly safe paths of e.g. prescribed teaching materials. Similarly, students often find it difficult to not only rely on the teacher's knowledge to improve their skills. In many cultures, a teacher is still regarded with extreme respect - a person who is always right and knows all the answers. This can pose a serious obstacle to promoting learner autonomy/independent learning in a real teaching context.

There is one key element that both students and teachers need in order to foster their skill of being autonomous: time. Given time, both could explore the material they are learning or teaching more thoroughly. They could find new strategies for presenting or processing information.
To make it easier for students to move into autonomy, a tutor could show a real interest in their opinions concerning learning itself, concerning the presentation of new ideas and concerning what students feel they need. By carefully incorporating some of this (certainly not all, because then we would be giving personal tutorials only) into lessons, students will feel that their ideas are sensible and that their thoughts are good, which hopefully results in a confidence boost. Utilising this, they may find it much easier to engage in autonomous learning. Also, this enables a teacher to tailor their lessons to a certain extent and move away from prescribed and often flawed materials (who has ever seen a text book or other collection of teaching materials that was without mistakes?).

Technology can certainly help promote independent learning if used sensibly, and it does not require the acquisition of a lot of new skills on the side of the students. Most learners these days seem (within reasonable limits) computer/technology literate - at times much more so than teachers (This is just an observation, not a judgement).
There are examples in EFL that show how the use of technology can go horribly wrong. I recommend a visit to a Wall Street Institute as an example of this. Or one could simply sit through the ghastly experience of taking a TOEFL exam.

In EAP, based on the premise that autonomous learning is absolutely crucial to success, technology can be utilised to communicate with tutors and other students when not in the classroom. It can be used by students to find more practice materials (suggestions could be given by a well-informed tutor) and dicuss issues that appear in their learning process.
Twenty years ago, a student had to rely on expensive tapes or being fortunate enough to meet a native speaker to improve their pronunciation. These days, it is a matter of where to find the best soundfiles on the web and how to utilise them in the best possible manner. Again, here guidance should be given.
Care must be taken not to glorify technology too much. I believe it is still peole who learn and teach languages. But, given the right background knowledge and training, an EAP tutor should be able to integrate technology into their teaching, and if it is through something as simple as we all are currently doing - expressing our thoughts via a medium and waiting for reactions that might trigger a very lively and interesting discussion. This, however, can only happen if the tutor is at liberty to do so.
The integration of technology into teaching, if found to be useful, must be encouraged and promoted by the tutor's employer. Time and space must be created for this, and that is the responsibility of the institution an EAP tutor works for. And I guess it is this willingness to change, the readiness to try something new in an organised and sensible way - or rather the lack of it - that often stops new and potentially helpful approaches from being implemented.
At the end of the day, I can teach a language without technology. I do like a little of it though, as pens are really useful, paper is not to be underestimated and the inventor of the whiteboard certainly deserves some award. The use of more modern technology, however, can, in certain doses, help make teaching easier and it can certainly help me promote learner autonomy - which, as I think I have mentioned, is, to me, one of the most valuable skills we can give an overseas student.