CLIL4U Pre-Course Unit 9 - Learner Autonomy

Learner Autonomy

In Unit Six, we saw that a major aim of CLIL teaching is to help students to work independently to solve problems and to develop their own knowledge and skills (1).

How can CLIL teachers achieve this?

When we think of our own school days, we probably remember being told exactly what to do, step by step (2). Teachers were expected to control when, where and how learning took place (3).

With CLIL, we have to try to change our approach, to consider letting go of the reins in class, and to face losing our central role (4). We need to pass some control over to our learners (5).

Here are some things to think about: 

• Try connecting with students’ lives, and their needs and interests (6)
• Practise encouraging (and enjoying) student-to-student communication (7)
• Allow students to help decide on content and language assessment criteria (8)
• Agree to adopt student-generated rules on acceptable classroom behaviour (9)
• Decide to let students ask for new language when they need it, rather than teaching in advance the words you think they will need (10)
• Stop expecting all students to work in the same way: advise them to recognise and develop their own learning styles and strategies (11)
• Put yourself in their shoes, and imagine learning in different and exciting ways (12)

We can expect to feel vulnerable at first in our new role (13). It is difficult to begin working in a less traditional way, not only for the teacher, but also for the students (14) - they will resist changing their classroom lifestyle unless they have the opportunity to adapt gradually to working independently (15). Remembering to take responsibility for their own learning, and to take the initiative in tackling problems can be very hard (16). Sometimes, they will prefer to sit back, listen to the teacher and be told what to do next! (17)

Try to vary your approach, remember to respond to immediate needs, and go on believing that instilling learner autonomy will result in better learning! (18)

Below you can listen to the audio file of the text.

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Click on the button below to return to the Unit and read the Language Focus.

After reading the Focus, you will be able to practise the language point by doing a series of exercises. 

This Unit forms part of a language course designedto help teachers refreshtheir English language skills.

It was developed as part of the EU Project ‘CLIL4U’, and is intended as preparation for the main CLIL4U course onTeaching through CLIL.

To follow the language course, click on the CLIL4U Pre-Course Homepage button below.