Design of the while-listening tasks in autonomous interactive multimedia software

Abstract

In this article, firstly the definition of autonomy will be briefly y touched on. Autonomy is defined by Cotterall (1995: 195) as ‘the extent to which learners demonstrate the ability to use a set of tactics for taking control of their learning’ while Dickinson (1995: 167) says that ‘… autonomy can be seen as an attitude towards learning in which the learner is prepared to take, or does take, responsibility for his own learning’. Carver and Dickenson (1987: 15) describe an autonomous learner as ‘a self-directed learner … who retains the responsibility for his own learning …’. These definitions clearly indicate that in autonomy language learners (LLs) take or at least are supposed to take the control of their learning and accept full responsibility. With respect to accepting responsibility, Little (1995: 175) says that ‘the main characteristic of the learner autonomy is that learners accept responsibility for their learning. Secondly, the categorisation of autonomy will be shortly made.