Supporting Language Learners Autonomy in Higher Education: The Self-Study Hour at The University of Nottingham Ningbo China

Despite recent changes in learning cultures and practices in the Chinese educational system, students’ autonomy development is still limited (Jin & Cortazzi, 2006). Consequently, at the Language Centre of The University of Nottingham Ningbo China a self-study program has been inaugurated whereby students are directed to engage in self-study together in a classroom supervised by their tutor. This program has been monitored by the authors of this paper who have devised reflective questionnaires, a self-study log and conducted focus groups with students and local high school teachers. Students’ autonomy development has been influenced by a gradual acquisition of the ability to allocate study time and develop an accurate learning agenda - goal setting, choice of resources, monitoring, and assessment.
This paper describes these results and how independent learning teaching practices have been developed to help teachers support students learning autonomy.