The present research aims to illustrate teachers' use of tasks which
promote learner autonomy in ELT classroom interaction.
Extracts taken from video-recorded classroom interactions have been
selected for analysis and examination in an attempt to
identify the
strategies which give learners more responsibilities for learning.
The findings show that teachers use certain strategies such as
structuring classroom discourse to add support for learners' independent
learning, providing an amount of choice for self-directed learning,
collectively constructing the discourse, setting up collaborative tasks to
be completed independently, and engaging students with problem-solving
activities.
The findings indicate that such strategies train learners to develop
independence in their approach to learning. It is proposed that the
implications for promoting learner autonomy through classroom
interaction should be incorporated into teacher-training programmes.
