An Experimental Project on Student's Autonomous Learning

This paper describes a one-term experiment conducted in the first author’s English class for post-graduate students from Feb. 2004 to June 2004. The project was intended to encourage student autonomy, and to train students on how to acquire various skills in language learning and communication. The project provided students with enough room to exert their autonomy and they attained its desired goals. The beneficial effects can be seen in three ways: The center of the class shifts from the teacher to the students; students can learn more effectively if they are given an autonomous learning environment; and students can acquire all round abilities if they adopt a positive attitude towards learning.