Learners‟ autonomy is a complex concept; therefore, it is difficult for teachers to know where to start fostering it. Project work is an appropriate strategy to develop learner autonomy because it is a teaching practice supported by principles and it puts students in charge of their learning process. In the “project method”, students plan, execute, and work in groups; and through groupwork they acquire the skills to participate in a democratic society. According to Legutke and Thomas (1991: 160), project work is a theme- and task-centered mode of teaching and learning which results from a joint process of negotiation between all participants. It allows for a wide scope of self-determined action for both the individual and the small group of learners within a general framework of a plan
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which defines goals and procedures. Project work let students possess a basic capacity to direct their learning and to exercise their autonomy in the whole learning process.
In the similar vein, Ramíez (2014: 65) states that developing learner autonomy implies not only willingness to take control of learning, but also the necessity to provide students with opportunities to exercise autonomy by making decisions and assuming responsibility in groups for their own learning process. Project work has a positive influence on the increase of learners‟ autonomy to discuss and exercise more choices and control over their learning process. It is suggested that projects can make students aware of their learning skills and allowed them to work on individual and cooperative tasks. In group, students assume the responsibility for taking an active role in order to direct their learning responsibly to create their project together. They can also share with the entire class what they learned to generate more ideas.
Cooperative work fosters a high degree of autonomy because this type of work gives learners the freedom to explore their own preferences and to decide what activities are better for accomplishing their common goals.
Moreover, as stated by Athanasiou in 2007, it can be argued that project- based learning may be a valuable approach in fostering learners‟ autonomy. The reason for this lies in the value the learners place on group discussions, mainly in respect of exchanging opinions, gaining information, becoming critical, and in general learning how to develop their critical thinking and ability to analyse texts. It may be suggested that this value place on group discussions is related to the serving independently, individualistic needs, thus fulfilling, to some extent, that of learners‟
autonomy. Besides, it also suggests that project work has the potential to be a valuable element in developing learners‟ autonomy. Project work involves awareness raising, guidance and practice opportunities in strategy use, aiming at developing learner autonomy. Through group discussions, the learners can observe the kinds of strategies their peers used in their learning and studying process, and implement/adapt these in their own learning process. The learners themselves also
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independently choose/create practice opportunities for learner strategy use by directing discussions according to their preferences. They place much value on these discussions, clarifying that they enrich their vocabulary and their general knowledge, as well as appreciating the chance to observe the strategies applied by their peers.
In the similar way, Villa and Amstrong (2004: 220) proposes that project work enhances autonomy because it is a research endeavor in which learners take control of their own learning. They learn how to learn, and can thus apply the knowledge acquired in this experience to life-long learning. They decide what they want to learn, set their own goals and plan actions to reach those goals, and they evaluate the process and the results of the experience in order to learn from it. They also develop the skills needed to work collaboratively: they engage in dialogue, they develop their own criteria, and they make decisions jointly.
In addition, according to Ying (2002: 19),the research project just serves as a training process, taking students from their states of varying degrees of dependence to the state of the greatest degree of independence. It starts from larger groups towards smaller groups, pairs and finally individuals and from giving the students fewer choices concerning their learning and work towards many choices, and finally freer choices such as open-ended tasks, thus allowing students to make their choices entirely on their own. Besides, it provides the perfect opportunity for learners to go out and use their language. In becoming actively involved in the process of learning, students may set their own objectives. By working independently of the teacher both inside and outside the classroom and selecting and using the strategies best suited to the occasion, they may realize a sense of autonomy. This learner training process can broaden the horizons of the learner and may empower him or her to become autonomous in their present or future language learning.
The whole project not only involves the students' active participation and cooperation, but also sets a high demand on teachers. Many people assume that the
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teachers in the autonomous settings will transfer all responsibilities to learners, thus becoming a redundant part of the learning process. As a matter of fact, the success of learners‟ autonomy enhancement depends to a great extent on an active role for teachers, whether in a classroom or a self-access center. In other words, the teacher still plays an indispensable role in working towards autonomous learning, but instead of being the traditional knowledge giver, he or she will be a facilitator, a counselor and a helper. His or her guidance and encouragement will prove beneficial towards learners' autonomous learning, as all learners need to be prepared and supported on the path to greater autonomy.
Last but not least, according to Yuliani and Lengkanawati (2017: 292), for improving learner autonomy, it is suggested for the teacher to keep encouraging the students to realize that project-based learning can improve learner autonomy. Thus, the teacher has to motivate and facilitate the students to carry out the task willingly and completely. It is worth noting that both the teacher and students have to have a commitment to carry out learner autonomy.