10/20

In my opinion, learner autonomy is similar to learning how to ride a bike. It takes a lot of trial and error, but once it is accomplished, it becomes autonomous and you don't have to think about each part of the process anymore. The only downside to learner autonomy is that it does take a long time to accomplish, even in a first language. When I think about my own learning experience, I don't think I learned "how to learn" until I was in college. Even my freshman year I really struggled with my classes because I didn't know my preferred way to study or learn. The learner needs to be familiar with their own learning styles and strategies in order to move forward with this. In my case, I realized that simply reading the chapters didn't help me retain information at all. I needed to write things into my own words and make flash cards for myself to start understanding the information and applying it to my life. It also takes some effort from the teacher's side as well. Teachers can do their part by cherishing the learning strategies that the students bring to class as well as teaching them some new ones to try out. Once the teacher has done this, they need to step back and let the students try it on their own. "Spoon-feeding" the student every step of the way will not allow them to develop autonomy. Each student is going to have a different experience learning how to learn depending on the background that they have and the experiences that they bring with them, especially if they are in a new country with a new language. Once they begin to realize what works for them, this process should become natural.