Abstract:

The constant change in educational methodology has brought more independence in student’s learning process. Autonomy has been defined as “ the ability to take charge of one’s own learning” (Holec 1981:3). This ability takes time to develop specially in our Latin American educational context in which we have experienced mostly a teacher centered approach of learning. For decades teachers have set the rules of everything that happens in the classroom and little voice have been given to students. Recently this shift towards a more learner centered approach has gained popularity and many Language Centers have dived into this trend and have implemented Self Access Centers (SAC) to help students to become more independent learners. The present work is an attempt to understand how the students of the Language Center in Poza Rica, Veracruz , México experience their new roles as autonomous learners, how they feel during the different stages of their learning process and how they overcome the problems they encounter at the (SAC). The main purpose of this study was to give voice to the students who are experiencing a new learning environment different to anything that they have experienced before. I think their voices needed to be heard in order to help them more effectively not from our point of view or what we think is correct but from their own perspective.

Keywords:

Autonomy, tecnology, education.