The Autonomy Approach presents an important departure from the theoretical discussions which underpin the majority of work on learner autonomy. It introduces a practical perspective to self-directed language learning (teachable-learnable activities rooted in principles of learning), which draws on aspects of study skills and strategies as well as a variety of approaches, namely differentiated, individualised, self-directed, self-access and open-access learning.

With the Autonomy Approach, emphasis is placed on students being supported in class to learn at their own pace, away from the classroom in other words, self-directing their own learning. The authors examine and explain the theory behind metacognitive knowledge and skills, and support this with an extensive sequence of activities for the teacher and the learner to use to help learners take the development of their language learning into their own hands. The activities in this book aim not to teach a language but, rather, to raise awareness of different aspects of language learning, to encourage learners (and teachers) to share, select and try out activities, and to reflect on the effectiveness of what they have tried. The activities are suitable for developing a self-directed learning course or for supplementing an existing course.