The Problematic Panacea: Conflict in an Autonomous Learning Environment

As a language teacher, there is nothing more satisfying than to witness one’s students engaged in active and lively discussion with minimal teacher interference. However, looks can be deceiving, and even within what appears to be equal participation, tensions and conflicts can emerge among participants. If a teacher’s gradual withdrawal from the learning process is considered the ultimate goal of autonomous leaning pedagogy, how then can educators ascertain what is actually occurring in student-directed communicative tasks? In this study I examine a semi-autonomous EFL learning environment where students were left alone to complete a communication task. With no teacher present, students were left to negotiate break-downs and repairs on their own. The transcript data shows that a "boss" figure emerged to direct the task and effectively stifle meaningful input from co- participants. The data also shows that without a teacher present to facilitate the task, some students were dominated, marginalized and, in one example, brought to tears.