Date: April 29th 2008

On Mon, 28 Apr 2008 11:11:48 -0400, M.S.Hurd wrote

> I've found in my own studies that distance
> learners have a very strong tendency to blame themselves for anything
> they regard as negative - uncertainty, confusion, anxiety etc. - the
> 'It's just me' syndrome. They also indicate high levels of guilt when
> they address some of these by, for example, consulting the answer keys
> or checking the transcript. It's almost as if you can only really
> succeed if you make it really hard for yourself - anything else is
> tantamount to cheating!

What is this cheating of which you speak? :-)

> I've also been surprised at the low frequency of affective strategy use
> to control emotions - cognitive and metacognitive strategies have been
> used far more in the studies I have carried out, reinforcing, perhaps,
> that inextricable link between cognition and affect.

I agree that it is the cognition-affect link that makes language learning
and teaching so interesting. It is an emotional roller coaster ride.

It is good that this is now being recognized, even if not by the learners
themselves.

However I don't see what the link is between affect and learner autonomy.
It seems that most of the definitions of learner autonomy follow a
rationalist interpretation of the world. Perhaps this is a failing. Or
perhaps it is a strength.

Some of the words eg, 'detachment, critical reflection, decision-making,
and independent action' (Little) suggest a distancing from emotion.

If autonomy is a social concept, conflict (something that is associated
with autonomy) is an emotional issue, but if it is a psychological concept,
then what form does the affect-autonomy link take?