Autonomy: a Requirement in the Education of Teachers of Languages for Specific Purposes

Authors

  • Niura Maria Fontana Universidade de Caxias do Sul, Caxias do Sul, Brasil

Keywords:

autonomy, teacher education, autonomy factors, autonomy construction

Abstract

Autonomy, seen as a sociocognitive competence to think and act through one’s own resources, is an essential requirement in the education of teachers of languages for specific purposes, due to the typical characteristics of the approach. The building-up of autonomy comprises several inter-related factors: awareness raising, critical reflection, appropriation of theoretical and methodological knowledge, decision making, and self-management of the knowledge presupposed in the competence of teaching languages for specific purposes. Within this context, knowledge appropriation and construction emerge as factors with a strong impact on the education of the autonomous teacher, a teacher who is able to create and implement courses of study and subjects for specific purposes.

Author Biography

Niura Maria Fontana, Universidade de Caxias do Sul, Caxias do Sul, Brasil

Niura Maria Fontana is a Professor in the Department of Letters at Universidade de Caxias do Sul, RS. She works as teacher educator and develops research on reading and reading materials for the tertiary level. Her interests include teacher education, reading as a social practice, reading materials and discourse genre.

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Issue

Vol. 29 (2008): Especial

Section

Papers

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