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This book examines how autonomy in language learning is fostered and constrained in social settings through interaction with others and various contextual features. With theoretical grounding, the authors discuss the implications for practice in classrooms, distance education, self-access centres, as well as virtual and social learning spaces.

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1. Introduction: Exploring the Social Dimensions of Autonomy in Language Learning; Garold Murray PART I: THE EMOTIONAL DIMENSION 2. Developing Autonomous Language Learners in HE: A Social Constructivist Perspective; Christine O´Leary 3. Learner Autonomy and the Theory of Sociality; Tim Lewis 4. Self-regulation and Autonomous Dependency Among Japanese Learners of English; Tomoko Yashima PART II: THE SPATIAL DIMENSION 5. The Semiotics of Place: Autonomy and Space; Garold Murray, Naomi Fujishima and Mariko Uzuka 6. ´Facebook me´ within a Global Community of Learners of English: Technologizing Learner Autonomy; Alice Chik and Stephan Breidbach 7. Autonomy, Social Interaction and Community: A Distant Language Learning Perspective; Linda Murphy 8. Meeting the Autonomy Challenge in an Advanced Spanish Listening ClasS; Diego Mideros and Beverly-Anne Carter PART III: THE POLITICAL DIMENSION 9. Autonomy, Complexity and Networks of Learning; Liliane Sade 10. The Ecology of Learner Autonomy; David Palfreyman 11. Social Class and Autonomy: Four Case Studies in a Mexican SAC; Desirée Castillo Zaragoza 12. Local Engagements Enhancing Practitioner Action and Knowledge for Learner Development and Autonomy within a Collaborative Teachers´ Network; Andy Barfield Conclusion: Autonomy in Language Learning as a Social Construct; Garold Murray

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"The book is conistently insightful and the wide range of topics and perspectives on these topics makes it a sophisticated reading ´adventure´ for all those who are willing to immerse themselves in the field of autonomy." - Independence

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Andy Barfield, Chuo University, Japan Stephan Breidbach, Humboldt-Universität, Berlin Beverly-Anne Carter, University of the West Indies St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago E. Desirée Castillo Zaragoza, Universidad de Sonora, Mexico Alice Chik, City University of Hong Kong, China Naomi Fujishima, Okayama University, Japan Tim Lewis, Open University, UK Diego Mideros Camargo, University of the West Indies St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago Linda Murphy, Open University, UK Christine O´Leary, Sheffield Hallam University, UK David M. Palfreyman, Zayed University, UAE Liliane Assis Sade, Federal University of SÆo JoÆo del-Rei, Brazil Mariko Uzuka, Okayama University, Japan Tomoko Yashima, Kansai University, Japan

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