Incorporating A Learner Development Programme into A Self-access Centre in A University in Southern Taiwan

It has been pointed out that Taiwanese university students tend to be teacher dependent and not given enough opportunity to make decisions on their own learning when it comes to learning a foreign language (Chu, 2007; Cheng, 2006; Cheng, 2007; Cheng, 2008; Lin, 2009). Moreover, although more and more Taiwanese universities have established self-access centres, the facility is not widely used by students (Cheng 2008; Cheng 2007). This paper, therefore, proposes that integrating a learner development programme into a self-access centre in a Taiwanese university can be a solution to the issues mentioned above. This paper begins with an introduction of the main purposes of this paper and a description of Taiwanese university students in general. The second chapter reviews the literature on the concept of learner autonomy, reasons of promoting autonomy, the concept of learner development (or learner training, learning how to learn, etc.) and self-access centre. Following the literature review the third chapter gives an account of the context where this learner development programme is suggested to be implemented, the design of this programme and the rationales involved, the procedures of conducting this programme and the rationales involved and finally ends with a discussion on the anticipated problems and possible solutions to these problems. The concluding chapter suggests some implications for Taiwanese EFL teachers and language programme designers to consider