Developing Critical Awareness and Regaining Personal Agency

This chapter explores autonomous language learning in the digital wilds, focusing on how learners cultivate critical awareness and regain personal agency during this journey. It delves into the nuances of language learning beyond traditional classroom settings. Drawing on the experiences of two case studies, Yu and Lei, the chapter illustrates how these 2 autonomous language learners in China are able to use language learning as a tool to navigate and challenge sociopolitical constraints, thus achieving their personal aspirations. Yu and Lei&s;s stories reveal that language learning in the digital wilds is not just about linguistic gains but serves as an empowering instrument for personal growth. By strategically utilizing digital resources and making decisions, both learners demonstrate how language learning can transcend linguistic objectives to foster criticality and global citizenship. The chapter connects these experiences to the concept of liberatory autonomy, advocating for a language education paradigm that goes beyond conventional teaching methods. It underscores the importance of fostering critical awareness and empowering learners to evaluate and reflect on their relationship with the world. Through these insights, the chapter contributes to understanding the transformative power of autonomous language learning in fostering personal liberation and critical engagement in a globalized, digitized environment..

Agency (philosophy) · Sense of agency · Social science · Sociology · Critical Realism in Sociology · Emotional Labor in Professions · Interdisciplinary Cultural and Social Studies · Psychology · Social Psychology