Foreign Language Learning Beyond the Classroom: College Students’ Learner Autonomy in the Digital Times

In the digital times, learner autonomy or autonomous learning ability is increasingly crucial in a rapidly changing world due to the rapid advances of science and technology. Deemed as the core competence or core literacy of talents in the future world, learner autonomy or autonomous learning ability is the basis of life-long learning and is especially important in the mode of online learning, which was the dominant teaching mode during the pandemic of COVID-19 all over the world, and in the mode of blended teaching, which is the teaching mode commonly employed in universities across China at present. However, according to the research conducted by numerous scholars, autonomous learning ability of Chinese college students is relatively low, with unclear learning objectives, inadequate learning strategies, incompetence to utilize the already abundant learning resources. The present study explored the definition of learner autonomy, its connotations, theoretical bases, factors that affect learner autonomy and the methods to evaluate autonomous learning ability. Based on this, suggestions and pedagogical implications have been proposed, including improving college students’ self-efficacy, strengthening training in learning strategies and optimizing assessment methods.