What is it?

Autonomous learning not only helps us develop our language skills, but it also helps us improve our personal organisation skills, which is useful in all aspects of our lives.

Taking a language course in which the learning process is "planned” by a teacher may appear easier, but a self-study path complements this process, especially if a teacher-led course is limited to a certain number of language skills (e.g. grammar or conversation courses).

Anyone can learn autonomously with sufficient motivation. The desire to learn is the best form of motivation, you simply need to find the right learning method for your own personal style and identify your availability and personal needs.

A successful self-study process requires careful planning that takes account of your needs and aims, regularly assessing progress made and difficulties encountered while continually adjusting the learning strategy. Without this you risk unnecessary wasting of time and resources.
Answering a few questions may be useful for your study programme:

What do I want to learn?

It is important to think about why you want to learn a language, in order to define more concrete aims (e.g. for work, to gain a language qualification, for travelling abroad, etc.) and to identify your priorities, for example certain specific language skills (reading comprehension, oral expression, etc.).

What resources do I need?

It is important to choose tools which correspond to your predetermined aims and interests, while being both pleasant and motivational.
Some tips:

• many of the materials available on the shelves of the Multilingual Centre and the Multimedia Language Centre are suitable for those studying languages autonomously (to catalogue);
• many resources are also available free online;
• essential help can be provided by native speakers, whether acquaintances or staff at language centres, and, in particular references and language tutors;
• initiatives such as Voluntariat per les llengües, Tandem, or Language café provide an opportunity to converse in a pleasant, informal context.

When and how often?

Consider the duration of your learning path and the amount of time you can dedicate to studying (half an hour a day, twice a week, etc.), in this way study time becomes a habit.

What can help me?

• Finding the right learning style will help you study more effectively. Information and tests concerning learning styles can be found here.
• Knowledge of your language level can also help you study. Self-assessment tools for this purpose are available online:  Europass, Goethe Verlag and Testpodium 
• Periodic progress evaluation, through self-assessment tests (see above) and a meeting with a language tutor.
• The creation of a learning diary helps you to follow through your learning step-by-step, understanding the way you personally learn.

Here is some advice on how to use the various resources at the Multilingual Centre and the Multimedia Language Centre in an autonomous way!

You learn everywhere: on the street, watching a film, chatting with others… it also depends on the resources chosen.

The Multilingual Centre in Bolzano and the Multimedia Language Centre in Merano provide technologies, resources, staff and knowledge designed to accompany users in learning one or more languages autonomously.

Success in autonomous learning depends essentially on learners' constancy and ability to capitalise on their mistakes in order to learn in a more targeted and conscious way. 

Success comes from careful observation, critical reflection and sincere evaluation. 

It is, therefore, fundamentally important:

• to be realistic in your objectives;
• not to be afraid of making mistakes but learn from them;
• to be open to new learning methods;
• to keep your desire to learn alive and not be discouraged in the face of obstacles

Videos in Italian:

• Maria Giovanna Tassinari - Selbstlernzentrum Freie Universität Berlin
• Lorenzo Zanasi - Eurac Research Bolzano

Articles on the subject of autonomous learning:

• Autonomia nell'apprendimento delle lingue straniere. Una revisione della letteratura. M. Montanaro, Milano University Press 
• Le reti sociali come contesto informale nell’apprendimento della lingua straniera. S. Torsani, Educazione Linguistica, Edizioni Ca' Foscari
• Online and Mobile-Assisted Language Learning I.M. Omnia, O. Al-Jadaan an, Level Up! Exploring Gamification's Impact on Research and Innovation 
• From Language Teachers to Language Learning Advisors: A Journey Map M. Mozzon-McPherson, M.G. Tassinari, Philologia hispalensis 
• New approaches on learner autonomy in language learning Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences O. Yagcioglu
• Studies in self-access learning  SiSAL Journal  

Some other useful suggestions:

• Sprachzentrum der Humboldt Universität Berlin - Tipps zum selbstständigen Sprachenlernen  (in German)
• Sprachenzentrum der Freien Universität Berlin - Lernen zu lernen  (in German)
• Il sito del Learner Autonomy Special Interest Group  (in English)
• Autonomous Language Learning Modules  at Helsinki University Language Centre, Finland (in inglese)
• Sprachheld Die 11 bekanntesten (und besten) Methoden, um eine neue Sprache zu lernen! (in German)

And finally... dedication and hard work! Download our free brochure here 10+1 consigli per imparare una lingua (available in Italian), created in conjunction with cartoonist Fabio Vettori.