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2. Literature review 2.1 The concept of the autonomous learning Autonomy is the ability for students to study entirely on their own. It is not only responsibility for their own learning, but the right to determine the direction of their own learning. As Holec―a prominent figure in the field of autonomy, had defined, autonomy is ‘the ability to take charge of one’s own learning’. Autonomous learning is learning in which the learner’s capacity for autonomy is exercised and displayed. It is exhibited in various modes of learning, characterized by particular procedures and relationships between learners and teachers, which are self-directed. And it is the capacity for students to take charge of their own learning and is seen as a natural product of the practice of self-directed learning, or learning in which the objectives, progress and evaluation of learning are determined by the learners themselves. 2.2 The relevant research on autonomous learning in English class 2.2.1 Relevant research of autonomous learning abroad The idea of autonomy in language learning originated in the late 1960s and drew sustenance from the social and ideological changes of the time. In 1971, ‘autonomy’ first entered the field of language teaching through the Council of Europe’s Modern Languages Project. Then the traditional teaching style has been changed. Although the concept of autonomous learning was put forward in the 1980s, the highest research level appeared in the 1990s. Many western researchers published books to study autonomous learning. They gave some valuable suggestions in the field of teaching and different definitions to autonomous learning in this period. These definitions of autonomy have situated it within three major schools of thought: personal characteristic, political concept and educational practices. An example of viewing autonomy as an educational practice comes from Boud (1988) who suggests that, as well as being an educational goal, autonomy is an approach to educa