In the field of teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL), much empirical research has investigated learner and teacher autonomy, agency, and identity. Yet, little prior research has focused on the interplay between autonomy, agency, and identity. The present book under review offers a better understanding of how those notions are closely intertwined. Structurally, the book comprises one introductory chapter and eight core chapters. The introductory chapter explains the background and gives a brief overview of the entire contents of the book. Throughout the book, Feng Teng explores the challenges the ESOL teachers faced in their teaching-learning process and elucidates the ways to counter such challenges.
The first two chapters describe the theory of the autonomy of teaching and critical learning. Feng Teng presents a complete summary of various aspects of teaching EFL and explains learner autonomy (LA) based on different perspectives of scholars such as political development, social development, sociolinguistics, cognitive psychology, metacognition, and motivation. Lastly, the reflection on autonomy is conceptualized as an attribute of social individuals. It is not only in the capacities of learners but also in the context of their interactions with others, and the teacher must teach students to become independent learners (see chapter 1). The second chapter focuses on teacher autonomy as professional development, and comprises two approaches, namely, action research and professional practice reflection. The author gives a comprehensive theory with a clear model which facilitates the reader in comprehending these notions and attempts to respond to the limited discussion for fostering teacher autonomy. It is supplemented with the author’s teaching reflection as an empirical explanation of teacher autonomy.
Following the great explanations of autonomy for teachers and learners, the next chapters (chapters 3 and 4) point out the identity of teachers and learners in Foreign Language Education. Feng Teng gives a clear review of how learners’ identity affects the effectiveness and outcomes of their language learning (see chapter 3). Through the theoretical explanations and reflections, the author shows some factors that influence learners’ identity and suggests that teachers, administrators, curriculum designers, and policymakers should be willing to be more aware of the issues that may be faced by students when adapting to a new learning community. In chapter 4, the author reveals the complex interaction between teacher identity, teacher autonomy, communities of practice, and affordances. It is presented in a complete and accessible way along with tables and pictures which can provide a theoretical basis to research such issues.
The author examines the complexity between learner agency and teacher agency in teaching foreign languages in chapter 5. Taking on the discussion in chapter 5, the author reveals that finding learner and teacher agency problems is important, considering those situations in which there are constant calls for learning institutions to improve and teaching institutions to control their teaching. Chapter 6 focuses on exploring the structural and internal issues of teacher autonomy, the behavior of teacher agents, and how their professional identity is constructed. After conducting several surveys related to the interconnections between autonomy, agency, and identity, the author found several factors in their complex interconnections. These factors influence the interrelationship between teacher autonomy, agency, and identity in foreign language education.
In the last two chapters (chapters 7 and 8), Feng Teng focuses on English lecturers’ and EFL learners’ identity change. The author did an empirical study investigating how university English lecturers in mainland China construct their identity through professional development experiences including teaching, doing research, and doing academic service (see chapter 7). Drawing on a case study method, the research is presented comprehensively and understandably, complete with the data extract displaying the multiple, dynamic, complex, multi-dimensional, and conflicting processes of participants’ identity constructions and describing the various personal, institutional, and social factors that determine their identity. Besides providing the lecturers’ perspective, the author also provides his study on how EFL learners perceive their identity continuity and change during the learning process (see chapter 8). This research presents information on how students shape and re-shape their identity whilst learning English which is useful for teachers and policymakers concerned about their need to establish a good English curriculum and learning activities. Through these empirical studies, the author depicts the complete perspective of two different agents which is quite helpful for the reader to understand the topic.
All in all, this book is a useful reference for language researchers and practitioners who are interested in looking at the role of learner and teacher autonomy, agency, and identity in mediating language learning and teaching processes. Despite its merits in describing these notions and the relationships between them, we would consider additional numbers of participants to provide more robust empirical data to support the author’s claims. Empirically, this book can be the point of departure for language researchers who would like to experiment with the ideas presented in the book.