ABSTRACT
Despite the several studies on autonomy in language learning in Brazil, a meta-study that reports on research practices in autonomy has yet to be developed. In this study, part of a compendium of writings that critically analyze developments and future avenues in this field, we present an exploratory review of studies undertaken over the last 20 years on learner and teacher autonomy development in Brazil, and we revisit our proposal of autonomy as a complex system. We intend to answer the following questions: do the research reports focus more on learning or on teaching autonomy? What definitions of autonomy are mentioned in these reports? What are the main theories that support autonomy research on learning and teaching second languages? Do the research reports approach different or similar aspects of autonomy? How do the findings in these investigations help to inform future studies in this field? To answer the questions, we will analyze publications from the four main journals in Applied Linguistics in Brazil – D.E.L.T.A, Trabalhos em Linguística Aplicada, Linguagem e Ensino, and Revista Brasileira de Linguística Aplicada. We hope to contribute to the discussions in this volume and fill a void in the literature on autonomy in Brazil.
