Introduction

The 40th anniversary of the pioneer publication on autonomy by Henri Holec – Autonomy and Foreign Language Learning – was the motto for setting up a collection of papers on present and future avenues for theory, research, and practice in the field. Language education for autonomy is a complex field of inquiry that requires ongoing investigation and practical explorations. Groupe de Recherche en Pedagogie was later asked to direct the first language laboratories created at the Languages faculty in 1962 and to support other new adult language courses offered to university and non-university students, including migrants. All these developments, along with the continued involvement of both Chalon and Holec in the Council of Europe’s initiatives, led to the official establishment of CRAPEL in 1969. The also presents an overview on the key concepts discussed in this book.