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This paper offers a language‐awareness perspective on the concept of autonomy in second language learning. The introductory section distinguishes between two kinds of language awareness and elaborates a working definition of learner autonomy. The second section looks at child development and the role played by both kinds of language awareness in first language acquisition. It considers in turn the importance of context in developmental learning, the role played by the growth of metalinguistic knowledge in first‐language acquisition, and the impact of literacy on first language development. The third section is concerned with the role played by both kinds of language awareness in second language pedagogy. It begins by reflecting on the shortcomings of the grammar‐translation approach, then suggests reasons for the relative failure of the so‐called communicative approach, and ends by proposing a reassessment of the role of writing in second language learning.
