On the Role of Self-Access Learning in the English TeachingAbstract After having compared the differences between the traditional English teaching and the self-access learning, this paper objectively analyses the disadvantages of the traditional English teaching and the advantages of the self-access learning, and then emphasizes the necessity of the existence of the self-access learning. Afterwards, this paper holds that teacher should foster students some specific abilities of the self-access learning. Meanwhile, teacher implements the self-access learning in the practical teaching, which creates the conditions for students future study.Key words Self-access learning; English teaching; fostering ability自主学习在英语教学中的地位 摘要 本文通过传统英语教学和自主学习的对比研究, 客观分析传统英语教学的缺点和自主学习的优点, 从而突出自主学习存在的必要性, 然后进一步阐述教师如何培养学生的自主学习能力, 并在实际教学中贯彻自主学习, 为学生未来学习创造条件.关健词 自主学习; 英语教学; 培养能力 1. IntroductionAs we know, today the information technology is the main sign of the science and technology which make progress each day in todays world. Although students have learned the latest knowledge at school, this knowledge will be out of date fast and can not benefit lifelong. How to solve this problem becomes the reality which every educational worker has to be confronted with. Since students want to master the new knowledge continually all their lives and adapt to the demand of the informational and learning society, it is necessary for school to aim at the development of students and to foster students abilities of the self-access learning. Therefore, it is the demand of society and the need of the era for us to foster students self-access learning.2. Comparison Between the Traditional English Teaching and the Self-access LearningEnglish teaching has been around for many centuries, and over centuries, it has changed. In history, there are two teaching models, i.e. the traditional one and the modern one. Now lets compare them.2.1 Traditional English Teaching Model and its DisadvantagesAll teachers and students are used to the traditional English teaching model for long. However, as time flies on, the traditional English teaching has exposed its disadvantages day by day.2.1.1 Traditional English Teaching ModelDue to the early influences of the Confucian school education and the former Soviet Union teaching model, the traditional English teaching model is teacher-centered. According to this, teacher delivers or crams the teaching contents to students in terms of writing the knowledge on the blackboard and asks students to follow the teacher. As the master of the knowledge, teacher monitors the whole class, controls the process of teaching, puts to use “preaching” teaching approach, and unifies the teaching pace. In class, teacher pays attention to the language form mainly. Teacher narrates the knowledge points by cramming mainly and arranges the teaching material following the conventional procedures. Beside, they think that teaching materials are the textbooks and finishing the teaching materials are equal to finish the teaching task. As to students, they have adapted to “cramming” and “nursing” teaching approaches for long. In class, they concentrate on listening to teacher and make notes carefully and seriously. After class, they are busy reciting vocabulary and grammar. Sometimes, they actively answer the teachers questions but they seldom ask the teacher the doubt points they do not understand; and they should finish the assigned homework earnestly without finding other information to consolidate their knowledge and enlarge their minds. They stay in a passive stage to accept the knowledge what teacher teaches and do not involve in learning actively and lively.In a word, the traditional English teaching follows a fixed model: Teacher teaches the textbook and speaks all the time while students listen to teacher and sit still and recite.2.1.2 Disadvantages of the Traditional English TeachingTraditional teacher-centered English teaching approach is deep-rooted in China and has many merits; meanwhile, it has at least the following disadvantages.First, it stresses on teaching, but ignores learning. In the traditional English teaching approach, teacher only pays attention to cram the contents of the knowledge into students. However, he neglects the fostering of the learning methods, which makes many students in a passive position to receive the knowledge. For the lack of the learning methods, it certainly affects students participation and activeness in learning.Second, it stresses on instructing, but ignores discovering. In the traditional English teaching approach, teacher blindly teaches the knowledge of the textbook to students gradually and does not let students discover and solve the problems by themselves, which make students become much more dependent on teacher and textbook and get into a habit of the laziness of thinking and the cognition of attending learning activities passively.Third