Autonomy in a Resource-Poor Setting: Enhancing the Carnivalesque

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the significance of developing autonomy in a resource-poor classroom environment and introduces one approach to doing so. Lack of exposure to English prevents most learners in resource-poor settings in countries such as Sri Lanka from meeting the challenges of globalisation. Nation-wide programmes to teach the language have so far failed, as they do not address the circumstances under which these learners carry out their studies. This is why it is imperative to promote autonomy as a rescue strategy. In this connection, songs have been found to be highly effective learning materials. They can introduce a carnivalesque element into children’s learning efforts, helping to redefine the classroom as a place for recreation, harmonisation and socialisation, and attracting children to learning. In turn, this can help dispel frustration and learned helplessness, and children can develop optimal strategies for remembering, appropriating, and using without hesitation the new language they learn.