Can learners of English choose their own materials to learn from? Should they do so? English in Deprived Circumstances: Maximising Learner Autonomy is a narrative of how learners learn when they take charge of what they read, listen to or write. The author makes a case for learner autonomy from her experiences with fifteen first generation learners, working children attending a non-formal afternoon school, and a group of adult learners from outside India. Key issues discussed:- Autonomy and authenticity in language learning- What is authentic for deprived learners?- Emergent features of learner-chosen texts- Assessment of acquisition- A new approach to the choice of materials