This research explores the beliefs of students, teachers and senior administrators have about language learning autonomy and students self-learning, autonomy or independent learning (SAIL) in a higher education. It explores the autonomy students have in the institution and the role of the context in this. The research describes participants' language learning understandings and identifies students' SAIL in the institution. It shows how the understanding of learning has been influenced by the practice of an institution trying to promote SAIL. The study discusses the understanding of language learning by students, teachers and authorities and the differences and similarities of these understandings. It shows how the participants' views of language learning reflects the practice they have in the institution on the promotion of self-learning, autonomy or independent learning. It discusses students' knowledge and awareness about their role in language learning autonomy and the influences that the learning context and educational background has in the exercise of language learning autonomy. The learning environment created by the university has an effect on SAIL in language learning. How far learner autonomy is supported or obstructed in the university depends partly on the imposition of explicit regulations and also the beliefs about language and language learning held by learners, teachers and senior administrators.The study was carried out through a rigorous qualitative analysis of the data obtained from interviews, focus group with students, teachers and authorities, class observations and institutional document analysis. The setting of the study was in a 15 year old higher education institution in the southeast of Mexico, one of the youngest public universities in the country, which claims to promote self-learning, autonomy or independent learning. Findings are discussed within the theoretical framework of the definition of autonomy in language learning and the research on the promotion of language learning autonomy.