Books by Brian R Morrison
The Autonomy Approach presents an important departure from the theoretical discussions which unde... more The Autonomy Approach presents an important departure from the theoretical discussions which underpin the majority of work on learner autonomy. It introduces a practical perspective to self-directed language learning (teachable-learnable activities rooted in principles of learning), which draws on aspects of study skills and strategies as well as a variety of approaches, namely differentiated, individualised, self-directed, self-access and open-access learning.
With the autonomy approach, emphasis is placed on the support offered to learners within the classroom to help them effectively self-direct their own learning, beyond the classroom. The authors examine and explain the theory behind metacognitive knowledge and skills (the roots of successful learning-related endeavours), and support this with an extensive sequence of activities for the teacher and the learner to use – to help learners take the development of their language learning into their own hands. The activities in this book aim not to teach a language but rather, are focused on establishing within learners an awareness of the principle components involved in learning an additional language. These activities are meant to encourage learners (and teachers) to share, select and try out new ways of learning and to reflect on the effectiveness of what they have tried. Finally, the activities are suitable for developing a comprehensive self-directed language learning syllabus or for supplementing an existing course.
This book is intended for:
Language teachers and learning advisors.
Trainers involved in professional development.
Materials developers for self-access centres or distance education.
Language curriculum designers
The Autonomy Approach contains three distinctive parts which focus in turn on theory, practice and development:
Part A offers a detailed breakdown of the philosophy behind the Autonomy Approach. Clear rationales are established for promoting self-directed language learning, and teachers are invited to reflect on the benefits of having learners take more responsibility for their own learning.
Part B is packed with step-by-step activities to support learners through the development, implementation and modification of an emerging individualised learning plan.
Part C adds an additional layer of knowledge and includes strategies and resources to develop professional practice for language learning facilitators, promoting the idea that we should strive to learn and grow from our own experiences.
Papers by Brian R Morrison
Studies in Linguistics and Language Teaching, 2015
Songs are authentic resources that present potential opportunities for language learning and lang... more Songs are authentic resources that present potential opportunities for language learning and language practice. The accessibility of songs from around the world through streaming services and video websites such as Spotify and YouTube and the ubiquity of mobile devices potentially make songs a convenient resource for language learning. At Kanda University of International Studies, the emphasis on self-directed language learning to supplement class work and assignments is supported through the Self-Access Learning Centre. In advising sessions and written learning journals, songs are commonly identified by students as a resource for language learning. A previous RILS study concluded that songs are not lexically rich enough to be primary sources of input and must be supplemented with other materials (Morrison, 2012); nevertheless, the findings showed that the percentage of off-list word families in song lyrics was much higher than expected. This research therefore investigated the number of distinct word families and the frequency of these in individual songs, with the aim of providing information for students. Access to such data should allow students to make more informed choices when they select songs to supplement their language learning.
Morrison, B.R. (2015). A song-by-song lexical analysis of 500 English-medium songs popular in Japan. Studies in Linguistics and Language Teaching 25.
Songs are a common resource for learning English. In self-study modules and learning skills class... more Songs are a common resource for learning English. In self-study modules and learning skills classes for freshman and sophomore students delivered through the Self-Access Learning Centre at Kanda University of International Studies,
students regularly identify songs as a resource for learning, particularly in relation to improving vocabulary for listening or speaking to general conversation. Nevertheless, no research has established the suitability of songs as a primary resource for vocabulary building. Therefore, when teachers and learning advisors are confronted with learners choosing songs as their main resource, they are unable to offer advice based on sound principles. This research aims to investigate the suitability of song use by analyzing the lexis in a corpus of 500 English-medium songs popular in Japan.
Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) developed from the traditions of distance and self-access lea... more Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) developed from the traditions of distance and self-access learning, and are growing in popularity. As a new and exciting area of education, the potential of MOOCs to transform education by allowing free access to courses for anyone with
the access to technology and the internet has potential for teachers and learners to benefit from the courses offered. In this short article, three different perspectives on using MOOCs in educational contexts within Japan are discussed. The first describes a collaborative project in
which one of the authors participated in a MOOC alongside a group of language learners. In the next, individual students pursuing self-directed language learning chose MOOCs to meet their various goals of knowledge and skill development as they prepared to study abroad. Finally, this article considers the role of MOOCs in professional teacher development through the reflections from a teacher participant. All three discussions relate their ideas to the themes of possibility and potential, while considering practical issues for language learners and educators.
English Teaching Professional 92, pp. 4-7., May 2014
Self-directed language learning and learner autonomy are commonly mentioned in curricula, syllabu... more Self-directed language learning and learner autonomy are commonly mentioned in curricula, syllabuses and articles about teaching and learning. Sometimes these terms refer to what goes on during class but more and more they are being used to refer to what happens away from the classroom and away from the teacher. The reasons for seeking to promote this type of learning with your students seem obvious when you know that the students who make the most improvement are the ones who are making the best use of their language learning time in and outside the classroom. While we as teachers can have a lot of influence in class, what happens away from the classroom is in the students’ hands. Nevertheless, we can use time in class to offer our students guidance and feedback on what they do in their own time in pursuit of their language learning goals. My colleagues and I have adapted, developed and use frameworks for helping us to support our students in their self-directed language learning which are adaptable to many different teaching and learning environments. These are set out below.
Kanda University of International Studies (KUIS) in Japan is a specialist language university wit... more Kanda University of International Studies (KUIS) in Japan is a specialist language university with a purpose-built self-access centre, which is staffed and resourced to encourage out-of-class learning. This paper shows how support was developed to help students understand their selfdirected learning needs through the design and use of diagnostic framework worksheets (DFW).
Although learning advisors are often qualified teachers, the skills they apply, such as those dis... more Although learning advisors are often qualified teachers, the skills they apply, such as those discussed by Kelly (1996), require a significant shift in approach regarding interaction with students. As teachers reorient themselves to advising, their role changes quite markedly from teaching language to advising on learning (Mozzon-McPherson, 2001). This challenging move requires professional development training to support and ease the shift in professional roles (Hafner and Young, 2007). As part of the professional development for advisors at Kanda University of International Studies (KUIS) in Japan, advisors undertake a series of ‘observations’ where they record and reflect on advising sessions. An analysis of these reflections was undertaken with a view to identifying common themes which provide important insights and practical implications for teachers considering advising and those involved in professional development for educators. The findings of the study show that the skills most commonly referred to are goal-setting, guiding, questioning and attending. A further skill of negotiation of meaning was also observed as being important in successful advising sessions. A greater understanding of these skills can inform language teachers who take on learning advisor roles.
"This chapter is concerned with a university course which was designed to focus on self-directed ... more "This chapter is concerned with a university course which was designed to focus on self-directed learning, target-language development and empowerment of learners to make informed decisions about their own learning. The development of autonomy, defined by Holec (1980, p. 4) as “capable of taking charge of his own learning”, may well have been a positive consequence yet it was neither the principal aim nor the perceived outcome. In fact it seemed that these learners were not ready to take full responsibility for their learning; nevertheless, learners referred explicitly to how the course improved their language skills, their language learning skills and their understanding of available resources, while an analysis of their learning journals indicate a vast improvement in ability to select and undertake goal-appropriate language learning activities.
The chapter outlines the context, syllabus and course implementation of an elective self-directed language learning course for first-year Japanese university students. Change in language learning behavior that occurred as students implemented their individual learning plans (ILPs) outside the classroom was observed during document analysis of the learning journals of members of one class. The results suggest that even when these learners had an understanding of the principles discussed in class and used this knowledge to design an ILP, there were initially challenges breaking language learning habits which had been successful at high school but which were insufficient for achieving individual language learning goals."
The purpose of advising in language learning is to help learners to think more deeply about the l... more The purpose of advising in language learning is to help learners to think more deeply about the language learning process in order to become more autonomous language learners (Carson & Mynard, 2012). The advising process is negotiated through dialogue between a learner and an advisor and this interaction can often be facilitated by the use of various tools. In this paper, the authors who are all (past or present) learning advisors (LAs) at Kanda University of International Studies (KUIS) in Japan, begin by briefly outlining an underpinning theoretical framework for advising in language learning. The theoretical framework draws on both constructivist and sociocultural viewpoints. The authors then describe various tools that can be employed to facilitate the reflective processes.
Japanese education policy ensures that upon graduating from high school, 18-year-olds will have s... more Japanese education policy ensures that upon graduating from high school, 18-year-olds will have studied English for six years. If they have done well, they will have learned the vocabulary and grammar taught to them in class and this knowledge will have been applied successfully in gap-fill tests. Students who have gained high grades have thrived within this system. A Kanda University, which specializes in languages, receives new undergraduates every year who have been successful in this way. However, the English-only policy in this institute’s English language classes, assessment of skills rather than of grammar and vocabulary tests, and the greater independence expected of students can create a challenge for those who find the strategies that worked so well at high school are no longer fit for purpose. In recognition of this, the university promotes out-of-class learning with a purpose-built self-access centre, discussion areas, a writing centre, a practice centre and full-time learning advisors offering self-access learner-training courses and consultations. In 2010-11 a new elective taught course was piloted in an attempt to support students to become more effective language learners.
Learners studying for exams sometimes show a lack of awareness in their abilities as tested throu... more Learners studying for exams sometimes show a lack of awareness in their abilities as tested through the framework of that exam. Instead, such learners focus on the score obtained in exams, and exam preparation includes using textbooks, online materials and timed use of past papers. The purpose of exam-focused flexible self-directed learning modules (FSDLMs) at Kanda University of International Studies have been designed to address this by developing learners’ ability to identify their strengths and weaknesses, to make informed decisions about their own learning, and to improve their test-taking skills. Each FSDLM has at its core a diagnostic for learners to use for self-evaluation, often with guidance from a learning advisor. This process leads to the setting of clear goals and the development and implementation of an individual learning plan through a variety of dialogues. Learners have the potential to transfer this skill beyond examination preparation to other areas of learning. In other words, learners’ awareness of needs analysis, planning, implementation and evaluation is fostered with a view to developing their language learning ability within and beyond this module.
Keywords: self-directed learning, diagnostic assessment, goal setting, self-evaluation
Learners with seemingly adequate linguistic abilities sometimes write in ways that are inappropri... more Learners with seemingly adequate linguistic abilities sometimes write in ways that are inappropriate in particular situations. This impacts on the intended communicative purpose, and for exam takers, the outcome is underperformance. This paper outlines the development and implementation of a short distance writing course that was designed to improve writing through a genre-based approach to second language writing (K. Hyland, 2005) and evolved using good non-native writing samples as exemplar texts (Tribble, 2005) to draw attention to language, in this case for IELTS exam writing. A key element of the course was the submission of multiple drafts, thus allowing a dialogue to develop, which in turn encouraged participants to consider how to come closer to genre expectations of organization and structure as well as improving the accuracy and sophistication of their texts.
Talks by Brian R Morrison
Students who use songs as part of their self-directed language learning often show frustration at... more Students who use songs as part of their self-directed language learning often show frustration at being unable to decide on which songs to learn from prior to using song material. Using a corpus of 500 of the most popular English-medium karaoke songs in Japan, this study investigated (1) the individual lexical range of each of the songs (2) the Top 20 list of song lyrics with the greatest number of word families in the following categories: 1000 word range; 1001 - 2000 word range; AWL range; offlist range; total number of word families. Results of the study provide information that potentially allows students to make more informed choices based on lexical range when they select songs to supplement their language learning.
Songs are a common resource for learning English. The self-study modules and learning skills clas... more Songs are a common resource for learning English. The self-study modules and learning skills classes for freshman and sophomore students delivered through the SALC at KUIS regularly identify songs as a resource for learning, particularly in relation to improving vocabulary for listening or speaking to general conversation. Nevertheless, no research has established the suitability of songs as a resource. Therefore, when teachers and learning advisors are confronted with learners choosing songs as their main resource, they are unable to offer advice based on sound principles.
The aim of the research is to understand more about the lexical range and therefore appropriateness of popular songs for conversational purposes. Results of the study will provide some guidelines for learning advisors and teachers about the relative usefulness of songs and whether they are appropriate as principal resources of lexis for oral communication purposes.
At Kanda University in Japan, students are offered optional 8-week self-directed learning modules... more At Kanda University in Japan, students are offered optional 8-week self-directed learning modules. Each participant decides on specific language learning goals, writes a learning plan and keeps a reflective weekly learning journal. Over the course of these modules, all participants regularly receive written teacher feedback.
This presentation is a case study of an exceptional second year undergraduate learner based on a document analysis of her learning journals. This learner chose to focus on spoken communication, initially in conversations and later in discussions focused on literature - a topic not covered in any of her EFL classes. The strategies she employed are clearly identifiable and her success offers a model to consider when guiding other learners with goals related to spoken interaction.
"The Autonomy Approach has four principles, it is student-led, guided, focused and collaborative ... more "The Autonomy Approach has four principles, it is student-led, guided, focused and collaborative (Morrison, 2012; Morrison & Navarro, 2014). This presentation is based on a longitudinal case study where these principles were applied with a self-directed language learner at a Japanese university.
The undergraduate student in the study took 3 optional 8-week self-directed learning modules over 3 semesters in her first and second year at university. In each semester she decided on a specific language learning goal, wrote a learning plan and kept a reflective weekly learning journal. She received weekly feedback on her journal and met her learning advisor once a month. This learner chose to focus initially on critical essay writing and subsequently on more complex academic written texts, genres that were not covered in any of her EFL classes. A document analysis was carried out to identify the strategies she employed and how these evolved over each two-month period. Her success offers a model to consider when guiding other learners with literacy goals.
This presentation will outline the module she took and its implementation before considering how the learner developed her literacy, the challenges she faced and the strategies she selected to overcome these.
Morrison, B. R. & D. Navarro (2014). The Autonomy Approach. Peaslake: Delta Publishing.
Morrison, B.R. (2012). Learning lessons: Implementing the Autonomy Approach. In T. Pattison (Ed.). IATEFL 2011 Conference Selections, pp. 73-75. Canterbury: IATEFL."
The presentation outlines the design and implementation of an elective self-directed language lea... more The presentation outlines the design and implementation of an elective self-directed language learning course for first-year Japanese university students. The community of participants was fostered by encouraging the learners to reflect on and share their experience of language learning throughout the course when both developing and implementing an individual learning plan (ILPs). This was specifically undertaken to shift the perceived location of knowledge from the teacher to the learning community. A change in language learning behavior was observed during a document analysis of their learning journals. The results indicate that while there were initially challenges implementing ILPs, by the end of the course there was a vast improvement in learners’ abilities to select and undertake goal-appropriate language learning activities outside the classroom. This presentation will offer possible factors for this and propose guidance for educators interested in promoting self-directed learning.
At Kanda University, freshman students have the opportunity to take an optional 8-week self-direc... more At Kanda University, freshman students have the opportunity to take an optional 8-week self-directed learning module. Each module participant writes a learning plan and keeps a weekly learning journal. Over the course of the module, all participants receive regular feedback from their learning advisors. This presentation is a case study of one learner who chose to focus on critical essay writing as she developed her literacy in that particular genre. The strategies she employed are clearly identifiable and these evolved as she chose to move from a focus on accuracy to include structure and content over the two-month period.
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Books by Brian R Morrison
With the autonomy approach, emphasis is placed on the support offered to learners within the classroom to help them effectively self-direct their own learning, beyond the classroom. The authors examine and explain the theory behind metacognitive knowledge and skills (the roots of successful learning-related endeavours), and support this with an extensive sequence of activities for the teacher and the learner to use – to help learners take the development of their language learning into their own hands. The activities in this book aim not to teach a language but rather, are focused on establishing within learners an awareness of the principle components involved in learning an additional language. These activities are meant to encourage learners (and teachers) to share, select and try out new ways of learning and to reflect on the effectiveness of what they have tried. Finally, the activities are suitable for developing a comprehensive self-directed language learning syllabus or for supplementing an existing course.
This book is intended for:
Language teachers and learning advisors.
Trainers involved in professional development.
Materials developers for self-access centres or distance education.
Language curriculum designers
The Autonomy Approach contains three distinctive parts which focus in turn on theory, practice and development:
Part A offers a detailed breakdown of the philosophy behind the Autonomy Approach. Clear rationales are established for promoting self-directed language learning, and teachers are invited to reflect on the benefits of having learners take more responsibility for their own learning.
Part B is packed with step-by-step activities to support learners through the development, implementation and modification of an emerging individualised learning plan.
Part C adds an additional layer of knowledge and includes strategies and resources to develop professional practice for language learning facilitators, promoting the idea that we should strive to learn and grow from our own experiences.
Papers by Brian R Morrison
Morrison, B.R. (2015). A song-by-song lexical analysis of 500 English-medium songs popular in Japan. Studies in Linguistics and Language Teaching 25.
students regularly identify songs as a resource for learning, particularly in relation to improving vocabulary for listening or speaking to general conversation. Nevertheless, no research has established the suitability of songs as a primary resource for vocabulary building. Therefore, when teachers and learning advisors are confronted with learners choosing songs as their main resource, they are unable to offer advice based on sound principles. This research aims to investigate the suitability of song use by analyzing the lexis in a corpus of 500 English-medium songs popular in Japan.
the access to technology and the internet has potential for teachers and learners to benefit from the courses offered. In this short article, three different perspectives on using MOOCs in educational contexts within Japan are discussed. The first describes a collaborative project in
which one of the authors participated in a MOOC alongside a group of language learners. In the next, individual students pursuing self-directed language learning chose MOOCs to meet their various goals of knowledge and skill development as they prepared to study abroad. Finally, this article considers the role of MOOCs in professional teacher development through the reflections from a teacher participant. All three discussions relate their ideas to the themes of possibility and potential, while considering practical issues for language learners and educators.
The chapter outlines the context, syllabus and course implementation of an elective self-directed language learning course for first-year Japanese university students. Change in language learning behavior that occurred as students implemented their individual learning plans (ILPs) outside the classroom was observed during document analysis of the learning journals of members of one class. The results suggest that even when these learners had an understanding of the principles discussed in class and used this knowledge to design an ILP, there were initially challenges breaking language learning habits which had been successful at high school but which were insufficient for achieving individual language learning goals."
Keywords: self-directed learning, diagnostic assessment, goal setting, self-evaluation
Talks by Brian R Morrison
The aim of the research is to understand more about the lexical range and therefore appropriateness of popular songs for conversational purposes. Results of the study will provide some guidelines for learning advisors and teachers about the relative usefulness of songs and whether they are appropriate as principal resources of lexis for oral communication purposes.
This presentation is a case study of an exceptional second year undergraduate learner based on a document analysis of her learning journals. This learner chose to focus on spoken communication, initially in conversations and later in discussions focused on literature - a topic not covered in any of her EFL classes. The strategies she employed are clearly identifiable and her success offers a model to consider when guiding other learners with goals related to spoken interaction.
The undergraduate student in the study took 3 optional 8-week self-directed learning modules over 3 semesters in her first and second year at university. In each semester she decided on a specific language learning goal, wrote a learning plan and kept a reflective weekly learning journal. She received weekly feedback on her journal and met her learning advisor once a month. This learner chose to focus initially on critical essay writing and subsequently on more complex academic written texts, genres that were not covered in any of her EFL classes. A document analysis was carried out to identify the strategies she employed and how these evolved over each two-month period. Her success offers a model to consider when guiding other learners with literacy goals.
This presentation will outline the module she took and its implementation before considering how the learner developed her literacy, the challenges she faced and the strategies she selected to overcome these.
Morrison, B. R. & D. Navarro (2014). The Autonomy Approach. Peaslake: Delta Publishing.
Morrison, B.R. (2012). Learning lessons: Implementing the Autonomy Approach. In T. Pattison (Ed.). IATEFL 2011 Conference Selections, pp. 73-75. Canterbury: IATEFL."
With the autonomy approach, emphasis is placed on the support offered to learners within the classroom to help them effectively self-direct their own learning, beyond the classroom. The authors examine and explain the theory behind metacognitive knowledge and skills (the roots of successful learning-related endeavours), and support this with an extensive sequence of activities for the teacher and the learner to use – to help learners take the development of their language learning into their own hands. The activities in this book aim not to teach a language but rather, are focused on establishing within learners an awareness of the principle components involved in learning an additional language. These activities are meant to encourage learners (and teachers) to share, select and try out new ways of learning and to reflect on the effectiveness of what they have tried. Finally, the activities are suitable for developing a comprehensive self-directed language learning syllabus or for supplementing an existing course.
This book is intended for:
Language teachers and learning advisors.
Trainers involved in professional development.
Materials developers for self-access centres or distance education.
Language curriculum designers
The Autonomy Approach contains three distinctive parts which focus in turn on theory, practice and development:
Part A offers a detailed breakdown of the philosophy behind the Autonomy Approach. Clear rationales are established for promoting self-directed language learning, and teachers are invited to reflect on the benefits of having learners take more responsibility for their own learning.
Part B is packed with step-by-step activities to support learners through the development, implementation and modification of an emerging individualised learning plan.
Part C adds an additional layer of knowledge and includes strategies and resources to develop professional practice for language learning facilitators, promoting the idea that we should strive to learn and grow from our own experiences.
Morrison, B.R. (2015). A song-by-song lexical analysis of 500 English-medium songs popular in Japan. Studies in Linguistics and Language Teaching 25.
students regularly identify songs as a resource for learning, particularly in relation to improving vocabulary for listening or speaking to general conversation. Nevertheless, no research has established the suitability of songs as a primary resource for vocabulary building. Therefore, when teachers and learning advisors are confronted with learners choosing songs as their main resource, they are unable to offer advice based on sound principles. This research aims to investigate the suitability of song use by analyzing the lexis in a corpus of 500 English-medium songs popular in Japan.
the access to technology and the internet has potential for teachers and learners to benefit from the courses offered. In this short article, three different perspectives on using MOOCs in educational contexts within Japan are discussed. The first describes a collaborative project in
which one of the authors participated in a MOOC alongside a group of language learners. In the next, individual students pursuing self-directed language learning chose MOOCs to meet their various goals of knowledge and skill development as they prepared to study abroad. Finally, this article considers the role of MOOCs in professional teacher development through the reflections from a teacher participant. All three discussions relate their ideas to the themes of possibility and potential, while considering practical issues for language learners and educators.
The chapter outlines the context, syllabus and course implementation of an elective self-directed language learning course for first-year Japanese university students. Change in language learning behavior that occurred as students implemented their individual learning plans (ILPs) outside the classroom was observed during document analysis of the learning journals of members of one class. The results suggest that even when these learners had an understanding of the principles discussed in class and used this knowledge to design an ILP, there were initially challenges breaking language learning habits which had been successful at high school but which were insufficient for achieving individual language learning goals."
Keywords: self-directed learning, diagnostic assessment, goal setting, self-evaluation
The aim of the research is to understand more about the lexical range and therefore appropriateness of popular songs for conversational purposes. Results of the study will provide some guidelines for learning advisors and teachers about the relative usefulness of songs and whether they are appropriate as principal resources of lexis for oral communication purposes.
This presentation is a case study of an exceptional second year undergraduate learner based on a document analysis of her learning journals. This learner chose to focus on spoken communication, initially in conversations and later in discussions focused on literature - a topic not covered in any of her EFL classes. The strategies she employed are clearly identifiable and her success offers a model to consider when guiding other learners with goals related to spoken interaction.
The undergraduate student in the study took 3 optional 8-week self-directed learning modules over 3 semesters in her first and second year at university. In each semester she decided on a specific language learning goal, wrote a learning plan and kept a reflective weekly learning journal. She received weekly feedback on her journal and met her learning advisor once a month. This learner chose to focus initially on critical essay writing and subsequently on more complex academic written texts, genres that were not covered in any of her EFL classes. A document analysis was carried out to identify the strategies she employed and how these evolved over each two-month period. Her success offers a model to consider when guiding other learners with literacy goals.
This presentation will outline the module she took and its implementation before considering how the learner developed her literacy, the challenges she faced and the strategies she selected to overcome these.
Morrison, B. R. & D. Navarro (2014). The Autonomy Approach. Peaslake: Delta Publishing.
Morrison, B.R. (2012). Learning lessons: Implementing the Autonomy Approach. In T. Pattison (Ed.). IATEFL 2011 Conference Selections, pp. 73-75. Canterbury: IATEFL."
The explicit aim of the material is to foster students’ ability to identify their strengths and weaknesses thereby allowing them to make informed decisions about their own learning. By supporting learners’ self-evaluation through a diagnostic process and guiding them while they develop and implement an individual learning plan, students become more effective at reaching their goals.
Facilitated by a learning advisor and supported by their classmates, learners interact with their communities to make informed choices about all aspects of their own learning for both target languages. Learning is individualized yet the social element aids motivation, and collaboration allows for sharing and integration of others’ good practice. The outcomes are linked to a cycle of planning, implementation, evaluation and modification, where linguistic progress is genuinely relevant to each learner’s wants, interests and needs rather than a teacher’s perceptions of these.
This presentation will describe the course and how it could be applied by other teachers for any languages their students are learning.
Facilitated by a learning advisor and supported by the community of participants, classes of 20 choose what to study and how to study. Learners interact with their communities to make informed choices about resource use and to evaluate their own progress. Learning is individualized yet the social element aids motivation, and collaboration allows for sharing and integration of classmates’ good practice. Within this design there is the potential for 20 learners all to be going in different directions, however, the outcomes are linked to a cycle of planning, implementation, evaluation and modification, where linguistic progress is genuinely relevant to each learner’s wants, interests and needs rather than a teacher’s perceptions of these.
This workshop will briefly present the syllabus before allowing everyone to try out a selection of activities being successfully used on the course. At the end of the workshop there will be a brief discussion of the outcomes of the program from both learners’ and facilitators’ perspectives. Workshop participants will leave with practical ways of encouraging individualized learning and fostering autonomy, and an overview of the effect this course had on learners' attitudes and behaviour.
Facilitated by a learning advisor, learners choose what to study and how to study. Learners interact to make informed choices about resource use and to evaluate their own progress. Learning is individualized yet the social element aids motivation, and collaboration allows for sharing and integration of classmates’ good practice. Within this design there is the potential for all learners to be going in different directions, thereby leaving the facilitator with the feeling that he or she is herding cats. However, the outcomes are linked to a cycle of planning, implementation, evaluation and modification, where linguistic progress is genuinely relevant to each learner’s wants, interests and needs rather than a teacher’s perceptions of these.
This workshop will briefly present the syllabus before demonstrating a selection of activities being successfully used on the course.