Reflective Dialogue: Advising in Language Learning

CELE Journal, 2017

Learner autonomy as a concept and as a desired outcome within the context of English language teaching has continued to rise to the forefront of research and practice over the past two decades, and has a place of prominence in nearly any university course description linked to education and/or language learning/teaching. A number of books and academic papers over the years have centred on theoretical perspectives and how the capacity for autonomous learning might be fostered in language learners

Studies in Self-Access Learning Journal, 2015

This paper is aimed at managers, teachers and advisors who are involved with language learner advising. It will first give a historic background to autonomy and advising (Benson & Voller, 1997; Crabbe, 1993; Holec, 1981) , then discuss what advising means and what skill set is required for this. The paper will also look at how autonomy is linked to advising, strategies for effective language learning (Oxford,1990), and self-regulation while using these strategies (Oxford, 2011; Ranalli, 2012; Rose 2012). It will then touch on more recent ideas around processes for helping students become more effective and more autonomous through advising (Mynard & Carson, 2012). Some practical approaches for advising (Kelly, 1996; Mozzon-McPherson, 2002 2007; Riley, 1997) will be referred to, as will the all-important differences between teaching and counselling approaches. Finally, the article will briefly discuss reflection as a useful professional development tool.

This volume contains a collection of selected papers from the “Advising for Language Learner Autonomy” conference held at Kanda University of International Studies (Japan) in November 2011. Advising in language learning (ALL) is a relatively new strand of applied linguistics, and the IATEFL Learner Autonomy Special Interest Group attempts to contribute to the emerging body of knowledge through the publication of this edited book. Themes explored in the book are: - The theory and practice of advising - The development of advising services - Classroom-based advising approaches - Advising for teacher education - Peer advising - Advising tools - The discourse of advising in language learning - Professional development for learning advisors

Towards advising for language teaching: expanding our understanding of language advising, 2019

2020

This study, funded by a Teaching Development Grant from The University of Hong Kong (HKU) in 2018, sought to examine the role of language advisers at the Centre for Applied English Studies (CAES) in (1) facilitating dialogue with students to enhance dialogic teaching and learning and (2) supporting learners through use of affect in English language advising. The idea of dialogue as central to advising has been advanced by Mynard’s (2012) ‘tool model’ (p. 35) in which dialogue refers to a psychological tool grounded in sociocultural theory that allows the learner to uncover their self through three stages: mediation, negotiation and transformation. This process relies on the 3 parts of the tool consisting of: a cognitive part for the learner e.g., guides.; a theoretical part for the adviser e.g., knowledge; and a practical component for the advising sessions e.g., space. These tools are therefore seen as being dependent on personal, physical and contextual dimensions. The term ‘Affect’ in the study refers to emotions, feelings, attitudes, beliefs and moods, which when used as a resource during language advising, can facilitate learning, especially because emotions have long been linked to cognition. In order to conduct the study, 15 advising dialogues were recorded, transcribed and coded to analyse the dialogic and affective components of language adviser and advisee interactions during formal advising sessions. This data was then triangulated with 10 learner and 8 adviser interviews, 8 adviser reflections, and 4 written peer reviews of advisers. Results show substantial evidence of a dialogic exchange between advisers and learners but suggest that advisers’ ability to reflect on different advising skills that they make use of can be limited. Data further demonstrate that advisers and their students both make significant use of emotional expressions in language advising discourse and advisers are generally attuned to learners’ feelings, which they respond to by empathising, encouraging, and mirroring or reflecting feelings. Additionally, advisers with a friendly and approachable disposition who listen carefully, offer encouragement, and smile more are generally viewed as being more effective. The fact that advisers are not always able to provide a comprehensive reflective account of the repertoire of dialogic and affective skills they use suggests that the use of these tacit skills needs to be made explicit through advising workshops and training programs. We hope that advisers can hone their skills through role play scenarios and videos produced as part of the deliverables of this project. We envisage that this handbook along with the set of videos produced on language advising can serve as a resource for not just language advisers, Communication Assistants, peer tutors, and teachers involved in group or one-on-one interactions with students, but also for academic advisers and dissertation supervisors in HKU as well as outside the University.

Keywords: advising, written feedback, self-directed learning Advising in language learning is being recognized as a growing field within second and foreign language teaching and applied linguistics, with two books devoted to its theory and practice over the last ten years (Mozzon-McPherson and Vismans, 2001;. According to : "advising in language learning involves the process and practice of helping students to direct their own paths so as to become more effective and more autonomous language learners" (p. 4). Promoting reflection on the language learning process is an indispensible part of this process.

The Self-access Learning Center (SALC) at Kanda University of International Studies (KUIS) offers a unique language advisory service provided by professional Learning Advisors. This service has grown out of the increasing interest in autonomous language learning at the university level education. In general, counseling skills are often used in language learning advising sessions as the skills required in counseling and advising are relatively similar. This research investigates the potential of Action-oriented Language Learning Advising (ALLA) to encourage learners to take action and deepen their understanding of their learning process.

Relay Journal, 2018

This paper contains the reflections of a novice advisor who had the opportunity to attend a thoroughly comprehensive four phase-training program, the first of which had the purpose of teaching the basics of advising (philosophy, strategies, knowledge, etc.) with hands-on practice. As for the practice, the trainees were assigned to have a practice session with a student near the end of the first phase at the Self-Access Learning Center (‘The SALC’) at Kanda University of International Studies (KUIS) in Japan, where the training itself took place.

System, 2007

This article describes a programme of autonomous language learning (ALMS) introduced at Helsinki University Language Centre in 1994. The programme was developed to encourage students to become actively involved in their own learning in terms of deciding what they need and wish to learn, setting goals and objectives, achieving these objectives, and reflecting upon and evaluating the outcomes. Learner support is offered in a variety of ways through the counselling system that is an essential element of the programme. The counsellors run the initial learner-awareness sessions in which the emphasis is on the learning process, strategies, needs and skills. They help the learners with their study plans and give guidance where necessary. They also meet the students in a series of oneon-one counselling sessions that foster individual contact and learner-counsellor dialogue. The ALMS programme draws from and feeds on continuous collaborative action-research projects, which address practices seen to be problematic on the basis of learner feedback or counsellor experience.