Self-access language learning
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Recent papers in Self-access language learning
This study has illustrated how a long-term ethnographic approach of archiving data and profiling its key participants represents an effective means of revealing perceptions of a new Self-Access Learning Center (SALC) within a university... more
This study has illustrated how a long-term ethnographic approach of archiving data and profiling its key participants represents an effective means of revealing perceptions of a new Self-Access Learning Center (SALC) within a university in Japan. This on-going process of conducting qualitative interviews and conversational narratives with center staff, accompanied by student questionnaires, has required methodological reduction of the large amount of ensuing data. Such a process is achieved by a combination of
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crystallization of themes emerging from dialogues, and analysis of questionnaire data from various perspectives. This methodology reflects the researchers‘ wishes to investigate the self-access center where they work in a manner more locally situated, co-constructive and, importantly, in one which accords voice and agency to peripheral SALC stakeholders. As a study for the purpose of the continuous improvement of practice, the triangulated methodology employed to gather and analyze data can be adopted by other self-access centers seeking a rich, diverse body of evidence and an analytical framework to respond to the pedagogical and institutional environment where they operate.
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crystallization of themes emerging from dialogues, and analysis of questionnaire data from various perspectives. This methodology reflects the researchers‘ wishes to investigate the self-access center where they work in a manner more locally situated, co-constructive and, importantly, in one which accords voice and agency to peripheral SALC stakeholders. As a study for the purpose of the continuous improvement of practice, the triangulated methodology employed to gather and analyze data can be adopted by other self-access centers seeking a rich, diverse body of evidence and an analytical framework to respond to the pedagogical and institutional environment where they operate.
This book chapter discusses the opportunities offered by internet television, its pitfalls and the strategies that teachers and learners may use to maximise its benefits to L2 vocabulary acquisition.
This article investigates the validity of the suggestion that internet television can facilitate EFL learners’ acquisition of formulaic sequences (FSs). A quantitative study was conducted to examine the extent to which FS use on internet... more
This article investigates the validity of the suggestion that internet television can facilitate EFL learners’ acquisition of formulaic sequences (FSs). A quantitative study was conducted to examine the extent to which FS use on internet television reflects FS use in the everyday speech of English-speaking communities. The study compares the distribution of FSs in a 7.68 million-word corpus of internet television (the iTV corpus) with that in the spoken component of the British National Corpus (BNC). The results confirm the validity of using internet television as a resource for the acquisition of FSs that are highly frequent in everyday speech. The fact that the frequency at which FSs appear on internet television is directly proportional to that in everyday speech suggests that internet television might help EFL learners establish an accurate intuition about the frequency of use of FSs, which is shown to be missing by previous corpus studies. The article also provides suggestions about the choice of internet television programmes based on the extent to which the distribution of FSs in each iTV subcorpus is similar to that of the spoken component of the BNC.
Plenary talk at EICA, Mexico City, August 2016. The field of self-access language learning has come a long way since SACs first started to appear in the 1970s. Supporting language learners via self-access centres now spans five decades,... more
Plenary talk at EICA, Mexico City, August 2016.
The field of self-access language learning has come a long way since SACs first started to appear in the 1970s. Supporting language learners via self-access centres now spans five decades, but what have we learned in that time? Many colleagues have actively responded to technological and pedagogical innovations and engaged in research enabling us to better understand our learners, their needs, and how to support them in self-access contexts. In my presentation I would first like to acknowledge the progress we have made so far in the field. This will lead to an expanded definition of self-access learning. I will then propose several recommendations - with practical examples - for the coming years in order for us to build on what we have learned, yet adapt to the changing needs of language learners.
The recommendations will include:
• drawing upon technological advances that impact language learning to leverage them for self-access use,
• increasing the social dimensions of self-access centres,
• further developing our skills and knowledge of advising in language learning,
• considering appropriate names for our facilities.
• focusing on learner-led approaches to running self-access centres,
• paying attention to affective factors related to self-directed learning, and
• evaluating and researching our practice.
The field of self-access language learning has come a long way since SACs first started to appear in the 1970s. Supporting language learners via self-access centres now spans five decades, but what have we learned in that time? Many colleagues have actively responded to technological and pedagogical innovations and engaged in research enabling us to better understand our learners, their needs, and how to support them in self-access contexts. In my presentation I would first like to acknowledge the progress we have made so far in the field. This will lead to an expanded definition of self-access learning. I will then propose several recommendations - with practical examples - for the coming years in order for us to build on what we have learned, yet adapt to the changing needs of language learners.
The recommendations will include:
• drawing upon technological advances that impact language learning to leverage them for self-access use,
• increasing the social dimensions of self-access centres,
• further developing our skills and knowledge of advising in language learning,
• considering appropriate names for our facilities.
• focusing on learner-led approaches to running self-access centres,
• paying attention to affective factors related to self-directed learning, and
• evaluating and researching our practice.
This paper is a brief summary of an ethnographic research project currently in progress. Although the authors plan to present multiple papers based on the research, this paper has been written with the purpose of documenting progress so... more
This paper is a brief summary of an ethnographic research project currently in progress. Although the authors plan to present multiple papers based on the research, this paper has been written with the purpose of documenting progress so far. The main aims are to keep colleagues informed and to ensure that all of the steps are recorded to aid future dissemination of the findings.
The authors summarize a project which started in June 2017 and will continue for several years observing student behaviors occurring in one social learning space in the Self-Access Learning Center (SALC) at Kanda University of International Studies (KUIS).
The authors summarize a project which started in June 2017 and will continue for several years observing student behaviors occurring in one social learning space in the Self-Access Learning Center (SALC) at Kanda University of International Studies (KUIS).
This research aims to understand how students use English at the Self Access Learning Center (SALC) at Kanda University of International Studies (KUIS). Specifically, the research is focused on the second floor of the SALC which is... more
This research aims to understand how students use English at the Self Access Learning Center (SALC) at Kanda University of International Studies (KUIS). Specifically, the research is focused on the second floor of the SALC which is intended to be an English only space. The new SALC opened in April 2017, but some layout changes were made in September (the start of the second semester) in response to student feedback indicating that the English Lounge was intimidating and difficult to access. The present research investigates whether students use the English Lounge differently since the layout change and their views on how the SALC can further be improved.
Welcome to the special issue on dialogue and advising in self-access learning. Both of us have been involved in promoting reflective dialogue through advising for some time, yet we know that there is so much more to explore in this field.... more
Welcome to the special issue on dialogue and advising in self-access learning. Both of us have been involved in promoting reflective dialogue through advising for some time, yet we know that there is so much more to explore in this field. Through this special issue, we hope to make a small contribution to our developing profession and provide opportunities for us to learn from research and practices around the world. In this short introduction, we would like to touch on some of the key points related to dialogue and advising in order to put the contributions that follow into context. We will then introduce the contributions to this special issue, which include three research papers focusing on areas which have not been explored in depth before: gender, emotional dynamics, and affect in advising dialogues. We also have articles featuring exciting new initiatives and updates from various parts of the world. Finally, we will conclude with some comments about future directions of this growing field.
- by Jo Mynard and +1
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- Dialogue, Learner Autonomy, Self-directed learning, Reflection
This study investigated whether and to what extent an English Language Voluntary Intensive Independent Catch-up Study (ELVIICS), a Self-Access Language Learning (SALL) programme, was effective in helping first-year Greek-Cypriot students... more
This study investigated whether and to what extent an English Language Voluntary Intensive Independent Catch-up Study (ELVIICS), a Self-Access Language Learning (SALL) programme, was effective in helping first-year Greek-Cypriot students fill in the gaps in their English language learning and come closer to the required language competence level of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) B1 level. It also examined students’ perceptions of such learning. The students followed the ELVIICS at their own pace, time and space until they felt they had reached the aimed level. Analysis of the achievement test results revealed that students’ language competence improved and reached the required level. Additional quantitative data also revealed that students felt ELVIICS also helped them improve their self-confidence, computer skills and autonomous learning. Moreover, students claimed that ELVIICS assisted them in getting through and successfully completing their compulsory course.
This paper examines a year in the development of a Self Access Learning Center (SALC) at a small public university in Northern Japan. The SALC was established to support language learning as part of the institution's transition from a... more
This paper examines a year in the development of a Self Access Learning Center (SALC) at a small public university in Northern Japan. The SALC was established to support language learning as part of the institution's transition from a two-year junior college to a four-year university and as a recently-added part of the university community, its identity, position and role in the school are still evolving.
This paper seeks to document one critical aspect of that evolution. Looking back at the first year of SALC’s operation, the idea of metaphor has emerged as a key concept. Establishing and running SALC has been a clear instance of the importance of metaphors in academic decision making.
This paper seeks to document one critical aspect of that evolution. Looking back at the first year of SALC’s operation, the idea of metaphor has emerged as a key concept. Establishing and running SALC has been a clear instance of the importance of metaphors in academic decision making.
- by Howard Brown and +1
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- Metaphor, Self-Access, Self-access language learning
The success of CALL (computer-assisted language learning) self-access centres depends largely on students’ receptivity towards the use of CALL in their learning,as well as their motivation to use the facilities offered. Lack of exposure... more
The success of CALL (computer-assisted language learning) self-access centres depends largely on students’ receptivity towards the use of CALL in their learning,as well as their motivation to use the facilities offered. Lack of exposure to self-access learning and computer skills required for CALL also contributes to under-utilisation of CALL self-access facilities. In UPM, in line with the direction the university is taking to encourage more student-centred learning to complement classroom teaching, a pilot CALL programme involving the participation of 1800 students was implemented as a platform to provide initial exposure to the CALL self-access mode of learning. At the end of the programme, a survey was carried out to evaluate the extent of students’ receptivity to the CALL self-access mode of learning, their acceptance of the courseware used, their preference for the types of activities, and feedback on the implementation aspects of the programme. This paper presents the survey results obtained from the project that represent feedback on the programme from the students. Students’ perception of the programme provides valuable information on how well the programme is received and how ready the students are to the practice of self-access CALL. The results of this survey will inform the university’s effort towards the implementation of full-fledged self-access CALL programmes.
Advising in Language Learning (ALL) brings together examples of advising practice and research from various international contexts in a fast-developing field. A theoretical model based on constructivism and sociocultural theory (the... more
Advising in Language Learning (ALL) brings together examples of advising practice and research from various international contexts in a fast-developing field. A theoretical model based on constructivism and sociocultural theory (the “Dialogue, Tools and Context Model”) is proposed and supported thoughout the book, as each of the contributions focuses on one or more areas of the model. In this volume the editors set out the general aims and understandings of the field, illustrating the innovative manner in which advisors around the world are working with learners and researching the practice of ALL.
- by Jo Mynard and +1
- •
- Educational Technology, Assessment, Higher Education, Leadership
This study has traced the growth of a new facility intended to promote independent language study in a Japanese university. The study traces this Self Access Learning Center (SALC) from its inception through the first two years of its... more
This study has traced the growth of a new facility intended to promote independent language study in a
Japanese university. The study traces this Self Access Learning Center (SALC) from its inception through the
first two years of its development. It has revealed how key qualitative insights from an archive of semistructured
interviews, conversational narratives and questionnaires with students, teachers, center staff and
university management are marked by their shifting and diverse nature. Findings related to language policy for
the center show how initial ‘English only’ regulations have been opposed and amended by stakeholders.
Findings focusing on the center stakeholders’ metaphors of self access language learning have changed or been
supplemented and show great diversity. Importantly, SALC’s positioning in the wider university has
experienced problems with diverse evaluation expectations and, despite considerable financial backing,
remains marginalized. Finally, SALC’s integration with university curricula has seen mixed results; the center
is connected closely to the English curriculum as taught by non-Japanese, but not to curricula taught by
Japanese teachers of English or content subjects. This indicates that integration of university-wide curricula
with autonomous modes of learning remains a hurdle. This study may inform other centers seeking to gather
data on the diverse voices impacting upon their development.
Japanese university. The study traces this Self Access Learning Center (SALC) from its inception through the
first two years of its development. It has revealed how key qualitative insights from an archive of semistructured
interviews, conversational narratives and questionnaires with students, teachers, center staff and
university management are marked by their shifting and diverse nature. Findings related to language policy for
the center show how initial ‘English only’ regulations have been opposed and amended by stakeholders.
Findings focusing on the center stakeholders’ metaphors of self access language learning have changed or been
supplemented and show great diversity. Importantly, SALC’s positioning in the wider university has
experienced problems with diverse evaluation expectations and, despite considerable financial backing,
remains marginalized. Finally, SALC’s integration with university curricula has seen mixed results; the center
is connected closely to the English curriculum as taught by non-Japanese, but not to curricula taught by
Japanese teachers of English or content subjects. This indicates that integration of university-wide curricula
with autonomous modes of learning remains a hurdle. This study may inform other centers seeking to gather
data on the diverse voices impacting upon their development.
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