AILA ReNLA Newsletter
December 2021
DECEMBER 2021

Editor’s Foreword
In this issue:
Editor’s Foreword

1

Meet the Conveners

2

Members with Responsibilities

3

Our Bylaws

4

Our Gingers

5

Kerstin Dofs

AILA ReNLA Symposium 2021 6
AILA Symposium Summaries

7

AILA Symposium Abstracts

15

One more AL symposium

18

Publications

19

Useful to Know

20

ILA

21

LA-SIG - IATEFL

22

RILAE

23

A Convener’s Afterword

24

Dear All Members,
It is early December when I write this. Summer has arrived in New Zealand withtemperatures of 30ₒC and more last weekend, then rain for two days. You can imagine
how the garden looks after that… yes, very green!!!
It has been a true pleasure to compile this newsletter for the AILA ReNLA, even if
it was long overdue. However I comfort myself by thinking - “Better late than never”.
Hopefully from now on a newsletter can be published at least once a year again, so it
may enable more networking within the autonomous learning community all around theworld. We would like to establish new connections and nurture and grow those alreadyformed. Looking at the members in the network it is a delight to see that we havebecome such a diverse community with members from all corners of the world. The AILA
ReNLA currently has a membership of about 500, so then I was thinking, if each of us
were to recruit just one new member, we would be 1000 strong. So my suggestion is“Let’s just do it!”Working on the newsletter has given me new insights into many members’
working lives, the busyness we all are faced with throughout the year and especially atthis time of the year - teaching, advising, supporting, supervising, writing, reviewing, andfinishing or starting up new research projects. Thank you so much for sharing and forgetting back quickly with approval of pages, etc. That has made my editing job so mucheasier. A very special thank you goes to Sara Cotterall who has kindly spent precious timeon proofreading this newsletter.
The AILA Congress, which was held in August this year, presented a great
opportunity to network and meet new research colleagues, despite being on an online
platform, Dryfta. You can read more about the two special AL Symposia arranged at theCongress, on pages 6 and 18. There are also some summaries and abstracts with ALcontent from the AILA Congress on pages 7-17. The publication list and eventsannouncements do not fully cover what is happening in the field at present, but they
provide a glimpse of what is going on. I encourage you all to contact the new conveners
and tell them what is happening in your area, who is publishing what, what conferences,
symposia and other events are coming up, and what research you are conducting at the
moment.
I am very much looking forward to an end to this year with the hope of someintelligent and creative solutions to the many problems we face in the world.
Overpopulation, deforestation, pollution, excessive consumerism, divisions between
people, diminished animal habitats, war, famine, and pandemics. The list seems endless.
I am a very positive person, so I would like to believe that we, human beings, are capableof finding solutions to all of these challenges. We have hitherto created the mostamazing wonders of the world. In the future, we – the autonomous learning community have a huge role to play. We need to educate people and be prepared to holddiscussions around values, trust, and autonomous learning – i.e. all of us need to learn totake responsibility for our actions and our future.
I am now resigning after seven years of serving the AILA ReNLA, four years with
Moira Hobbs, three years with Alice Chik, and the last four years with Andy Gao andDiego Mideros. Now it feels very good to hand over to two such capable colleagues. Bringon the new enthusiastic conveners - Christine & Christine (see p. 2).

1

Meet the Conveners
Conveners 2018 - 2021

Dr Xuesong (Andy) Gao is an
Dr Kerstin Dofs, has a PhD in
Associate Professor in theapplied linguistics from
School of Education at theMacquarie University in
Sydney, Australia. She manages University of New South Wales,a Language Self Access Centre Australia. His research interests
lie in language learner(LSAC) at Ara Institute ofautonomy, language education
Canterbury
policy, and language teacher
in Christchurch. She isInterested in research around education.
learner and teacher autonomy, xuesong.gao@unsw.edu.au
self-access support andadvising for autonomous
learning.
kerstin.dofs@ara.ac.nz

Dr Diego Mideros is a Spanish
lecturer and Coordinator of the
Spanish language courses at theCentre for Language Learning,
The University of the West
Indies, in Trinidad and Tobago.
He holds a PhD in Linguistics
awarded by the same
university. His researchinterests include autonomy inlanguage learning, L2 learner
identity and phenomenology
research.
diego.mideros@sta.uwi.edu

Conveners 2022 - 2024

Dr Christine O’Leary is Principal
Lecturer, Sheffield Business School at
Sheffield Hallam University. She has
published on the development oflearner autonomy, focusing particularlyon the emotional dimension to learnerdevelopment and assessment forautonomy. She has a wide experience inleading and co-ordinating events suchas conferences, webinars andworkshops.
C.T.OLeary@shu.ac.uk

Dr Christine Siqueira Nicolaides
is a Professor of English at the
University of Vale do Rio do Sinos,
UNISINOS, Brazil. She has been teaching
English as a foreign/second language forabout four decades at different levels.
Her research interests lie within learnerautonomy related to second language
development from a sociocultural
perspective, within the field of applied
linguistics.
christine.nicolaides@gmail.com

Have you seen theautonomous learning
bibliography?
www.autonomybibliography.
org

If you have a contribution to
the bibliography list, email
your reference in APA to
Hayo Reinders
hayoreinders@gmail.com
and he will add it to the list

The deadline
for the special
AILA Congressissue in SiSAL
is 1 February2022
See p. 19 formore details

Are your details correct on our database?
Do you get the AUTO_L emails?
Please notify us of your current affiliation and email address by emailing Vola Dominique

dvolaamb@buffalo.edu
2>>>>>>>

Members with specificresponsibilities
Publications
Dr Maria Giovanna Tassinari is the Directorof the Centre for Independent Language
Learning at the Language Centre of theFreie Universität Berlin, Germany. Her
research interests include learnerautonomy, advising for language learning,and emotions and feelings in language
learning. Giovanna keeps us up to date with
Autonomous learning publications.

Dr Dominique Vola Ambinintsoa is alearning advisor at Kanda University ofInternational Studies in Chiba, Japan.
She holds a PhD in applied linguistics.
Her research interests lie in learnerautonomy, self-access language
learning, advising in language learning,and positive psychology in education.
Her role in the AILA ReNLA is to keep
our membership database up to date.
dvolaamb@buffalo.edu

giovanna.tassinari@fu-berlin.de

Newsletter Information
Dr Vasumathi Badrinathan has a doctorate
in French didactics. Her research interests
include learner and teacher autonomy,
multilingualism, technology in language
learning and foreign language pedagogy.
She is also an established classical musician
of Carnatic music and combines her
academic and artistic interests in building
bridges between languages and cultures.
vbadrinathan@gmail.com

Membership

AUTO_L
emailsEventsDr Mehmet Boyno has a BA in English
Language and Literature, and MA and PhD
degrees in English Language Teaching. His
main research interests include learnerautonomy, young learners, professional
development, and educational drama.
Mehmet’s role is to gather information
about autonomous learning events to passon to the members.
boyno.m@hotmail.com

Dr Lucy Cooker is the Director of Taught
Courses in the School of Education and the
Director of Global Engagement for the
Faculty of Social Sciences at the Universityof Nottingham, UK. She oversees
undergraduate and postgraduate
programmes and develops international
partnerships. She teaches on international
education programmes and supervises
Learner Autonomy PhDs. She is kindly
sponsoring the AUTO-L email list.
lucycooker@gmail.com

PhDs

Dr Harry Kucha is a lecturer at the
University of Leeds, UK, and the Vice
President of the International
Association of Teachers of English asa Foreign Language (IATEFL). His
responsibility in the AILA ReNLA is toannounce new PhD studies on
autonomous learning.
vp@iatefl.org>>>>>>>
3

Scan the QR code for the Learner
Autonomy in Language Learning AILA Research Network website

Our Bylaws
1

Criteria for joining
1.1. Prospective members should be involved inteaching and/or research that includes learnerautonomy and/or one of its subfields – learner
independence, self-access learning, learning
strategies etc.
1.2. There is no membership fee

Election of Conveners
6.1. An election is held every three years to coincidewith the AILA Congress. (In the past, elections havebeen held during the Congress, by snail mail and e-mailbefore the congress and most recently by e-mail after
the Congress).

6

Nomination of Candidates

72

7.1. Only individuals whose membership of the ReN
predates the election by at least one month are eligible tonominate a convener.

Benefits
2.1. Only members whose membership predates theelection by at least one month can nominate andvote for a convener.
2.2. In the selection of papers for inclusion in the
ReN’s conference programme, members will begiven preference so long as their proposal is relevantto the ReN’s programme theme.

3

Criteria for Nominees

88.1. Nominees should be members of the AILA
Research Network on Learner Autonomy. Nominees
should be able to demonstrate a commitment to thefield of Learner Autonomy through their research,teaching, conference presentations and/or
publications.

Number of Conveners

8.2. It is desirable that the two conveners represent
different parts of the world, in an effort to reflect ReN
membership and to expand activities into different
parts of the world.

3.1. The ReN is headed up by two conveners.

4

Term of Office
4.1. Conveners are elected for a 3 year term (tocoincide with the AILA Congress)

Responsibility for Running the Election

94.2. Conveners may stand for re-election for a second
term.

5

Responsibilities of Conveners
5.1. Liaising with AILA – providing annual reports ofactivities, discussing the ReN symposium, providing
membership data etc.
5.2. Organising the ReN symposium at the AILA Congress
every three years.
5.3. Producing an annual newsletter. Back issues of thenewsletter can be seen on the Research Network’s
website: https://renautonomy.wordpress.com
5.4. Working with the membership – recruiting newmembers, maintaining the membership database,responding to queries from members and otherinterested parties, publicising ReN activities andautonomy-related publications etc.
5.5. Managing ReN projects (maintaining the website,
initiating and overseeing AUTO-L discussions,maintaining LAPI).
In the past, selected tasks (e.g. the design andmaintenance of the website, maintenance of the
Learner Autonomy Project Inventory (LAPI), organisationof the symposium at the AILA congresses etc.) have, on
occasion, been delegated to other Network members.

9.1. The convener who stepped down the previous
term (e.g. Sara Cotterall ran the 2005 election having
stepped down in 2002) is responsible for running theelection, i.e. soliciting nominations, sending out theballot, tallying the returns, informing the membershipof the result of the election.

10

Find out more
about the AILA
ReNLA from our
websiteLearner Autonomy in
Language Learning>>>>>>>
4

Words of Wisdom from our Gingers1
Garold Murray (convener, 2005-2011) has
been active in self-access learning in Japan
where he served as President of the Japan
Association of Self-Access Language
Learning (2005-2010), and established andmanaged two self-access centres – one ofwhich was open to the general public. His
recent publications focus on thetransformation of self-access centres intosocial learning spaces.

Sara Cotterall is a researcher, editor,coach and mentor and a former
convener of the AILA ReNLA (19862002). She has taught in Australia,
China, Japan, New Zealand and theUnited Arab Emirates. Her most recent
research outputs focus on doctoral
writing and self-assessment inlanguage learning.

Academic Orphans and Research Communities
The AILA Research Network in Learner Autonomy in
Language Learning (ReNLA) is my academic home. A strange
sort of home, you might think – virtual, impermanent – butevery scholar needs one. In 1996, when I started researchinglearner autonomy, colleagues in my department wereconducting research in corpus linguistics, vocabulary learningand language testing. When some reacted sceptically to
accounts of what I was doing, AILA ReNLA friends reassured me
that, while the work we were doing was novel, it still mattered.
Equally important, joining the ReNLA family introduced me to agroup of lively, intelligent people who were committed toturning our shared interest into a vibrant international researchcommunity.
Given the small number of applied linguists working inlearner autonomy in New Zealand back then, it was essential tobuild relationships with international colleagues. I had been
invited to co-convene (with David Crabbe) the AILA ReNLA’s first
symposium, to be held as part of the 11th AILA Congress inJyväskylä, Finland in 1996. That gave me access to a Who’s Whoof learner autonomy research worldwide. Shortly after
returning to New Zealand from the 10th AILA Congress inAmsterdam in 1993, we sent out a Call for Papers for the
Finland Symposium. In Jyväskylä in 1996 I met old friends Anita
Wenden* and Leslie Dickinson and, for the first time, Naoko
Aoki*, Richard Smith, Jose Lai, Peter Voller, David Hall*, Bill
Savage, Phil Riley, Steven McDonough, Leni Dam, Lienhard
Legenhausen, David Little, Flávia Vieira, Véra dos Santos andothers. Many of these people became lifelong friends. Amongst
others, dear witty, David Hall supervised my PhD some years
later in Sydney, and the convivial Bill Savage and I met up in
Thailand, Cambodia, Akita, New Orleans (twice), Sharjah andWellington over the years.
Why do research networks matter? Research networks
are vital because they create opportunities and provide support.
Early career researchers, particularly PhD candidates and recent
PhD graduates, can benefit in numerous ways. Networks offer
valuable opportunities to question existing ideas, collaborate inproducing new knowledge and prompt new thinking.
Why has our research network survived? Our ReNLA has
survived because of the quality of the people involved in leading
it, and the quality of the relationships formed. We don’t have tomeet face to face every three years, but we do need to nurture
those relationships. We depend on the generosity of members
to take their turn in organising events and managing
communications. Convening the Research Network is awonderful opportunity to contribute, and the work is rewarding.
So, please welcome Christine Nicolaides and Christine O’Learyas our newly elected conveners and pledge your active support
as they build on the achievements of the past 25 years.
* Deceased
1 From the Chinese: The older the ginger, the spicier it gets.

(The older, the wiser)

Every six years or so, it seems, the ReNLA is at a turning
point as it faces a complete turnover in conveners. At this time,
it is crucial that members step forward to offer their services
and that the membership in general gives serious consideration
to who they want to lead the organization over the next threeor possibly six years. Underlying the decisions that have to bemade is a key question: what does the ReN require from a
convener?
Obviously, the answer to this question lies within theword itself: a convener is expected to convene. And, indeed,that is generally regarded as the principal responsibility of the
ReNLA leadership, to organize and chair the symposium on
learner autonomy at the AILA World Congress every three
years. However, this is not the sole responsibility.
To convene also has the nuance of to bring together. The
ReNLA membership is dispersed across the globe. If the
network is to survive, then the leadership must play an activerole in bringing members together. The technology readily
available today offers unprecedented possibilities. The
conveners can organize, instigate or lend support to forums,
symposiums and mini-conferences in various parts of the world.
Another way to bring people together is throughinformation sharing. Over the years, conveners have kept
members abreast of what is happening in the area of learnerautonomy through the research network’s annual newsletter.
Given the significant role these newsletters play, I would argue
that one each year is not enough. Amongst other things, these
digital missives keep people informed of events in various partsof the world and recent publications as well as various
initiatives in the field. Not only do they keep us up-to-date, butthey also serve to unite us. Gleaning and disseminating
information is one of the cornerstones of community building.
In the final analysis, an essential aspect of theconveners’ work is community building. The research network
is, after all, a community: a community of practice based onshared commitment to research in the area of learnerautonomy in language learning. Communities of practice thrive
when they embrace and mentor peripheral participants. In
addition to supporting their colleagues from around the world
and promoting their work, conveners have a responsibility tonurture the next generation of researchers. This can be done bywelcoming the participation of novice researchers in symposia
and other events and ensuring that these are safe spaces where
newcomers can gain experience, insights and confidence. In no
small measure, the future of this research community rests on
the shoulders of the conveners.

>>>>>>>
5

From the AILA ReNLA
symposium at theonline AILA congressin Groningen - 2021
Andy Gao
Recap of the ReNLA symposium at the 2021 AILA World Congress
The Learner Autonomy Research Network held its ReN symposium, “Autonomy in the time of complexity in a changing world”, on
August 18th, 2021 at the AILA World Congress, which was an online event run through the University of Groningen in The
Netherlands. In the symposium, presenters explored critical issues related to learner and teacher autonomy in the time of complexity
in a changing world. Presenters used emerging perspectives, such as complexity, ecological, and socio-cultural theories to examine avariety of topics in language learning autonomy research. Phil Benson (Macquarie University, Australia) and Jo Mynard (Kanda
University of International Studies, Japan) were the featured speakers. Phil discussed space as a factor in the complexity of language
learner agency and identity. He highlighted how language learning becomes contingent on the learner’s agency and evolving
multilingual identities. Jo drew on results of research into language learners’ perceptions and use of a self-access centre in Japan. She
suggested how learning advisors might attend to the three basic psychological needs of competence, relatedness, and autonomy inadvising sessions.
The symposium included 11 standard presentations. These presentations showcased studies that investigated how language
teachers undertake strategic efforts and achieve autonomy in professional practice, and studies that critically examined how language
learner identity and agency could be used to generate insights into autonomous language learning.
Jing Huang reported on a multiple case study that investigated how English language teachers perceived affordances andconstraints in their teaching in Shenzhen and Hong Kong, and how they responded to these. Eduardo Castro and Larissa Dantas
Rodrigues Borges reported on how pre-service language teachers transformed themselves through reflections and actions on
empathy and autonomy. Borja Manzano Vázquez and Manuel Jiménez Raya demonstrated how analysis of student teachers’
practicum experience can help us determine the development of their professional competence towards teacher and learnerautonomy. Marcella Menegale also discussed how to support teachers and student teachers in their efforts to develop a pedagogy forautonomy. Leena Kuure and Riikka Tumelius focused on the complexity of language students’ agency and identity work, whileenvisioning their professional career as language teachers in a Finnish context. Closely related to Jo’s featured presentation, Giovanna
Tassinari also looked at the dynamic interaction between advisors and learners as mediated by internal, individual factors andexternal factors.
Michael Carroll’s talk echoed Phil Benson’s emphasis on the importance of space in language learners’ autonomous learning. His
study explored how the disparate experiences of learners interacted with each of the learning spaces they were in, and how newpractices and identities emerged. Paola Palma and Diego Mideros explored blended learning in a Spanish for Specific Purposes
course, and how language learners benefited more from face-to-face sessions where they interacted with a more experienced other.
Kevin Yung challenged the view that teacher-dependence and learner autonomy are mutually exclusive and proposed that private
tutoring provides an opportunity for students to learn English autonomously. Carmen Becker discussed how personal andinstitutionalized learning spaces can be merged to allow teenage learners to bring in their identity and individual repertoire of skills forbetter control of their learning. Xinyang Lu shared how autonomous Chinese-speaking sojourners exercise their agency in seeking out
affordances offered by their social networks for diverse linguistic and non-linguistic encounters, as they pursue their learning goals.
Three focused presentations (posters) discussed teachers’ beliefs, experiences and practices. Yi Wang reported on her study thatexamined Chinese school teachers’ cognition and practice about language learner autonomy. Xuemei Zhao and Zhifang Xiaointerpreted EFL teachers’ beliefs about learner autonomy in an Art college in China. Chin-chi Chao reported on how one Chineseteacher reflected on her experience as a member of a YouTube language-teaching team.
The symposium helped develop nuanced understandings of emerging topics in learner autonomy research in the contexts of:learning in the classroom and beyond, teacher autonomy, self-access centres, language advising settings, and technology-enhanced
language learning. The presenters and the audience worked towards synergizing efforts and intellectual investment towards a better
understanding of autonomy in this complex and rapidly changing world.
>>>>>>>
6

Presentation summaries
from the AILA Congress

Jo Mynard - Kanda University of International Studies, Chiba, Japanjoanne-m@kanda.kuis.ac.jp

Jo Mynard
The shifting role of advising in self-access: How can we support
the basic psychological needs of our students?
In my presentation at AILA 2021, I looked at the shifting role ofadvising in self-access and how it plays a crucial role in supporting
motivation and wellbeing in language learning. Advising in language
learning is an approach to language education where the focus is on the
promotion of language learner autonomy (Mynard & Carson, 2012).
Advising in this case takes the form of one-to-one reflective dialogue
between a learner and a learning advisor/counsellor. This process can besaid to be situated within a complexity perspective as it is non-linear andholistic (Castro, 2019).
In order to explore the shifting role of the learning advisor in aself-access context, I began by drawing on the results of some research we
did at the self-access learning center (SALC) I work at in a university inJapan (Mynard & Shelton-Strong, 2019). The research was conducted by alarge team of researchers and looked into perceptions and use of the SALC
from a self-determination theory (SDT) (Deci & Ryan, 1985; Ryan & Deci,
2017) point of view. The results indicated that there was a high degree of
autonomy present in the learning environment, i.e. a sense of personal
choice and agency to frequent the SALC and use it in personally
meaningful ways. However, results suggested that more work is needed inorder to provide support for competence and relatedness, which are theother two essential ingredients necessary for people to thrive, according
to SDT. Competence is a sense of optimal challenge and achievement thatis associated with confidence. Relatedness is a sense of belonging,
acceptance and connection with others. We found a range of contextual
and psychological barriers related to beliefs, previous learning
experiences, expectations, personality, culture, identity, motivation, and arange of other individual difference factors affecting the motivation to use
English in the SALC.
With such a range of complex factors, advising is ideally situatedto provide support for basic psychological needs (Mynard & SheltonStrong, 2022). For example, advising entails understanding the learner’s
perspective or internal frame of reference, taking a non-judgmental
approach, using non-controlling language, and engaging in careful andempathetic listening in order to support autonomy. An advisor supports
competence by offering well-timed and meaningful feedback, assistingwith goal setting and introducing strategies and resources in a noncontrolling way. Due to the highly interpersonal nature of advising, anopen and trusting relationship evolves which satisfies the basic
psychological need of relatedness (Shelton-Strong, 2020).
I concluded my presentation with practical examples of ways inwhich teachers or learning advisors can work with language learners to
support motivation and wellbeing in language learning. For example,
advisors can use intentional discursive strategies and behaviors forsupporting basic psychological needs (Shelton-Strong & Tassinari, 2022).
We can also help learners to create and follow their own learning plans,
to focus on their individual differences, and to use various tools to help
them discover more about themselves and the ways they learn best.

References
Castro, E. (2019). Motivational dynamics in language advising sessions:
A case study. Studies in Self-Access Learning Journal, 10(1), 5–20.
https://doi.org/10.37237/100102

Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (1985). Intrinsic motivation and selfdetermination in human behavior. Plenum.
Mynard, J., & Carson, L. (2012). Advising in language learning.
Dialogue, tools and context. Pearson.
Mynard, J., & Shelton-Strong, S. J. (2020). Investigating the autonomysupportive nature of a self-access environment: A self-determination
theory approach. In J. Mynard, M. Tamala, & W. Peeters (Eds.),
Supporting learners and educators in developing language learnerautonomy (pp. 77–117). Candlin & Mynard.
https://doi.org/10.47908/8/4
Mynard, J., & Shelton-Strong, S. J. (forthcoming, 2022). Selfdetermination theory: A proposed framework for self-access language
learning. In A. Parrish, Q. W. L. Oga-Baldwin, & K. A. Noels. Taking root:
Establishing self-determination theory as a fertile framework for thepsychology of language learning. Journal for the Psychology ofLanguage Learning. Special Issue.
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2017). Self-determination theory: Basic
psychological needs in motivation, development, and wellness. The
Guilford Press.
Shelton-Strong, S. J. (2020). Advising in language learning and the
support of learners’ basic psychological needs: A self-determination
theory perspective. Language Teaching Research, 1–23.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168820912355
Shelton-Strong, S. J., & Tassinari, M. G. (forthcoming, 2022).
Facilitating an autonomy-supportive learning climate: Advising inlanguage learning and basic psychological needs. In J. Mynard & S. J.
Shelton-Strong (Eds.), Autonomy support beyond the language
learning classroom: A self-determination theory perspective.
Multilingual Matters.

>>>>>>>
7

AILA Congress summaries, cont.

Riikka Tumelius

Leena Kuure

Leena Kuure & Riikka Tumelius
University of Oulu, Finland (Research Unit for Languages andLiterature)leena.kuure@oulu.fi
riikka.tumelius@oulu.fi

Language students as potential change agents in language
pedagogy - professional vision in emergence
On their path to becoming professionals in language
education, pre-service teachers need opportunities for reflection andhands-on work in orchestrating learning in hybrid settings where
diverse digital and material spaces meet (Ryberg, Davidsen & Hodgson,2018). Due to the strong tradition of classroom-based language
education and teacher education, orchestrating language teaching incomplex environments is often new to pre-service teachers who needto develop their professional vision and agency (Ahearn, 2001;
Goodwin, 1994). The design approach can provide a platform for joint
negotiation of meaning, considering the nature of language andlanguage learning, technologies used for pedagogical purposes, as wellas the practicalities and pedagogical goals of the developing design.
This study was situated in Finnish language teacher education
where pre-service teachers in their Master’s studies engage in a design
process by designing and orchestrating English learning projects forschoolchildren. Three perspectives were taken to shed light on thedevelopment of language pedagogy as well as pre-service teachers’
professional vision and agency: 1) A discourse survey of public talk on
language education and technology; 2) An overview of results frompast design-driven courses; 3) A closer look at one of the course
iterations. The study draws on nexus analysis (Scollon & Scollon, 2004)
which looks at social action in situ, and at the same time how it isbound to more distant time-spaces in the past, present, and future.
The research materials include video recordings, reflection papers,
design drafts, as well as observation notes.
The discourses survey at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic
lockdown brought up conflicting perspectives on language educationand technology, voiced by teachers, parents, students, and politicians
among others. These differing views were related to teachers’
pedagogical expertise, workload, and technological resources. Equal
opportunities were not regarded as self-evident as there were great
differences in home spaces and facilities, life situations, as well as
technical and pedagogical support. Schools were positioned differently
regarding leadership, tools, and ICT staff. Legislation and curricula foreducation were interpreted in various ways by different actors, which
had consequences for pedagogical solutions. The results confirmed
earlier observations about slow change in the tradition of language
pedagogy; classroom and materials-driven teaching is experienced as
the norm, and flexible technology use has not become a natural part ofpedagogical practices.

Research on the past design-driven courses showed how preservice teachers’ experiences of language learning and practice teaching inclassroom-based teacher education guided their understandings oflanguage education in hybrid environments. Pedagogical designs werefirst envisioned with a strong focus on language, while the design
approach gave support in switching the perspective towards participation
in social action and languaging (van Lier, 2007). The final designs oflanguage projects encouraged children’s use of their language repertoire
through diverse literacy practices with the media, gaming and otherinterests. The perspective switch was reflected in the pre-service teachers’
surprise at children's enthusiasm, agency, and capacity to engage in thedesigned activities online. Nevertheless, there were differences between
pre-service teachers’ perceptions, as revealed by the design process.
Some saw their designs as meaningful for the transformation of their
future practices in language pedagogy, while others considered language
learning in hybrid environments in action-driven projects as rather
marginal.
A closer analysis of one course iteration highlighted pre-service
teachers’ efforts in detaching themselves from text-book type tasks andmoving towards an action-based scenario which emphasized flexible andmeaningful technology use. The design concept was an online coffee shopwhere people of different ages, language resources, and interests wereable to meet each other at virtual tables and engage in various group
activities. Balancing between old and new practices was also apparent
throughout this design process. However, the students showed in theirpost-project reflections that they were able to critically evaluate theprojects and envision future development showing their evolving
professional vision and agency. In other words, the students were able tosee themselves as active and independent agents in language pedagogy,
which rather points to their emerging role as change agents thanadherence to what is familiar.

References
Ahearn, L. M. (2001). Language and agency. Annual Review of
Anthropology, 30, 109–137.
Goodwin, C. (1994). Professional vision. American Anthropologist, 96(3),606–633.
Ryberg, T., Davidsen, J., & Hodgson, V. (2018). Understanding nomadic
collaborative learning groups. British Journal of Educational Technology,49(2), 235–247.
Scollon, R., & Scollon, S. W. (2004). Nexus analysis: Discourse and theemerging internet. London: Routledge.
van Lier, L. (2007). Action-based teaching, autonomy and identity.
Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching, 1(1), 46–65.

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AILA Congress summaries, cont.
Giovanna Tassinari - Freie Universität Berlin
Giovanna.Tassinari@fu-berlin.de

Giovanna
TassinariComplexity in advising for language learning: from theory topractice
For more than a decade now the theory of complex dynamic
systems (CDS) has helped to broaden the way we look at second language
acquisition (SLA) processes (Larsen-Freeman, 1997), language learnerautonomy (Paiva, 2006), and language learning in self-access and social
learning spaces (Murray, 2021).
The first time I heard about complexity theory was in 2011. I was
invited to a Journée d’études at the Université de Nancy, Didactique deslangues et complexité. The invitation came from colleagues from the
CRAPEL. I had already visited the CRAPEL while working on my PhD, wheresome colleagues participated in validating the dynamic model of autonomy
which was one of the results of my PhD research.
Taking part in the Journée d’études, was a revelation. When I definedautonomy in my PhD as a dynamic “complex metaconstruct, a construct ofconstructs”, and designed the dynamic model of autonomy (Tassinari, 2010,
p. 124), I did not know about complexity theory. So, listening to theresearchers that day was like connecting the two sides of a coin. It was likefinding the roots of my work and reconnecting to an unknown parent.
A few years later, while researching advising, I encountered the eyeopening work of Walkyria Magno and her team on CDS in language learningand advising (Magno e Silva & Borges, 2016).
Complex dynamic systems are self-organizing, co-adaptive systems
that emerge from the interaction of their multiple components, agents,
individuals, elements, phenomena, and processes. For example, “individual
birds coming together to form a flock, or elements, e.g. moisture, aircurrents, and temperature interacting to create a weather system” (Oxford,
2017, p. 114). Their complexity is due to the fact that “instead of single
causal variables, we have interconnecting and self-organizing systems thatco-adapt and that may display sudden discontinuities and the emergence of
new modes and behaviors” (Larsen-Freeman & Cameron, 2008, p. 203).
Language learning, and autonomous language learning can be seen
as a complex dynamic system in which learners, teachers, advisors, peers,
friends, or family interconnect and interact in a non-predictable way withelements and multiple variables such as linguistic input, learning materials,
institutional contexts, social and political context. The individuals’ own
motivation, beliefs, attitudes, experiences, emotions and feelings are part ofthese systems and contribute to the language learning process itself (Paiva,2006).
Understanding advising from the complexity perspective “involves ashift from practicing language learning advising in isolation to considering it
an open system, connected to other processes, agents, phenomena andtheir influence as multiple causes for its success, resistance and/or failure. It
also includes considering its nonlinear changes and its unpredictability.”(Laura, advisor, in Tassinari, 2017, emphasis added)
Understanding advising from the complexity perspective allows us to
see the bigger picture of the advising process, and to reflect more deeply on
the advisor-advisee relationship as it evolves during the advising process. In
particular, it means:- Paying attention to individual aspects of the advisee (and the advisor), suchas motivation, beliefs, emotions or feelings and how these may influence
the learning process.
- Looking at the dynamic interaction between advisors and learners as
influenced by both internal, individual factors, and external, contextual
factors.
- Considering the advisee’s and the advisor’s immediate physical andinstitutional environment, and how these reverberate in the advisingprocess. For example, how the room or the space in which advising takes
place influences communication, a feeling of well-being.

9- Considering how the larger institutional and social environment
influences advising practice, for example how language advising is seenin the institution, by teachers, by other learners, by senior
management, and how this enhances or diminishes appreciation of thisservice.
- Including these aspects both in the advising dialogue and in theadvisor’s reflection on the advising dialogue and process itself.
In my personal and professional experience, adopting thecomplexity perspective means widening and deepening my own
perspective both on the advisee and on myself as an advisor, with new
impulses both for practice and research.
References
Kato, S. & Mynard, J. (2016). Reflective dialogue. Advising in language
learning. New York: Routledge.
Larsen-Freeman, D. (1997). Chaos/complexity science and second
language acquisition. Applied Linguistics, 18(2), 141-165,
https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/18.2.141
Larsen-Freeman, D., & Cameron, L. (2008). Research methodology inlanguage development from a complex system perspective. Modern
Language Journal, 92(2), 200-213.
Magno e Silva, W. & Borges E. F. (Eds.) (2016). Complexidade em
ambientes de ensino e aprendizagem de línguas adicionais. Curitiba:
Editora CRV.
Mozzon McPherson, M. & Tassinari, M. G. (2020). From language
teachers to language learning advisors. A journey map. Philologia
Hispalensis, 34(1), 121-139.
https://dx.doi.org/10.12795/PH.2020.v34.i01.07
Murray, G. (2021). Learner autonomy and Holec’s model. A complexity
perspective. In M. Jiménez Raya & F. Vieira (Eds.), Autonomy inlanguage education. Theory, research and practice (pp. 89-102). New
York: Routledge.
Oxford, R. L. (2017). Teaching and researching language learning
strategies. Self-regulation in context. New York: Routledge.
Paiva, V. L. M. de O. (2006). Autonomia e complexidade. Linguagem e
Ensino, 9(1): 77-127.
Shelton-Strong, S. J. & Tassinari, M. G. (forthcoming, 2022). Facilitating
an autonomy-supportive learning climate: Advising in language
learning and basic psychological needs. In J. Mynard & S. J. SheltonStrong (Eds.), Autonomy support beyond the language learningclassroom: A self-determination theory perspective. Bristol:Multilingual Matters.
Tassinari, M. G. (2010). Autonomes Fremdsprachenlernen.
Komponenten, Kompetenzen, Strategien. Frankfurt am Main: Peter
Lang.
Tassinari, M. G. (2017). How language advisors perceive themselves:
Exploring a role through narratives. In C. Nicolaides & W. Magno E Silva(Eds.), Innovations and challenges in applied linguistics and learnerautonomy (pp. 305-336). Campinas: Pontes.

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AILA Congress summaries, cont.

Mira Kim

Mira Kim - School of Humanities and Languages, University of New South
Wales, Sydney, Australia
mira.kim@unsw.edu.au

A Personalised Autonomous Model for International Sojourners
in Higher Education
Multilingual sojourners now make up a large proportion of thetotal student cohort at universities in Australia. Such high-level study in
English poses challenges for many of those who speak English as anadditional language. While universities offer a range of support services,in most cases these do not yet sufficiently address students' diverse
language needs. In response to this issue, I created an extracurricular
program entitled Personalised English Language Enhancement (PELE) toapply a Personalised Autonomous (PA) model that I developed to helptranslation and interpreting students enhance their bilingual language
proficiency (Kim, 2014, Kim and Jing 2019). The fundamental principle ofthe pedagogical model is to guide students to personalise their own
learning independently. Students identify their linguistic needs, develop apersonal project to address those needs, implement the project andevaluate their progress. The PELE program was piloted with about 300
students in 2016. The data showed it made a significant impact on
students' confidence in their language skills, self-efficacy in learning,
emotional well-being and sense of belonging. As a result, it became acredit-bearing course in 2017 and has now been taken by more than 1000
students across faculties at all levels including undergraduate,
postgraduate coursework and PhD.
A series of paired-samples t-tests with the data collected
through entry and exit surveys (n=447) from 2018 to 2020 showed thatstudents who completed PELE as a credit-bearing course improved theirconfidence in using all four English skills in both academic and everyday
contexts but particularly in academic speaking [the entry (m=2.95,
SD=0.79) and the exit (m=3.56, SD=0.8) conditions; (t(442)=14.2,
p<0.001)] and writing skills [entry (m=3.09, SD=0.9) vs exit (m=3.74,
SD=0.83); (t(442)=12.03, p<0.001]. The tests also showed that theyenhanced their self-efficacy skills for self-regulated English learning,academic engagement (i.e. group work, classroom participation) andsocial engagement (i.e. making friends). These results are statisticallysignificant with the p-value being less than 0.001. Nearly 80% of thestudents responded they were highly satisfied (37%) or satisfied (41%)
with the course and they said that PELE had a significant impact on theirmotivation to study (73%), self-confidence (68%), autonomous learning(66%) and language skill development (62%). The numbers in thebrackets are the percentages of students who rated at least 4 out of 5.
At the end of the course, students developed a strong sense of
belonging to the PELE community. Their sense of belonging to theirfaculty and university also increased after PELE.

These findings, which are discussed in detail in a paper I
have been working on, clearly indicate that it is time for us toreconsider existing approaches to supporting internationalsojourners in the ongoing development of their language skills.
The PELE approach does not focus on teaching international
students English skills but on providing them with carefulscaffolding and guiding them to own and be responsible for theirlearning. Students have high levels of willingness to learn andgrow and they have access to abundant resources at their
universities or online for free. When they are not regarded as
passive consumers of learning but invited as partners, they not
only grow in confidence and self-efficacy but become active
partners in building and sustaining a vibrant learning communitythat has not just survived but thrived even during theunprecedentedly challenging period of the COVID-19.
I propose that we as university educators shift our focus tolearning with students, listening to what they want and creating alearning community. In this way, we can galvanise ourinternational students into a 'virtuous circle,' in which students
are confident enough to optimise the existing opportunities forinteraction and real-life language use and development, accept
themselves as language users with sufficient abilities for theircurrent contexts, and become active co-producers in creating awarm and safe learning community. The benefits of such avirtuous circle will flow on to local students who learn side-by-side
with international students. Further research is needed to find out
how our students, both international and local, can best optimise
their opportunities for mutual learning and further develop theirleadership skills and global citizenship.
References
Kim, M. (2014) ‘Action research on advanced bilingualenhancement in translator education’, in K. Kunz, E. Teich, S.
Hansen-Schirra, S. Neumann and P. Daut (Eds.), Caught in the
Middle – Language use and translation, Saarbrucken: Saarland
University Press, pp. 195-213.

Kim, M., & Jing, B. (2019) ‘A personalised autonomous model forenhancing translation students’ linguistic competence,’ in M.
Koletnik and N. Froeliger (Eds.), Translation and language teaching– Continuing the dialogue between translation studies andlanguage didactics, Newcastle upon Tyne, Cambridge Scholars
Publishing, pp. 127-146.

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AILA Congress summaries, cont.

Marcella
Menegale

Marcella Menegale, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Italy
menegale@unive.it

Promoting language learner and teacher autonomy in student
teachers
In recent times, higher education institutions have faced
significant challenges due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Moving online
courses that were previously taught face to face or in a blended delivery
mode, has forced both teachers and students to reorganise their work,
their time, and their way of experiencing teaching and learning. While
imposing some recognisable limitations in terms of classroom
relationships, student participation in educational experiences andteaching methodology, this situation has also provided an opportunity tofurther reflect on how to support learner and teacher autonomy (Dvir &Schatz-Oppenheimer, 2020). With the aim of contributing to thisreflection process, I carried out a small-case study.

Findings showed that the student teachers developed an
impressive level of awareness of the issues involved in curriculum
design in SL teaching – e.g., all of them acknowledged the valueof group activities and the effective role of multimedia input suchas TED talks for inducing critical reflection. Yet, findings also
revealed their difficulties in understanding how to integrate apedagogy for autonomy in their own teaching lessons andmaterials. They also emphasized that the course was too
demanding in terms of the quantity of content and amount oftime devoted to practical activities – well in excess of theworkload expected for a 6 ECTS course, which was somethingevident to me as well.

I decided to take advantage of an academic course (Instructional
Design for Language Education) I was going to teach online due to Covid19 restrictions, within the MA curriculum in Language Sciences. As thiscourse was novel in our academic offerings, it represented an invaluable
opportunity for me to experiment with something new. Students
enrolling in this course are interested in SL teaching and generally aspireto take up a language teaching career. Therefore, I decided to embark on
what Little (1995) advocated when writing “we need to give experience ofbeing an autonomous learner to our prospective teachers while they arelearning how to teach it”. First, I designed a course where student
teachers’ knowledge and understanding of curriculum and materials
design were promoted along with the development of their learner andteacher autonomy. Then, I documented the process and results tounderstand if the course had been successful in achieving its learning
goals.

These results made me reflect on some issues that still
remain unsolved. Although much has been said in the last twenty
years (from Camilleri, 1999 to more recent works such as Jiménez
Raya & Vieira, 2020) on how to integrate learner and(consequently) teacher autonomy in pre-service teacher courses,
I believe that further debate is needed. For instance, courses are
generally too short to promote adequate learner autonomy
development; classes are too large to allow for active, meaningfullearner autonomy experiences; and too many dimensions are
involved in both learner autonomy and teacher autonomy to all
be considered thoroughly and made available through shorttraining courses. Given these constraints, what should be given
priority in pre-service teaching courses?

Aware of the fact that teachers who intend to promotepedagogies for autonomy need first to question their roles andassumptions as teachers (Vieira, 2009), I embarked on a reasonably
extensive literature review in search of a pedagogical framework which
could substantiate my own teaching beliefs. I found that Sinclair’s (1999)
metacognitive awareness model was especially suited to ground mystudy. The following three dimensions of the model were therefore
integrated in my course: (1) awareness of the subject matter (in the caseof my course, this was related to issues in curriculum design in SL
teaching); (2) awareness of one’s learning and teaching process (i.e.,awareness of what is needed to improve one’s role as a learner and as ateacher); and (3) learner-teacher awareness (i.e., awareness of oneself,
one’s orientations). I tried to implement a learning-by-doing process
where technology-mediated reflective input, practical tasks, cooperative
work, and self-assessment activities were used recursively. Particularattention was also paid to providing differentiated input andopportunities for critical understanding of what was being done and why.

References
Camilleri, A. (1999). Introducing learner autonomy in teacher
education. Council of Europe, Strasbourg Cedex.
Dvir, N., & Schatz-Oppenheimer, O. (2020). Novice teachers in achanging reality. European Journal of Teacher Education, 43(4),639-656.
Jiménez Raya & Viera, F. (2020). Autonomy in language
education: Theory, research and practice. New York: Routledge.
Little, D. (1995). Learning as dialogue: The dependence of learnerautonomy on teacher autonomy. System, 23 (2), 175-181.
Sinclair, B. (1999). r, B. (1999). More than an act of faith?
Evaluating learner autonomy. In C. Kennedy (Ed.), Innovation andbest practice in British ELT. Harlow: Longman.

To understand whether my student teachers were developing
their learner-teacher autonomy, I decided to triangulate different kindsof data: I used a teacher diary, an anonymous mid-course student(self)assessment questionnaire, and a worksheet to analyze student
teachers’ authored teaching materials. Although about 70 students
enrolled in the course, only 18 of them attended all the classes. Of them,
only 11 answered the questionnaire, which is evidently one of thelimitations of the study.

Vieira, F. (2009). Struggling for autonomy in language education:
Reflecting, acting, and being. Frankfurt: Peter Lang.

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AILA Congress summaries, cont.

Michael Carroll

These resources included the online course management
program, Moodle, the integrated CALL packages, English Central
and Dyned, drilling software (ALC Academy and UCAT), and avariety of free online resources such as Real English, Lingorank,
Lyrics Training, and others. In the paper I describe the backgroundto this data gathering and present a qualitative analysis of learnerwriting carried out concurrently with their use of the online
resources. This analysis focuses on the stories that learners told
about themselves, and that teachers and learners told about eachother.

Michael Carroll, Momoyama Gakuin University, Osaka, Japan
carroll@andrew.ac.jp

Autonomy through online spaces: How classrooms and online
resources interact to foster independent learning and thedevelopment of linguistic identity.
Language learners today, whether engaged in formal classroom
learning or working entirely independently, are spending more and moreof their learning time online in one way or another. In Japanese
universities, even before the Coronavirus pandemic, large-scale CALL
(computer-assisted language learning) programs were provided byinstitutions, and often mandated. Such large- scale, dedicated language
learning software, though, represents just a small part of the online
experience of most students, and of the approach to learning materials of
most teachers.
In Japan, educational administrators charged with managing thebudgets for large programs, and teachers with expertise in educational
technologies often have divergent views on the role of technology. It isperhaps fair to say, if something of an over-generalisation, thatadministrators are several steps behind CALL teachers and designers.
Administrators have frequently viewed CALL technologies as means of
reducing costs: in its simplest iteration as a means of replacing teacherswith computers. (Salomon 1990, p 50). CALL practitioners and developers,on the other hand, have overwhelmingly rejected this simplistic view, andinstead focussed on: 1) the potential of CALL to allow teachers to reorient their role towards that of facilitator, 2) the dangers to goodeducational practice of the naive implementation of CALL technology
without adequate teacher support. (Hubbard and Reinders 2013). Many,
if not most, CALL teachers see CALL essentially as means of empoweringlearners by allowing them to develop autonomous learning practices.
As online spaces become more and more easily available andreadily accessed by language learners, the possibilities for autonomous
learning have never been greater. This paper draws on Wenger's (1998)
notion of communities of practice, Norton's (2013) imagined self, andSfard and Prusak's (2005) characterisation of identity formation as being
fluid and defined through stories, to explore how online spaces interact
with traditional classroom spaces to facilitate learning and thedevelopment of learner identities.
In order to do this, my paper refers to data from a project which
examined the use of a variety of online spaces by students learning
English as a foreign language in university classrooms. Teachers andstudents in a variety of educational situations were surveyed andinterviewed about their experiences using computers and online
resources in and out of English language classrooms.

12

Learners reflected on their experiences from a wide rangeof perspectives. These included the changes they noticed inthemselves as language learners and speakers; the development of
the identities they were coming to imagine for themselves; and thecritical judgements about their learning experiences they wereincreasingly able to make. Many displayed growing awareness ofthe challenges and opportunities they were faced in selecting andevaluating resources; there was also evidence that both they andthe teachers increasingly came to perceive connections between
this growing critical awareness and their awareness of developing
identities.
The paper discusses how we might interpret these learner
experiences in terms of how their experiences interacted, howlearning practices emerged (with greater or lesser degrees ofeffectiveness), and how identities were constructed and reconstructed as they entered into new communities of practice.
Further, it considers some of the limitations of this kind of study,
addressing the question of how representative the subjects who
responded extensively and positively to the researchers’ questions
were. Those who responded less comprehensively or not at all tothis type of research are an often ignored and under-researchedgroup. The paper concludes by considering how the experiences ofthis group can be grasped, and how such learners can be helped.
For example, there is some evidence to suggest that incorporatingreflective writing prompts into regular coursework, rather thanusing direct questionnaires, may elicit more substantive data; andthat acting promptly on such data both encourages such reflection,and contributes to learning outcomes.
References
Hubbard, P., & Reinders H., (2013). CALL and learner autonomy:
Affordances and constraints . In M. Thomas, H. Reinders, & M.
Warschauer (Eds.), Contemporary computer-assisted language
learning. Continuum.
Norton, B. (2013). Identity and language learning: Extending theconversation. 2nd edition. Multilingual Matters.
Salomon, G. (1990). The computer lab: A bad Idea now sanctified.
Educational Technology, 30(10), 50-52.
Sfard, A., & Prusak, A. (2005). Telling identities: In search of ananalytic tool for investigating learning as a culturally shaped
activity. Educational Researcher, 34, 14-22.
Wenger, E. (1998). Communities of practice: Learning, meaning,
and identity. Cambridge University Press.

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AILA Congress summaries, cont.

Paola Palma

Diego Mideros

Diego Mideros & Paola Palma
The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, Trinidad andTobagopaola.palma@sta.uwi.edu
diego.mideros@sta.uwi.edu
In terms of complexity theory, we took into consideration
Menezes’ (2011) view of autonomy as a complex ecological system withdifferent degrees of interdependence. In this perspective, learners often
interact with environments and such interactions are influenced byaffordances and constraints. Affordances are a key element in this view.
Murray (2017) reminds us that “affordances depend on learners’
perceptions. Learners have to be able to see the potential in theenvironment. Affordances rely on the discourses surrounding theenvironment” (p. 122).

Out-of-class learning in Spanish for Specific purposes course: A
case study in the aviation industry in Trinidad and Tobago
For this presentation, we sought to evaluate the affordancesand constraints that we encountered while trying to promote Learning
Beyond the Classroom (LBC) in a course that we designed for a local
airline. This was a qualitative study conducted at The University of theWest Indies in Trinidad and Tobago. Our main sources of data camefrom in-depth interviews with three teachers who delivered the course
and a narrative from Paola, one of the co-authors of this paper andone of the three teachers.

The interviews with the teachers and Paola’s narrative yieldedsome interesting results. We found that teachers play a pivotal role inpromoting LBC in the classroom. Of the three teachers, only Paola saw theonline component of the course as an affordance for teaching andencouraging her learners to learn independently as they completed theonline activities. This leads us to suggest that teachers too must see LBC
resources as affordances in order to be able to encourage learners to use
these resources. Affordances also depend on how teachers perceive themand promote them in their classes. A teacher who does not see potential
in a particular tool will be unable to help learners see that potential. Sinceteachers help create the discourses that surround the environment(Murray, 2017), they need to believe in what they are encouraging theirlearners to do and to use.

Our study took place at the University’s Centre for Language
Learning where Spanish is the most popular language. Trinidad andTobago’s official language is English, but given its close proximity toLatin America, Spanish is the first additional language of choice in the
country. The University’s Language Centre offers language courses tothe university community and the general public. On request, we also
design tailored courses for the corporate sector, mainly with abusiness component.
In 2018, a local airline approached us seeking a proposal for acourse. We designed a 12-week course, but opted for a blended modeof delivery instead of a fully online course. Our main concern indesigning a fully online course was doubt about the participants’readiness to engage with such a course in light of their full-time workduties. We adapted the course from a Business Spanish textbook andincorporated vocabulary and situations relevant to our target
audience. In designing this course we aimed to meet the expectationsof the airline, but we also saw a research opportunity in that wesought to explore how learners would respond to learning
independently using the online platform we had designed for thecourse.

References

Menezes, V. (2011). Affordances for language learning beyond theclassroom. In P. Benson & H. Reinders (Eds.), Beyond the language
classroom (pp. 59–71). Palgrave Macmillan.
https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230306790_6

Theoretically, we looked at the LBC elements proposed byReinders (2020), namely location (physical or virtual spaces), formality(formal or informal learning), pedagogy (instruction or no instruction),and control (choices made by or for learners). This framework also
takes account of the stages necessary to get students involved in LBC
via the classroom. These stages include i) encouraging learners byraising awareness of LBC opportunities and motivating them to use
such opportunities; ii) preparing learners for LBC by introducing
controlled practice in class; iii) supporting learners by providing themwith feedback and guided activities; and iv) offering learning
opportunities that involve LBC with minimal assistance.

Murray, G. (2017). Autonomy in the time of complexity: Lessons frombeyond the classroom. Studies in Self-Access Learning Journal, 8(2), 116134. https://doi.org/10.37237/080205
Reinders, H. (2020) A framework for learning beyond the classroom. In M.
Jiménez Raya & F. Vieira (Eds.), Autonomy in language education: Theory,
research and practice (pp. 63–73). Routledge.

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AILA Congress summaries, cont.

Larissa Borges

Eduardo Castro

Eduardo Castro
Kanda University of International Studies, Japaneduardocdsj@gmail.com
Larissa Borges
Universidade Federal do Pará, Brazil
larissadant@gmail.com

Connecting learner autonomy and teacher autonomy throughempathy
It goes without saying that language learning and teaching isessentially a relational and emotional process (Gkonou & Mercer,2017). It demands from both teachers and students carefulconsideration of how their emotions influence their behaviors, beliefs
and social relationships. Murphey et al. (2010) rightly argue thatemotional belonging precedes learning; therefore, creating a safe
environment where teachers and students can express how they feel,create positive social relationships and exercise their autonomy is ofparamount importance for successful learning. In language teacher
education, this involves explicit discussion of emotions, empathy andautonomy, which might help pre-service teachers develop the ability
to listen to others without judging them, the sensitivity to understandothers’ non-verbal communication and the ability to foster autonomy
in others (Kato & Mynard, 2016; Mercer, 2016; Borges, 2019).

We understand autonomy and empathy as complex, dynamic,
multifaceted constructs (Borges, 2019; Mercer, 2016). As a system,
autonomy is closely related to motivation, identities and emotions.
This means that autonomy interacts with these other systems indiverse ways and contexts, navigating setbacks, periods of stability,and phases of progress across learners’ lifetimes (Borges, 2019).
Similarly, empathy emphasises the relationships we create andnurture with others. As with autonomy, empathy is not a fixed
personality trait, but a dynamic, context-sensitive skill (Kyrnaric, 2014;
Mercer, 2016). This dynamism means that our empathic skills can be
improved and changed over time. In this sense, empathy andautonomy involve observation, reflection, and action (Vignemont andSinger, 2006). In our view, autonomy and empathy are closely related
because they demand from individuals (especially from teachers) the
sensitivity involved in respecting others’ learning process andunderstanding students’ decision to exercise their autonomy in andbeyond the classroom.

We carried out an investigation that explored pre-service EFL teachers’
transformation during two teaching method courses in a university inNorthern Brazil. More specifically, we describe how they experienced
empathy in the classroom and promoted autonomy in this context.
The two courses aimed to provide teachers with opportunities to teachEnglish in a real context by offering a free first-level course to a groupof students from the community around the university campus.

After teaching each class, teachers wrote a teaching diary, sharing theirexperiences and reflections. In this study, we report on 44 teaching diaries
written by 22 pre-service EFL teachers. These diaries were analyzed
qualitatively, and the data were organized into three major categories empathy (caring about others and oneself), emotions (relationships in theclassroom and oneself), and (self)transformation.

Results showed that empathy emerged from appraisal of theenvironment, including in relationships with students as participants
reported experiencing a sense of encouragement and acceptance while
they were teaching. Teachers took into consideration how their students
would feel and employed strategies to connect with their students. In
addition, teachers developed a sense of self-care from reflecting on who
they were as teachers. The participants also lacked confidence andreported experiencing different emotions including fear, anxiety, joy, love,and satisfaction. These emotions were regulated in order to express
kindness for others and oneself (Castro, 2021). Teachers also reported
how fundamental it was to have the support of their classmates while
teaching. This study highlighted the importance of reflecting on autonomy
and empathy in language teacher education contexts.
References
Borges, L. (2019). The autonomization process in the light of complexity
paradigm: a study of the learning trajectories of TEFL undergraduate
students. (Doctoral dissertation). Federal University of Pará, Brazil.
Castro, E. (2021). I feel therefore I teach: Emotion regulation of in-service
language teachers. (Masters dissertation). Federal University of Viçosa,Brazil.
Gkonou, C., & Mercer, S. (2017). Understanding emotional and social
intelligence among English language teachers. British Council.
Kyrnaric, R. (2014) Empathy: A handbook for revolution. Croydon: Rider.
Mercer, S. (2016). Seeing the world through your eyes: Empathy inlanguage learning and teaching. In P. D. MacIntyre, T. Gregersen & S.
Mercer (Eds.). Positive psychology in SLA (pp. 91-111). Bristol: Multilingual
Matters.
Murphey, T., (2010). Emotional belonging precedes learning. In A. M.
Barcelos & H. Coelho (Eds.), Emoções, reflexões e (trans)form(ações) dealunos, professores e formadores de professores de línguas (pp. 43-56).
Campinas: Pontes Editores.
Vignemont, E. & Singer, T. (2006). The empathic brain: How, when andwhy? Trends in Cognitive Science, 10, 435-441.

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Abstracts from the
AILA ReNLA symposium
Identity, agency
and autonomy inforeign andsecond language
education: Casestudies of inservice teachersin Shenzhen andHong Kong
Dr Jing Huang (Peter) Assistant Professor,
Department of Education Studies, Hong Kong
Baptist University, Hong Kong

Autonomy has become a goal in the field of
foreign and second language education. Researchdemonstrates that teacher autonomy depends
substantially on the achievement and exercise ofteacher agency to construct teacher identity.
Despite the wealth of literature on teacher identity,
agency and autonomy among pre-service, novice,
and in-service teachers, there has been scantresearch on synthesizing the three notions in
exploring how in-service teachers, in particular,
maintain their work momentum after they survive
their initial years of teaching; how their agency andidentity work is afforded or constrained by thesocio-institutional contexts in which they are
engaged; how they create spaces to exercise
personal agency in their day-to-day teaching; andhow they construct a professional teacher identity
to take greater control over their teaching.
Shenzhen and Hong Kong, separated by ariver, are similar in their geographical locations andrapid economic growth, and yet different in theirsocio-political systems. It is against this backgroundthat this comparative study, interpretative
qualitative in nature, is carried out. The study
adopts a longitudinal multiple case-study approach
to investigate the teaching lives of six English
teachers working respectively in Shenzhen andHong Kong, focusing on how these teachers
perceive affordances (opportunities, possibilities)
and constraints in their teaching and how they
respond to the perceived affordances andconstraints, in this time of complexity in a changing
world.

Data sources include interviews,
teaching journals, school visits, andschool documents. A close examinationand comparison of two groups of inservice teachers in two different sociopolitical and educational contexts
extends our understanding of thecomplexities of teacher development, as
well as the interconnected relationships
between teacher agency, teacher
identity, and teacher autonomy in suchcontexts. Such a comparative study also
provides valuable insights into in-service
language teacher education practices forteacher educators, institutional
administrators, and policy makers.
This study was funded by the Research
Grants Council (RGC) of the Hong Kong
Special Administrative Region, China,
through their General Research Fund
(GRF). [RGC Ref No. 12607418].

Learning English“autonomously” in private
tutoring within a “nonautonomous” system: A
complexity theory
perspective

Dr Kevin W. H. Yung, Assistant Professor
The Education University of Hong Kong

Private tutoring is a prevalent out-ofschool language learning activity worldwide,
particularly in ESL/EFL contexts wherestudents learn English mainly to pass highstakes examinations and move upward
academically. Literally, students have theirautonomy to subscribe to English private
tutoring to supplement their learning in
mainstream schooling.

15

However, provided that the
majority of students are doing so, the rest
may hardly choose not to. In an education
system where learning English is highly
instrumentally valued, it is questionable
whether learners have full autonomy tochoose what and how they should learn in
the language classroom and beyond. Thissituation may be fuelled by private
tutoring which has been criticised as
encouraging teacher-dependence andundermining learner autonomy.
Through the lens of complexity
theory, this study aims to understand thedegree of autonomy students have in
learning ESL in a complex educational
context where mainstream schooling andprivate tutoring coexist. An online survey
was administered to 479 Secondary Six
students enrolled in English tutorialclasses in a cram school in Hong Kong. The
participants were asked whether they
considered private tutoring could increase
their self-learning ability. Focus groupinterviews were then conducted with 64
of the questionnaire respondents to
explain their responses and elicit theirviews on learner autonomy in tutoring.
The data reveal learners’ paradoxical
attitudes towards the development oflearner autonomy in private tutoring
within the complex education system andthe wider sociocultural context. Whilesome participants lamented that all thematerials were provided in tutoring, thus
limiting their choice of learning content,others exercised their agency in choosing
what type of instruction they wanted tofollow and selected resources that suited
their personal needs. The study
challenges the view that teacherdependence and learner autonomy aremutually exclusive and proposes thatprivate tutoring can be a platform forstudents to learn English autonomously
within a “non-autonomous” system.

>>>>>>>

Abstracts from the
AILA ReNLA symposium
Autonomous
Language
Learning in the
teenage EFL
classroom

This suggests that a more holistic
approach that includes additional skills andtakes the teens' identity into account candrive learner success.
References

Prof. Dr. Carmen Becker
TU Braunschweig, Germany

A look at institutionalized EFL
environments reveals that the focus on testoriented learning and standardized programs
leaves little space for the personal development oflearners' self, and that this focus can decrease
engagement and passion for learning. Textbook
analyses reveal that students are often confronted
with scripted tasks that focus largely on language
reproduction (Becker & Roos, 2016).
This combination of meagre learner choice,autonomy and control often fails to access thelearner's full potential. In contrast, surveys showthat a majority of today's teenagers engage inpersonal WEB 2.0 affinity spaces that allow selfexpression and new skill development, confronting
them with authentic EFL resources andcustomizable content (Albert et al., 2019). This
paper explores prepared foreign language
environments which merge personal withinstitutionalized learning spaces and stimulate
constructive learner activities, engagement andcompetency development through creative selfexpression.
It demonstrates how students prepare andcreate personal learning environments, and how
meaningful tasks permeate learning boundaries,
allowing learners to bring multifaceted skills to thelanguage learning process. Empirical interview dataoffer insights into teenage learners' perceptions of
optimal conditions for language acquisition, deeplearning, and motivation and allow the deductionof key features for Learner Autonomy and agency
in the EFL classroom. Findings reveal that students
reflecting on their learning process often mention
additional skills that are seemingly unrelated toforeign language learning.

Albert et al. (2019). Jugend 2019. 18. Shell
Jugendstudie. Weinheim: Beltz
Becker, C. & Roos, J. (2016). An approach tocreative speaking activities in the young
learners’ classroom. Education Inquiry 7(1), 916.

Language Learner Autonomy andSocial Networks during
Residence Abroad: Autonomous
Chinese-Speaking Students’
Linguistic and Social
Experiences in a UK University

Dr Xinyang Lu,
University of Southampton, UK

This multiple case study employs ethnographic
methods to track how autonomous Chinesespeaking sojourners at a UK university seek out
the affordances offered by their non-Chinese
speaking social networks to achieve theirlanguage learning and other personal goals. It
adopts an ecological perspective (e.g.
Palfreyman, 2014) to investigate the construct oflanguage learner autonomy and how it ismediated in different social eco-systems.

16

Chinese-speaking sojourners are currently thelargest proportion of international students
across UK universities (HESA 2020), However,
it is reported most of these sojourners have a
low level of social integration into the local
and international communities in the UK (e.g.
Wu, 2014, Gu & Schweisfurt, 2017, Page,2019), which has given rise to the notion of'Chinese phantom' (Urban Dictionary 2020).
Nonetheless, there is a lack of research
investigating any successful Chinese-speaking
sojourners who exhibit their autonomy
through standing out of their co-nationals andparticipating in local and international social
networks during their study abroad to have
linguistic and non-linguistic encounters toachieve their language learning and otherpersonal goals.
To bridge this gap, data is gathered throughfifteen semi-structured narrative interviews,
eight participant observations followed byeight observation interviews in four different
social settings with six main participants.
The findings predominantly identify a set of
newly-discovered strategies employed bythese six main participants which are notrecorded in the existing taxonomies ofLanguage Learning Strategies proposed by
Oxford (2013). The findings show that theseautonomous sojourners not only employ a setof strategies to deal with language issues but
also socio-cultural contexts and identity issues
in different social settings in the UK. For
example, the results show that one of theautonomous sojourners exercises his agency
to initially employ a newly-observed‘Concealing Identity Strategy' to hide his selfperceived atheist identity, thus obtaining
access to a religious setting which he considers
otherwise inaccessible for his language
learning.
Therefore, this multiple-case study provides
insight into the role of learner autonomy
amongst a group of international students andhow it can be socially mediated in a complex
transnational world based on the ecologicalperspective.

>>>>>>>

Abstracts from the
AILA ReNLA symposium
Towards teacher and learnerautonomy through case pedagogy
in initial teacher education: An
analysis of the development ofprofessional competences

Manzano Vázquez, B. (2014). Die case method
in der Lehrerausbildung für Lernerautonomie
im Fremdsprachenunterricht. Jahrbuch
Deutsch als Fremdsprache, 40, 177-188

An Investigation into EFL
Teachers’ Beliefs about Learner
Autonomy in Chinese Art
Colleges

Being an Informal Language
Teaching Practitioner: A
Narrative Study on Identity
Tensions of a ClassroomTeacher-Turned YouTuber
Dr Chin-chi Chao
Department ofEnglish, National
Chengchi University

Dr Borja Manzano Vázquez. Department ofEnglish and German Philology,
Dr Manuel Jiménez Raya. Department of English
and German Philology,
University of Granada, Spain.
Case pedagogy is increasingly being
advocated as a promising approach to teacher
education for autonomy (see Jiménez Raya andVieira, 2015; Manzano Vázquez, 2014) since cases
can help equip (prospective) teachers with theprofessional skills and competences necessary to
implement pedagogy for autonomy (PA) in theirclassroom and provide them with the avenue toexplore the uncertainty and complexity of teaching
through pedagogical inquiry, thus enhancing theirprofessional expertise and development. In themodule Learning and Teaching of English as a
FL developed at the University of Granada (Spain),cases have become an essential tool for preparing
pre-service teachers to foster learner autonomy(LA) in their teaching practice and explore theirown autonomy as teachers. One of the strategies ofthe module requires the trainees to promote LA
during their practicum and write their own
teaching case on the promotion of PA. The aim of
this paper is to analyse different cases developedby the student teachers during the enactment of
PA in their practicum experience in order todetermine what dimensions of professional
competence towards autonomy identified by
Jiménez Raya, Lamb and Vieira (2017) they
developed.
These dimensions include 1) developing a
critical view of (language) education, 2) centring
teaching on learning, 3) managing local constraints
so as to open up spaces for manoeuvre, and 4)
interacting with others in the professional
community.
References
Jiménez Raya, M., Lamb, T., & Vieira, F. (2017).
Mapping autonomy in language education: A
framework for learner and teacher development.
Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang.
Jiménez Raya, M., & Vieira, F. (2015). Enhancing
Autonomy in Language Education: A Case-based
Approach to Teacher and Learner Development.
New York: Mouton de Gruyter.

Dr Zhifang Xiao & Dr Xuemei Zhao
Shandong University of Arts, China
Learner autonomy is the key to theeffective learning of English, and the role ofteachers is crucial. This paper investigates
EFL teachers’ beliefs about learner autonomy
in art colleges, reveals the status quo of theirlearner autonomy beliefs and puts forward
feasible suggestions in order to provide
evidence for the reform and development ofEnglish teaching in art colleges.
Thirty three English teachers from
Chinese art colleges participated in thisstudy. The results show that the majority ofteachers had a clear understanding of learnerautonomy, and affirm the effectiveness oflearner autonomy in English teaching andlearning. It is commonly believed thatlearner-centered classroom teaching is the
key to promote learner autonomy. Among all
the factors, EFL learners’ learning motivation,
self-monitoring and evaluation ability are thekey factors to realize learner autonomy. The
main challenges and difficulties in realizing
learner autonomy include: low English level,
poor sense of learning responsibility, large
class size, limited teaching equipment,
deficient teaching materials, and the lack ofadministrative support. Effective solutions toenhance learner autonomy include:
strengthening teachers' pre-service training,
improving teacher autonomy, diversifying
classroom teaching materials, and enrichingteaching resources. It is expected that
English teaching in art colleges canbe enhanced with the joint effort of bothteachers and learners, and students canfinally become autonomous learners.
Keywords: Learner autonomy; teachers’
beliefs, language teaching

17

Compared with informal
language learning that has become a heatedline of CALL research, informal
language teaching, such as that bypractitioners who teach or provide informal
learning content on YouTube, has received
little research attention. This narrativeinquiry accompanied one Chinese teacher as
she reflected on her experience quitting her
normal teaching job and participating fulltime as a member of a language-teaching
YouTuber team for a period of three years.
Data collected included narratives, in-depth
interviews, as well as video work.
Drawing on Benson’s (2011)
Dimensions of Language Learning andTeaching Beyond the Classroom (LBC), theanalysis used formality to focus on perceived
legitimacy and identity as a teacher on
YouTube; pedagogy, her negotiated“teaching” practice; locus of control, her
control as to what to teach and how to teachit; and location, contextual features of theYouTube that impacts informal teachingpractice.
The result shows that behind the LBC
practice the prevailing view that YouTube
does not offer serious learning is always
lurking and creates ambivalence and identity
tensions. It highlights the tension between
formal and informal teaching communities,
suggesting that teachers could be
discouraged from engaging in emerging LBC
practice because of widely perceived bias>>>>>>>

From the AL Symposium at the AILA Congress in Groningen – 2021, organised
by Jo Mynard, Giovanna Tassinari, and Christian Ludwig
Jo Mynard & Giovanna Tassinari
Navigating Learner Autonomy in a Multicultural and Multilingual
World — A Reflective Dialogical Approach
Purpose of the symposium
The aim of this symposium was twofold: to explore how theconcept of learner autonomy as an educational approach has evolved in
the wake of the 21st century, and to look at how understandings andpractical implementations of learner autonomy may be congruent or
differ across educational, institutional, linguistic and cultural contexts.
The idea for this symposium stemmed from a multi-country research
project conducted by the organisers (Ludwig, Tassinari & Mynard, 2020)
which collected insights into different conceptual networks andpractices of learner autonomy. During the symposium, presentersshared narratives and research results and engaged in reflective
dialogue on ways of developing learner autonomy in multilingual andmulticultural institutions. Ultimately, this led us to reflect on the role ofEnglish as a common language in conceptualising and implementing
autonomous pedagogy. In addition, we explored the common anddistinctive features of our conceptual associations with autonomy in
English and other languages.
Presentations
There were 12 presentations throughout the whole day session
and up to 30 participants. The symposium began with a plenary talk by
Alice Chik, who discussed findings from a curriculum and education
policy review project in Australia. Although learner autonomy isfeatured in language curricula other than English (e.g. Arabic, Italianand Japanese), sadly, learner autonomy is missing from the English
curriculum. As English is the only language requirement in theAustralian education system, the presenter explained how this has
implications for teacher and language teacher education in
multicultural and multilingual contexts. The next presentation was by
Ryoko De Burgh-Hirabe and Kerstin Dofs, who shared some findings
from an action research project in New Zealand (Tukua et al., 2020). The
project promoted collaborative autonomous language learning among
students who learn Māori and those who learn Japanese. Next, Vasiliki
Celia Antoniou proposed a framework for fostering dialogic interaction
with learners intended to render concept map instructional materials as
cognitive tools to regulate learner L2 use and understanding ofacademic concepts. After that, Kristen Hiller introduced two different
programs and discussed learner autonomy and engagement incomputer-mediated and independent language learning contexts. This
presentation was followed by one by Yoshio Nakai and Masako
Wakisaka who showed how reflective dialogue fosters learnerautonomy and can trigger a transformative change in learning Japanese
as a second language. In another Japan-based project, Ryo Moriya
explored the unity of cognition and emotion in collaborative advisory
sessions by sharing a qualitatively-driven mixed-methods study.
After the break, Christian Ludwig, Jo Mynard & Giovanna
Tassinari gave a brief overview of their book centred around reflecting
on and navigating learner autonomy in a multilingual and multicultural
world (Ludwig, Tassinari, & Mynard, 2020). Next, Katja Heim exploredlearner autonomy in diverse educational frameworks by giving
examples from the German and Austrian contexts (Burkert et al., 2020).
After that, Chrysogonus Siddha Malilang explored the progression ofautonomy associated with becoming a (creative) writer throughinstructed immersion. The presenter identified the elements ofautonomy as potential ‘seeds’ for developing / improving creative
writing teaching methods.

Next, Larissa Dantas Rodrigues Borges looked at theautonomization process through the lens of complexity by sharing a
study of TEFL students’ trajectories. This was followed by apresentation by Diego Mideros and Paola Palma who reported on aphenomenological study from Trinidad and Tobago that looked atautonomous learners of Spanish in an English-speaking Caribbean
context (Mideros et al., 2020). Finally, Vanessa Mota and Bruna
Vargas explored social media and autonomy, in particular bythinking about racism and sexism during an ESP course in Brazil.
Discussion
There were several opportunities for discussion during the
symposium where participants were asked to consider:● What is your take-home from this symposium?
● Based on what you heard today, is there anything you will try
in your research / practice?
Participants reported that the symposium had enabled themto consider many aspects of autonomy in multicultural contexts,
particularly the concept of mediation across cultures and the social
dimensions of autonomy. In addition, influenced by Diane LarsenFreeman’s excellent plenary presentation (From the 'What If's' to
the 'So What's’: Updating our understanding of second language
development from a Complex Dynamic Systems perspective),
participants also discussed complexity theory and learnerautonomy. These different perspectives highlight the need to take
into account the tight interrelation of individual and social
dimensions of autonomy both in autonomy-fostering practices andin research.
References
Burkert, A., Heim, K., & Schwienhorst, K. (2020). Lernerautonomie in
Lehrerbildung und Sprachlehre an Universitäten: Drei Beispiele aus
Deutschland und Österreich /Teaching at university level: Three
examples from Germany and Austria. In C. Ludwig, M. G. Tassinari, &J. Mynard (Eds.). Navigating foreign language learner autonomy (pp.
188-253). Candlin & Mynard.
Ludwig, C., Mynard, J., & Tassinari, M. G. (2020). How do wenavigate foreign language learner autonomy? In C. Ludwig, M. G.
Tassinari, & J. Mynard (Eds.). Navigating foreign language learnerautonomy (pp. 1-7). Candlin & Mynard.
Ludwig, C., Tassinari, M. G., Mynard, J. (Eds.) (2020). Navigating
foreign language learner autonomy. Candlin & Mynard.
Mideros, D., Roberts, N., Palma, P., & Cardona-Villa, N. (2020).
Aprendientes autónomos de Español en un contexto del Caribe
angloparlante: Estudio fenomenológico en Trinidad y
Tobago/Autonomous learners of Spanish in an anglophone
Caribbean context: A phenomenological study in Trinidad andTobago. In C. Ludwig, M. G. Tassinari, & J. Mynard (Eds.). Navigating
foreign language learner autonomy (pp. 414-453). Candlin &Mynard.
Tukua, C., de Burgh-Hirabe, R., Kim, M., & Dofs, K. (2020). Preparing
them: Autonomous learning and teaching experiences by four
language educators in New Zealand. In C. Ludwig, M. G. Tassinari, &J. Mynard (Eds.). Navigating foreign language learner autonomy (pp.
125-147). Candlin & Mynard.

18>>>>>>>

Publications
Books

Book chapters

Benson, P. (2021). Language learning
environments: Spatial perspectives on SLA.
Bristol, UK: Multilingual Matters.

Bradley, J. P. & Warchulski, D. (2019). Promoting
student autonomy, engagement and interaction
through mobile-assisted language learning. In J.B. Son (Ed.), Context-specific Computer-Assisted
Language Learning. Research, development andpractice (pp. 75-101). Toowoomba, Queensland,
Australia: Asia-Pacific Association for ComputerAssisted Language Learning (APACALL).

Blanco-Hermida, M. (2021). How to Learn
Spanish: A guide to powerful principles andstrategies for successful learning and selfempowerment. London, UK: Hikari Press.
Blanco-Hermida, M. (2021). How to Teach
Language Learning Strategies: 4 simple steps
for successful independent language learning.
Warwickshire, UK: Lightwork press.

Dikilitaş, K. & Hanks, J. (Eds.). (2018).
Developing language teachers with
exploratory practice. Basingstoke, UK:
Palgrave Macmillan.
Dikilitaş, K., Griffiths, C. (2017). Developing
language teacher autonomy through action
research. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave
Macmillan.
Hiver, P. Al-Hoorie, A. H, & Mercer, S. (2020).
Student engagement in the language
classroom. Bristol, UK: Multilingual Matters.
Jimenez Raya, M., & Vieira, F. (Eds.) (2020).
Autonomy in language education: Theory,
research and practice. Routledge.
Jiménez Raya, M. & Vieira, F. (Eds.). (2021).
Autonomy in language education: Theory,
research and practice. New York, NY:
Routledge.
Ludwig, C., Tassinari, M.G., & Mynard, J. (Eds.)(2020). Navigating foreign language learning
autonomy. Hong Kong: Candlin & Mynard.
Menegale, M. (Ed.). (2019). Autonomy inlanguage learning: Getting learners actively
involved. Hong Kong: Candlin & Mynard.
Mideros, D. (2021). Am I an autonomous
language learner? Self-perceived autonomy in
Trinidad and Tobago: Sociocultural
perspectives. Hong Kong: Candlin & Mynard.
Murray, G. (Ed.). (2014). The social dimensionsof autonomy in language learning. Palgrave
Macmillan.
Murray, G., & Fujishima, N. (Eds.). (2016).
Social spaces for language learning: Stories
from the L-café. Palgrave Macmillan.
Murray, G., & Lamb, T. (Eds.). (2018). Space,
place and autonomy in language learning.
Routledge.
Mynard, J., Burke, M., Hooper, D., Kushida, B.,
Lyon, P., Sampson, R., & Taw, P. (2020).
Dynamics of a social language learning
community. Bristol, UK: Multilingual Matters.
Mynard, J. Tamala, M., & Peeters, W. (Eds.)(2020). Supporting learners and educators indeveloping language learner autonomy. HongKong: Candlin & Mynard.

Huang, J., Connelly, J., Tait, K., & Kim, L. (2018).
Co-teaching, co-authoring and co-publishing:
Fostering student and teacher autonomy inuniversity education. In A. Sivan, T. Chaudhuri,
S.Y. Cheung, E.Y.W. Wong, T. Kwong & L. Law(Eds.), Studies on Teaching and Learning Volume
4 (Chapter 1, pp. 1-22). Hong Kong: Pearson.
Yang, N. D. (2021). Promoting learner autonomy
through learning strategy instruction withcollege EFL students. In Z. Gavriilidou and L.
Mitits (Eds.), Situating language learning
strategy use: Present issues and future trends(pp. 242-267). Bristol, UK: Multilingual Maters.

Articles in academic journals
Alrabai, F. (2017). Exploring the unknown: The
autonomy of Saudi EFL learners. English
Language Teaching, 10(5), 221-232.

Ardi, P. (2017). Promoting learner autonomy
through Schoology m-learning platform in an
EAP class at an Indonesian university. Teaching
English with Technology, 17(2), 55-76,
http://www.tewtjournal.org
Ali Abbas Falah Alzubi, Manjet Kaur Mehar Singh,
Ambigapathy Pandian (2017). The use of learnerautonomy in English as a foreign language
context among Saudi undergraduates enrolled in
preparatory year deanship at Najran University.
Advances in Language and Literary Studies, 8(2),152-160. DOI:
http://dx.doi.org/10.7575/aiac.alls.v.8n.2 p.152.
Dikilitaş, K., Smith, R., & Trotman, W. (2015).
Teacher-researchers in action. IATEFL:
Faversham, Kent.

Hawkins, M. W., Prado, J., & Austin, J. A. (2020).
Training tutors to promote self-directed learning
among university-bound English language
students. Nemityra, 2(1), 91-103.
Huang, J. (2021). Sustainability of professional
development: A longitudinal case study of anearly career ESL teacher’s agency and identity.
Sustainability, 13(16), 9025, 1-13. DOI:
10.3390/su13169025
Huang, J., Lock, K.Y.N., & Feng, T. (2019).
Autonomy in English language teaching: A casestudy of novice secondary school teachers inHong Kong. Chinese Journal of Applied
Linguistics, 42(1), 3-20.

Khaerudin, T. & Chik, A. (2021). Evaluating
Sedláčková, K., Chovancová, B. & Bilová, S. (Eds.) supports for learner autonomy in ELT textbooks.
(2020). The teacher’s role in developing learner The Journal of Asia TEFL, 18(1), 39-56.
http://dx.doi.org/10.18823/asiatefl.2021.18.1.3.
autonomy. Hong Kong: Candlin & Mynard.
39
Uhl Chamot, A. & Harris, V. (Eds.) (2019).
Learning strategy instruction in the language
classroom: Issues and implementation. Bristol,
119
UK: Multilingual Matters.

Koban-Koç, D., & Koç, S. E. (2016). Understanding
learner autonomy through cognitive,
metacognitive and social strategies used by
English language learners in a computer-basedclassroom. The Journal of Language Teaching and
Learning, 2, 58-69.
Long, N.N., & Huang, J. (2017). Exploring the
researcher identity of EFL teachers in a Chinese
Mainland university. Chinese Journal of Linguistics,
40(4), 371-391.
Ontai, D. (2021). Reflections on teacher’s role in
SRL. Academia Letters, Article 248.
https://doi.org/10.20935/AL248
Reeve, J. & Cheon, S.H. (2021). Autonomysupportive teaching: Its malleability, benefits, andpotential to improve educational practice.
Educational Psychologist, 56(1), 54-77.
https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520.2020.1862657

Teng, F., & Huang, J. (2019). Predictive effects ofwriting strategies for self-regulated learning on
secondary school learners’ EFL writing proficiency.
TESOL Quarterly. 53(1), 232-247.
Teng, F., & Huang, J. (2021). The effects ofincorporating metacognitive strategies instruction
into collaborative writing on writing complexity,
accuracy, and fluency. Asia Pacific Journal of
Education. First published online: 04 October
2021. DOI: 10.1080/02188791.2021.1982675
Watkins, S. (2019). Learners’ perceptions ofbenefits in a self-directed teletandem course: An
approach to encourage EFL learners to use English
outside the classroom. The Asian EFL Journal
Quarterly, 23(4.1), 4-29.
Yagcioglua, O. (2015). New approaches on learnerautonomy in language learning. Procedia - Social
and Behavioral Sciences, 199, 428-435.
Yung, K. W-H. (2018). Exploring the L2 selves ofsenior secondary students in English private
tutoring in Hong Kong. System 80, 120-133.
Yung, K. W-H. & Yuan, R. (2020). ‘The mostpopular star-tutor of English’: Discursive
construction of tutor identities in shadow
education. Discourse: Studies in the Cultural
Politics of Education, 41(1), 153-168.

Journal special issues
Carette, E. & Tassinari, M.G. (Eds.) (2019).
Enhancing autonomy in self-access language
centres: Experiences, reflections, new directions|Développer l’autonomie dans les centres delangues en libre accès : Expériences, réflexions,nouvelles orientations). Mélanges CRAPEL, 40(1).
https://www.atilf.fr/publications/revuesatilf/melanges-crapel/
Martos Ramos, J. J. & Trapassi, D. (Eds.) (2020).
Autonomía y aprendizaje de segundas lenguas.
Philología Hispalensis. Estudios Lingüisticos, 34(1).
https://doi.org/10.12795/PH.2020.v34.i01
Mynard, J., Peña Clavel, A., Liu, H., & Uzun, T.
(Eds.). (2020) Self-access and the Coronavirus
pandemic. Studies in Self-Access Learning Journal,
11(3). https://sisaljournal.org/archives/sep20/>>>>>>>

Useful to know
EventsResearch projects

RILAE

At KUIShttps://kuis.kandagaigo.ac.jp/rilae/research/
Learner Autonomy Search Engine & Repository
https://kuis.kandagaigo.ac.jp/rilae/repository/

Research Institute for Learner Autonomy
Education, Lab Sessions:
https://kuis.kandagaigo.ac.jp/rilae/labsessions/

IATEFL
Events organized by the Learner Autonomy
Special Interest Group of IATEFL
https://lasig.iatefl.org/
Among others:- Teacher autonomy, Webinar with Ebru Sınar
Okutucu and Metin Esen 15 January 2022, 9.00
UK time (online)- Pre-Conference Event, Affect, well-being, andautonomy in language learning and teaching,
16 May 2022 10:00-16:30 in Belfast, Northern
Ireland- Join the discussion in the Facebook Group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/4387983
19626641 (See page 20)

Victoria University of
Wellington, NZ
The Fourth International Conference on
Situating Strategy Use will be heldin Wellington, New Zealand 28-29 November,2022
https://na.eventscloud.com/website/21056/home/

Past Events
Journée Notions en Questions en didactiquedes langues L’autonomisation(slides available online)
https://www.atilf.fr/recherche/manifestations/colloques/20210122-je-neq-autonomisation/
Recent RILAE LAb session: Agency and Learner
Autonomy. Friday, December 3, 2021
(recordings available)(See page 21 for more information)
https://kuis.kandagaigo.ac.jp/rilae/labsessions/lab7/

PhD and MA theses
Ambinintsoa Razafindratsimba, V. D. (2020).
Fostering learner autonomy in an EFL
Malagasy context. (Doctoral dissertation). Te
Kura Tātari Reo: School of Linguistics andApplied Language Studies. Victoria University,
Wellington, New Zealand.
Borges, L. (2019). The autonomization process
in the light of complexity paradigm: a study ofthe learning trajectories of TEFL
undergraduate students. (Doctoral
dissertation). Federal University of Pará,
Brazil.
Castro, E. (2021). I feel therefore I teach:
Emotion regulation of in-service language
teachers. (Masters dissertation). Federal
University of Viçosa, Brazil.
Dofs, K. (2021). Internationalisation and EAL
student adjustment at a higher educational
institution: A leap through the dragon’s gate.
(Doctoral dissertation). Macquarie University,
Sydney, Australia.
Goseki, J. (2017). A study of university students’beliefs and attitudes to learner autonomy inlanguage learning. (Doctoral dissertation).
Gakushuin University, Japan.
Mideros, D. (2017). L2 learner autonomy/agency
among undergraduate Spanish students in
Trinidad: A phenomenological inquiry. (Doctoral
dissertation). The University of the West Indies,
St. Augustine Campus. St. Augustine, Trinidad,
W.I.
Yarwood, A. (2018). Motivating learning:
Exploring the effects of L2 Motivational Self
System-based instruction on Japanese university
students. (Masters dissertation). Graduate
School of Language and Linguistics of Sophia
University, Tokyo, Japan.

Academic Journals on
autonomy-related research andpractice
JASAL Journal (The journal of the Japan
Association for Self-Access Journal)
https://jasalorg.com/publications/
The Learner Development Journal
https://ldjournalsite.wordpress.com/
Relay Journal
https://kuis.kandagaigo.ac.jp/relayjournal/
Studies in Self-Access Learning Journal
https://sisaljournal.org/
Journée Notions en Questions en didactique deslangues « L’autonomisation »20210122 JE NeQ Autonomisation - ATILF |CNRS-UL

Call for contributions to thespecial issue of SiSAL in June
2022.
SiSAL normally focuses on selfdetermined studies beyond the classroom.
However, in this special issue we are consideringa broader context within the autonomous
learning field under the theme of “Autonomy in
the time of complexity in a changing world”.
Therefore, we are interested in articles
on all three subthemes in the AILA ReNLA
symposium;∙
Learner agency and identity in a changing
world∙
Teacher autonomy and professional
development in the time of complexity∙
Learning in the classroom and beyond,advising, self-access, and e-learning
For this SiSAL special issue, we welcome articles
of up to 5000 words.
Instructions for authors, from the Sisal
website:When preparing your manuscript, please use
British English or American English (beconsistent) and follow the APA 7 styleguidelines. Many authors find thiswebsite useful for APA conventions. Please
anonymise your manuscript before submission.
Please format your paper following theguidelines on this sample formatted paper.
Contributors are asked to take into accountthe following important factors when writing
their articles:❖ Articles should be relevant to this call forsubmissions.
❖ Articles should be well written and proofread
by at least one peer before submission.

The Autonomous Learning
Bibliography List
www.autonomybibliography.org(See page 2 for more information)120>>>>>>>ILA & Tandem learning
Independent Learning Association(ILA) Conference 2021 - “Developing
Autonomy in Language Learning
Adelia Peña Clavel
National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM)
The 2021 Independent Learning Association(ILA) Conference - “Developing Autonomy in Language
Learning” - was held online from June 28-30, 2021,
hosted by the National Autonomous University of
Mexico (UNAM). The conference featured 64 speakers
from three continents: America, Asia, and Europe. The
programme comprised six plenaries by international
professionals in the field of self-directed learning,
autonomy, and self-access learning.
We had 60 online sessions, 43 paper presentations, seven workshops, five
PechaKuchas, three panel discussions, and two book presentations. The presenters
and audience came from 10 different countries: Canada, China, Germany, Greece,
Japan, Italy, Trinidad and Tobago, Mexico, the United Kingdom and the United Statesof America. They presented on the themes of learner training, learner advising,activity design, and materials development for promoting autonomy beyond theclassroom. These presentations included a range of useful ideas and practices related
to language advising, promoting learner autonomy, and advisors’ reflections on theirexperiences during the pandemic and their views on the transformation of selfaccess spaces around the world.
On the first day our first plenary speaker Christina Gkonou (University ofEssex, UK) spoke about “Managing emotions for learner autonomy.” She explored
the way in which emotions are related to the development of learner autonomy andlanguage learning and the effect they have both on learners and on the wellbeing of
language teachers. In the afternoon, the second plenary speaker, Jo Mynard (Kanda
University of International Studies, Japan), using the lens of self-determination
theory (SDT), explored a range of strategies for helping language learners thrive
when they are learning outside class environments. On the second day, Lourdes
Cuellar (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México in Mexico) spoke about thinking
and learning. She demonstrated how our minds experience a constant flow of ideas
by inviting us to not think for a moment – which was easier said than done!
Katherine Thornton (Otemon Gakuin University, Osaka, Japan) reported on the workthat self-access centers in Japan are doing in relation to diversity and multilingualism,
inspiring us to reflect on how we might respond to this challenge in our own
contexts.
The final day included plenaries from Anja Burkert (Technische Universität,
Graz, Austria) and Lourdes Ortega (Georgetown University, USA). In her presentation
entitled “Learner autonomy in the university classroom: Exploring opportunities andexperiencing limits,” Anja reported on how, by making several modest changes toher university language classes and her online teaching, she identified promising
ways of supporting her learners’ developing autonomy. Lourdes’ presentation
explored how language educators can best support “agentive” language learning andteaching while reminding us of the ways in which geopolitical conditions will
inevitably impact learners’ language learning experiences.
The 2021 conference of the Independent Learning Association (ILA) also
provided a wonderful opportunity for the members of three different associations tomeet up: the IATEFL Learner Autonomy Special Interest Group (LASIG), the Japan
Association for Self Access Learning (JASAL), and the Mexican Red de Aprendizaje
Autonomo en Lenguas (RAAL), our Mexican Language Learning Autonomy Network.

Next
ILA
Although the venue for the 2023
ILA Conference has not yet been
confirmed, there is an exciting
possibility that it may move toEurope for the first time in ILA’s
history. Discussions are currently
underway with a university inTurkey, so watch this space!

Scan the QR
code for the
ILA Conference
Website21

Virtual Language Learning Project with
Teletándem
The Mediateca is a self-access language center(SALC) at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico(UNAM) which aims to promote autonomy in language
learning. In this space, university staff, teachers andstudents come to study foreign languages at theirconvenience. They also develop learning profiles and work
plans based on their needs with the support of either alearning advisor or a teacher specialized in self-directed
learning (the academic staff who work in the SALC). In the
SALC, language learners can find learning materials anddidactic resources especially designed for learning foreign
languages in self-access mode.
Teletándem experiences were initially established withnative speakers of the learners’ target language. However,currently in other countries and occasionally at theMediateca, language exchanges have been arranged not
only with native speakers of the target language, but alsowith students who are proficient at using that foreign
language due to their having lived for a long time in the
country where the target language is spoken and acquired acompetence comparable to that of native speakers.
Since 2008 we have offered such sessions at theMediateca of the Escuela Nacional de Lenguas Lingüística yTraducción/ Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico(ENALLT -UNAM) for learners of English. However, today weoffer Teletándem sessions for Chinese, Korean, Portuguese,
German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish and Russian learners andintend to continue increasing the range of languages inwhich we offer Teletándem sessions.
In the Mediateca, we offer two types of Teletándem
exchange: independent and programmed. In the
independent sessions, the advisor provides the Mediateca
learner with the email address of a student from one of ourparticipating universities and the two students negotiate
the topics they wish to talk about and their preferredconversation times. Teachers maintain contact with thestudents by email and, in the case of the Mediateca,through its advisory service. The programmed sessions arearranged between two groups of learners, one from theMediateca and the other from a foreign university, atscheduled times. For these sessions, teachers establish theactivities and outcomes in advance. In general, the activities
are closely linked to the learners’ program of study,
although sometimes they are based on the students’particular interests. Generally, these sessions last from 50
to 90 minutes. Time is equally distributed between use of
the mother tongue (L1) and of the foreign language (L2).
We tend to run these sessions in one-hour blocks, with 25
minutes spent using the learners’ L1 and 25 minutes using
their L2. Students also spend 10 minutes each sessioninteracting with the advisor and discussing learning events.
If you have any questions about our Teletándem
sessions, we would be happy to schedule a videoconferencewith you and, if you are interested, start planning for a
future collaboration.
My contact details are:Mtra. María de la Paz Adelia Peña Clavel
Coordinadora de la Mediateca
Escuela Nacional de Lenguas, Lingüística y Traducción
National Autonomous University of Mexico
coord.mediateca@enallt.unam.mx>>>>>>>

What is LASIG?
LASIG is the Learner Autonomy Special Interest Group of IATEFL, the International Associationof Teachers of English as a Foreign Language. LASIG promotes giving learners more autonomy
in the classroom by putting them in charge of their own learning.

Our main goals are:to address the interests and needs of students, teachers, learning advisers, teacher educatorsand researchers who are interested in autonomy in language learning and all that it implies
to raise awareness of issues related to autonomy in language learning
to explore, investigate and develop practices and strategies for the implementation of
language learner autonomy
to provide a forum for discussion through publications and events
to offer opportunities for networking globally and cross-culturally

Upcoming Events

LASiG hosts andsponsors many
events throughout
the year. Recordingsof selected events areavailable formembers only.

https://lasig.iatefl.org/
lasig@iatefl.org
LASiG FaceBook

Teacher Autonomy Webinar
In this webinar on January 15, 2022 9:00 UK time, we aim tohighlight the importance of teacher autonomy and give you handson tools and activities to use in your classroom. The event is freebut registration is required.
Read more about our Teacher autonomy webinar.
Coffee and Chocolate with LASIG
Informal chat with LASIG on the topic of giving feedback. 19
February 2022, 9.00 UK time (online)
No registration is necessary for this event and it is free of charge.
Join us on Zoom via this link.
Read more about our Coffee and Chocolate hour here.
IATEFL Pre-Conference Event (PCE)
16 May, 2022 10:00-16:30, 2022 in Belfast, Northern Ireland
The focus is on:
Affect, well-being, and autonomy in language learning andteaching
Sarah Mercer will be our plenary speaker.
Learn more about our 2022 PCE here22>>>>>>>

The Research Institute for Learner Autonomy Education (RILAE) was established at Kanda University ofInternational Studies in Japan in 2017 and is a resource for teachers and researchers around the world
who are interested in learner and teacher autonomy. The aim of RILAE is to promote research,
professional development, and best practice in developing lifelong and life-wide autonomous learning.
We do this through:✓ an active community of practitioners and researchers [read about our research projects]✓ free online sessions for professional development and sharing best practice in research and practiceof autonomy [read about the LAb sessions]✓ opportunities to publish in one of our open-access journals [SiSAL Journal or Relay Journal]✓ short courses in the areas of advising and autonomy [learn more here]✓ a repository of research instruments for autonomy-related studies [learn more here]✓ a learner autonomy search engine and repository LASER [learn more here]
We welcome involvement from✓ practicing teachers or other professionals who want to share and deepen their knowledge ofadvising and facilitating learner autonomy✓ researchers who would like to spend time working on one of our existing projects, or proposing
another (related to language learner autonomy)✓ students and researchers considering further academic study in a supportive environment

23>>>>>>>

Kerstin’s initiative to revive the AILA ReNLA Newsletter provides a
wonderful opportunity to network and to feature the work that the learnerautonomy community produces – many times in their little corners of theworld and with limited support, or at times misunderstood by other applied
linguists. Through this newsletter, Kerstin has achieved her goals of featuring
who’s who in our network, what we do, and the network’s bylaws, as well as
giving information on events and publications. The words of wisdom from
Sarah and Garold as former conveners remind us of who we are as acommunity, where we come from, and the important role of our community
for the future.
The ReNLA symposium that Andy, Kerstin, and I organised for thisyear’s online AILA World Congress 2021 is nicely summarised by Andy in his
account of the calibre of presentations that we enjoyed on August 18th. We
worked hard between 2018 and 2019 for the original 2020 congress and wewere deeply disappointed that we could not meet physically as we hadoriginally planned. Nevertheless, we were pleased to be able to see oldfriends and colleagues as well as some new faces with amazing new ideas,
despite it happening via a screen. It was definitely difficult to work aroundthe time differences with presenters from different continents and time
Diego Mideros
zones. In my particular case, living in the Americas, I had to be ready at 2
a.m. for the morning sessions while the afternoon sessions began a 8am forMarcella Menegale discussed her experience promoting learnerme; I am sure everyone outside of Europe had similar experiences. Despite and teacher autonomy among a group of MA student-teachers in Italy.
the time differences, the symposium was a success and we enjoyed fruitful While her course helped students gain awareness of L2 curriculum design
discussions resulting from the quality of the presentations and the ideas issues, her students struggled to understand how they could integrate acontributed by researchers and research projects in different countries. In pedagogy for learner autonomy in their teaching lessons and materials.
this newsletter, those who were unable to attend can get a glimpse of the Jing Huang’s Hong -Kong based research sought to examine novice insymposium’s presentations. Some of the participants generously accepted service teachers’ development in the areas of identity, agency andour invitation to submit summaries of their presentations and others autonomy. His project involved a comparative case-study that investigatedgranted us permission to publish the abstracts they submitted to AILA. In an six English teachers and their perceptions of affordances and constraints ineffort to recap the contents of this newsletter, the following is a brief their teaching contexts. Finally, Diego Mideros and Paola Palma
thematic commentary on both summaries and abstracts.
emphasised the pivotal role that teachers play in promoting learning
Learner autonomy is a field of inquiry where, as researchers and beyond the classroom (LBC) in formal settings. In promoting the use of anpractitioners, we are in a permanent quest to find ways to improve the online platform for independent Spanish LBC, they discovered that
language learning experience of our learners. All the presentations in our teachers need to help learners to see the potential in materials andsymposium placed language learners and teachers at the centre of their resources they use for LBC. Where teachers do not see the potential in a
research. Jo Mynard and Giovanna Tassinari discussed advising in language particular learning resource, they will be unable to promote its use among
learning. Jo Mynard’s research found evidence of autonomy among the learners. Many of the ReNLA Symposium presentations shared an interest
learners who use the self-access centre at her university in Japan. However, in technology and the use of digital resources for teaching and learning,
her research also found the need to provide more support for learners to get including those of Michael Carroll, Carmen Becker, Leena Kuure and Riikka
a stronger sense of competence and relatedness, areas where language Tumelius, and Diego Mideros and Paola Palma.
learning advisors can play a key role. Giovanna Tassinari described how
Our ReNLA was not the only symposium on learner autonomy atcomplexity theory has enhanced her understanding of language learning AILA 2021. Our colleagues Jo Mynard, Giovanna Tassinari, and Christianadvising. This understanding has enabled her to see “the bigger picture of Ludwig held a symposium entitled Navigating learner autonomy in a
the advising process,” - a process that entails paying closer attention to multicultural and multilingual world – A reflective dialogical approach.
individual elements (motivation, beliefs, emotions, and so on) associated This symposium featured 12 presentations and sought to explore how thewith both advisee and advisor, paying attention to the advisee-advisor concept of learner autonomy has evolved in the wake of the 21st century,interaction from both internal and external factors in their interaction, and and how understandings and practical implementations of learnerconsidering concrete external factors together with larger institutional and autonomy vary across educational, institutional, linguistic, and culturalsocial influences.
contexts. In yet another symposium Mira Kim discussed Personalised
Naturally, many presentations focused on language learners English Language Enhancement (PELE), a programme that seeks to help
operating in different contexts. Michael Carroll’s research looked at the way multilingual international university students in Australia to apply athat Japanese students learning English as a foreign language used different Personalised Autonomous model. Based on data collected between 2018
online spaces. He paid particular attention to the L2 identities that emerged and 2020, Mira found that PELE helped the students improve theiras learners told stories about themselves using those digital resources to confidence using all four skills in English, particularly academic speaking,learn English. He argues that students’ experiences interacting with online and engage more, both academically and socially.
resources and their narrative accounts of such experiences provide valuable
Although the 2021 AILA Congress was held under unprecedented
information about their identities. Carmen Becker’s research featured circumstances, the inclusion of two Symposia on learner autonomy, eachteenage learners in Germany who created personal learning environments with multiple presentations, proves that our field is more dynamic thanthat allowed them to bring multifaceted skills to the language learning ever. The COVID-enforced transition to online learning has undoubtedly
process. Kevin Yung discussed autonomy and private tutoring in Hong Kong. piqued the interest of many concerning issues related to learning
In this context, students complement mainstream schooling with private autonomously and/or independently. We are confident that many
classes to ensure that they are fully prepared to pass high-stakes language teachers around the world have begun asking themselves
examinations. He argues that private tutoring can also be a platform for questions related to learner autonomy, questions that our field canstudents to learn autonomously rather than having to depend on a teacher. provide answers to, or questions that can expand our views and
Xinyang Lu’s research on language strategies employed by Chinese-speaking understandings of learner autonomy.
sojourners in UK universities, focused on a student who hid his selfIt is now time for Andy, Kerstin, and me to say goodbye as ReNLA
perceived atheist identity so he could access a religious setting to practise conveners. We would have loved to see you in Groningen. As the 2017his English.
2021 conveners, we wish our successors Christine Nicolaides and Christine
Other presentations focused on teachers, either pre-service or in- O’Leary all the best for their term and much success in planning the next
service teachers. Leena Kuure and Riikka Tumelius reported on a study with ReNLA symposium to be held at AILA in Kuala Lumpur in 2024 along withpre-service teachers in a language teacher education programme in Finland. other related activities. We hope to see you in KL in 2024 when we canThey found that pre-service teachers attempted to incorporate technology shake hands and hug each other once again.
and encouraged children to engage with the language via a variety of online
activities.
24

A Convener’s
Afterword