THE LEARNER DEVELOPMENT JOURNAL
学習者ディベロップメント研究部会誌
ISSN: 2433-5401
https://ldjournal.ld-sig.org

The Learner Development Journal Issue 7:
Challenging the Conventions of Learner Development Research
Author: Dominique Vola Ambinintsoa
Title: Concluding Commentary: Reflect, Write, and Share
Date of publication online: 2023
DOI: https://doi.org/10.37546/JALTSIG.LDJ7-10
Author contact: <razafindratsimba-d(at)kanda(dot)kuis(dot)ac(dot)jp>
Published by the Japan Association for Language Teaching
Learner Development Special Interest Group, Tokyo
https://ld-sig.org/
Copyright 2023 each respective author
This article can be cited as:
Ambinintsoa, D. V. (2023). Concluding commentary: Reflect, write, and share. The Learner
Development Journal, 7, 180–187. https://doi.org/10.37546/JALTSIG.LDJ7-10

This article is part of a collection of practitioner research on the theme of “Challenging theConventions in Learner Development Research” for Issue 7 of the Learner Development
Journal (LDJ7), edited by Ellen Head, Aya Hayasaki, and Ryo Moriya. Published once a year,
each issue of the Learner Development Journal follows a Community of Practices approachover a period of approximately 18 months in which contributors work together, under theguidance of the editors, to share, respond to, and develop their research and writing.
Articles are published in the Learner Development Journal under a Creative Commons Attribution
License (CC BY), of which CC BY 4.0 is the most recent version. Under this agreement, authors
grant users the right to unrestricted dissemination and re-use of the work. They ask only thatproper attribution is given to the work.

COMMENTARY
Concluding Commentary: Reflect, Write, and Share
Dominique Vola Ambinintsoa, Kanda University of International
Studies, Japan<razafindratsimba-d(at)kanda(dot)kuis(dot)ac(dot)jp>
It is a privilege for me to write this commentary for Learner Development Journal Issue
7 (LDJ7), Challenging the Conventions in Learner Development Research. Since I started
researching on learner autonomy a few years ago, I have realized the importance of“unconventional” ways of learning. By “unconventional,” I mean opportunities to explore
what and how learners would like to learn according to their goals and interests. Forme, that is what is referred to as “taking charge of one’s own learning,” the common
definition of learner autonomy. Similarly, I think it is also important that teachers
and researchers are allowed to be unconventional in their teaching and researchrespectively and exercise their teacher autonomy and research autonomy.
The main theme that I found in common in the articles is reflection, defined as “theintentional examination of experiences, thoughts and actions in order to learn about
oneself and inform change or personal growth” (Mynard, 2023, pp. 23-24). All the articles
discuss and/or involve the use and importance of reflection to a certain extent. Edsall’s
paper, by giving a theoretical overview, invites us (teachers) to reflect on conventions
about learner autonomy before suggesting the adoption of a complexity perspective
and Critical Realism (Edsall et al., 2023). While some authors focus on learners’ reflection
using narratives, interviews, and questionnaires, others share their reflection on teachingpractices and journeys by means of interviews, autoethnography, autobiographicalstories, and written dialogue. Based on these themes and the findings from each article,
I will divide this commentary into two main parts: reflection on learning and reflection onteaching. I will conclude by giving some suggestions for learner development and teacher
development based on what I have learned from the work in LDJ7.

Reflection on learning

Reflection is said to be a necessary part of the language learning process (Mynard et al.,2023) and is indispensable for the development of learner autonomy (Little et al., 2017), as
it enhances metacognitive awareness and learner involvement (Cotterall, 2017). According
to Reinders (2023), “Reflection is the heart and soul of language learning” (p. xiii).
From my observations as a learning advisor and my research on learner autonomy, theresults of the use of reflection have been quite positive. For instance, I found that reflecting
on their learning raises students’ awareness of their capacity and responsibility to takecharge of their learning (Ambinintsoa, 2020), and some students even initiated reflection
in other courses at the university and beyond the classroom, as they valued the benefits ofreflection they gained in my class (Ambinintsoa, 2023). Although some students may findreflection not easy or enjoyable, they still view it as useful (Ambinintsoa & MacDonald, 2023).
Having those positive findings in mind, reading Morioka’s article was rather an eye-opener
for me, as he shows that reflection activities may not always be as effective as is often
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thought. If students consider reflection as a mere requirement rather than an opportunity
to evaluate themselves or aspects of their learning, reflection can be seen as a tedioustask and is not as valuable as it should be (Morioka, 2023). As Morioka’s students are notmajoring in English, like most of the participants in my research above were, I understandthat reflecting in English can be challenging for them. In his conclusion, Morioka highlights
two important points. The first is about the necessity to give students (especially the ones
with low proficiency) time to write their opinions before having them discuss in groups.
The second is about students’ completing the reflection sheet as a mere requirement. If
students know that they will need to discuss their reflections with their peers, they may
answer the questions in a more personal way. Furthermore, discussing their reflections
may be more motivating for them, as that gives them the opportunity to share their ideas,
feelings, and experiences; for that to be done smoothly, it will be necessary to provide
them with useful vocabulary helping them to reflect deeper (Ambinintsoa & MacDonald,2023). Additionally, reflecting with other people can generate new themes for reflection,
as demonstrated in both Barfield and Nakayama’s and Yarwood’s articles.
Yarwood uses “narrative as both process and product” (Yarwood, 2023, p. 12). This
enabled her student, Hiroto, to retell his story related to his self-directed language
learning (SDLL) experience including his flux of emotions. From that story retelling, thestudent gained a metacognitive self-awareness, which according to Yarwood, helped
him grow as a learner. As a learning advisor in the institution where Yarwood’s research
took place, I am very familiar with SDLL and the issues students commonly have when
taking it, such as “postponing” the assignment due to lack of time management andbeing “overestimators.” I have witnessed the excitement of freshman students at the
beginning of the SDLL module, then being overwhelmed due to assignments andpart-time jobs three or four weeks later, and finally dropping out. It is reassuring to seethat the student in Yarwood’s research was able to complete the SDLL module despite
his “overestimator” identity and to finish it with satisfaction, which he connected tothe development of his self-awareness. Also, it was clear from the research that his
advising session with his learning advisor played an important part in his becoming
more positive. That validates how learning advisors can play the role of listeners andmotivators by using empathy (Kato & Mynard, 2015). This sheds light on how powerfuladvising, which is still less conventional in language learning, can be in transforming
students’ experience at a fundamental level. Using a narrative as a product, Yarwood
conveys to the readers a message advocating that (re)telling one’s own story can be a
powerful tool enabling self-reflection and discovery of one’s identity, which is in line withwhat Harrison demonstrates in his paper on autoethnography (described in the next
section).
Like Yarwood, Kawasaki’s research is similarly related to emotions. In her article, sheinvestigates the impact of peer interaction on students’ emotion regulation (ER). Her
findings show that peer interaction can positively influence ER in a way that students’positive emotions increased thanks to the dialogue and collaboration emanating from thepeer interaction. I especially appreciate her emphasis that “it is not that students’ negative
emotions disappeared through peer interaction, but rather that positive emotions became
more dominant than negative emotions due to the positive influence of peer interaction”(Kawasaki, 2023, p. 74). Her insights seem to be in agreement with what is often statedin literature related to positive psychology (e.g., Gregersen, 2019; Oxford, 2014; Seligman,2011): negative emotions are part of an individual (whether they are a language learner or
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Concluding Commentary: Reflect, Write, and Sharenot); the aim is not to eradicate such emotions but to face them using one’s strengths andto be more aware of the positives. The positive effects of peer interaction on ER shownin Kawasaki’s research also connects with recent research findings about motivation
and reflection with peers, which show that students gain reassurance, self-confidence,motivation, and more knowledge about learning strategies (e.g., Ambinintsoa &MacDonald, 2023; Dörnyei & Ushioda, 2021; Mercer et al., 2018).
Peer interaction resulting in motivation due to the opportunity to exchange ideas andhelp one another, is also mentioned in Yunita’s paper. It is alluded to by her student, Kei,
twice who struggled when his classes were online, and then really appreciated when they
were back face to face. Kei felt that interaction with his classmates was important for him
though he was not confident enough in his ability to communicate with them. He needed
what Yunita refers to as “external support,” which is one of the key factors related to thedevelopment of learner autonomy. Like Kei, Yunita’s other student, Hana, also attributes
her positive learning experience to external support: an inspiring friend and a supportive
teacher, which further backs the concept that learner autonomy is fostered through andinvolves working with others (Dam et al., 1990; Little et al., 2017; Palfreyman, 2018). What
I found interesting in Yunita’s paper is the Indonesian context and the place of learnerautonomy in it. From a country where learner autonomy is still an unfamiliar concept for
language teachers, I am happy to know that positive progress has been made regarding
autonomy: The word “autonomy” exists at the university and the word “autonomous” ismentioned in the Ministry of Education’s publications (Yunita, 2023, p. 34). Though theimplementation of autonomous learning may not be done yet, using those terms canalready be considered as a significant step.

Reflection on teaching

I find it fascinating and refreshing when teachers conduct research about themselves andother teachers, as shown in three of the articles in this issue. Barfield and Nakayama’s“patchwork multivocalic reflection” (Barfield & Nakayama, 2023, p. 130) demonstrates how
research can be done and written in an unconventional way. First, the subjects of theirresearch include themselves, that is, their learning and teaching experiences, as well as
setbacks and inspirations that resulted in the desire for both to find ways to engage theirstudents in their learning in a meaningful way. They begin with their autobiographicalstories placed in parallel to each other. The two authors then respond to each other’s
stories in a form of letters, thereby opening their communication to the readers, before
continuing their stories with more details about their respective practitioner research.
They end the article with a dialogue in which they give feedback to each other’s continued
stories and ask questions about each other’s experiences, prompting both to deeply
reflect on those experiences and to come to the conclusion that learners’ creativity andcriticality are crucial aspects to develop in learners to facilitate engaged meaningfullearning. Throughout the paper, the two authors talk about their students’ experiences,which is powerful in itself. Nevertheless, what I consider as the most intriguing aspectof the article is the way the paper is written. By including several different forms ofcommunication in their writing, the authors display the creative process of sharing stories
and engaging in dialogue before our eyes.
Like Barfield and Nakayama, Harrison also discusses his own teacher development.
Using autoethnography, he reflects on his own encounter with autoethnography as a
research method, his experience using it for himself, and his experience using it in his
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classes. He emphasises the power of telling one’s own story, and he especially focuses
on writing as a process. In doing so, he is practising what he preaches, which is very
inspiring for me. Harrison explains that the process of writing triggers self-understanding,self-exploration, and self-discovery in relation to the context where a person is. His
statement, “a pen and writing journal helped me better process and explore the world
around me and my place within it; writing became a way to make connections andglimpse possibilities” (Harrison, 2023, p. 119) struck me, although I have been aware of
the importance of journal writing through my own experience with it, through a numberof research studies that I have conducted myself (e.g., Ambinintsoa & MacDonald, 2023),
through my role as a learning advisor, and through the reiteration in the field of learnerautonomy that written reflection is vital in the development of autonomy. That statement
reminds me of what Little et al. (2017) say about writing:Writing things down [...] is a necessary precondition for the reflection that lies at theheart of autonomous learning. [...] Writing also allows individual learners to express
their autonomy in and through the TL, and it is the means by which the learning
community is made visible, the learning process is documented, and relatedness - thecollaborative interdependence of all members of the class - is given its due. (p. 27)
Though the focuses are different in the two statements, both describe how revealing
writing about oneself can be. In addition to self-exploration and self-discovery, writing
one’s own story is also a way to use the target language in a meaningful way. As
exemplified by one of Harrison’s student’s statements: “I got so excited about my own
project that I didn’t realize I was studying English” (Harrison, 2023, pp. 123–124).
The student’s statement above is closely related to what Takagi et al. wrote in theirarticle about one of their research findings on a teacher’s (Naoya) practitioner research:“The students discovered what they could do with the language rather than only
learning about the language” (Takagi et al., 2023, p. 90). As teachers, isn’t it our goal
to help students see how relevant the target language can be in their lives, especiallyin EFL settings? How many of our students do not see any point in learning a foreign
language, but still do it only because of some external pressure or some superficial
future goals? Naoya’s students surpassed that superficiality and found meaning intheir language learning thanks to his commitment to promoting creativity to develop
learner autonomy. Naoya did not reject the imposed textbook in his school. Rather,what he did was to not only adapt it but also involve his students in decision-making
regarding class activities based on the units in the textbook. He made his students
aware of the curriculum requirements, and gave them choice, as well as opportunities towork together, which are all aspects of what Little et al. (2017) refer to as “handing overcontrol to the learners” (p. 76). I am glad that Takagi et al. decided to conduct research
about Naoya and his practitioner research, as Naoya’s class is an excellent example ofan autonomous classroom; and the article demonstrates how practitioner research issuch an appropriate way to promote learner autonomy, and how learner autonomy
and teacher autonomy (e.g., Naoya’s adaptation of and negotiation about the textbook)are interconnected. Also, it is important to point out that Naoya’s practitioner research
was conducted in a junior high school, where the pressure on teachers to conform to
traditional practices can be considerable.

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Conclusions and recommendations

The work in this journal issue has enabled me to learn more about learner autonomy.
Before reading Edsall et al.’s paper, I did not even think that there are conventions oflearner autonomy that can be challenged. Digging deeper into different theories andtrying to adapt and combining them are complicated, and the complexity of such fusion
and adaptation, can be difficult to digest (at least for me). However, the reflection
questions after each section were really helpful, as they allowed me to relate those
discussed theories to my own teaching and learning experiences (Edsall et al., 2023).
The other seven articles taught me about research methods on how to investigate
the development of learner autonomy and to analyze emotions and identity among
other things. They have also reinforced my belief in the effectiveness of reflection,reflective dialogue, autoethnography, and practitioner research on learner and teacher
development. Based on the new knowledge and the reinforcement that I gained, I willconclude this commentary with suggestions about engaging in meaningful learning,
telling one’s own story, and promoting practitioner research.
Helping students find meaning in language learning should be our aim as teachers,
and for that, they need to be able to take charge of their learning. As Williams et al.
(2021) say, “[to] achieve success, learners need to feel that they are in control of theirlearning. They need to feel they are capable of learning the language and able tomanage their language learning. [...] they need to see value in it” (p. 137). One way togive students control of their learning is by involving them in making decisions withregard to activities to do in class as demonstrated in Takagi, Tanaka, and Minami(2023). It may not be easy the first time, but they will gradually become accustomed toit with the teacher’s support. As the authors demonstrate, support for and trust in thestudents are crucial. Another way to help students find meaning in language learning
is to give them opportunities to tell and/or write their own stories, including language
learning histories (LLHs), which is also recommended by Yarwood. As explained earlier,writing one’s own stories can be really powerful, as it enables self-discovery. Writing
LLHs can raise language students’ awareness of strategies they have been using, theirstrengths, efforts, improvements, and successes in their language learning (Ambinintsoa
et al., 2022), which they might not notice otherwise. Seeing all those positive aspects
enable them to recognize their capabilities and see that their efforts have paid off, andthat is likely to motivate them. Teachers can also write their own autoethnography or
autobiographical stories. The benefits from writing LLHs described above can also be
gained from such stories, and that has been demonstrated in different articles in thisissue. Reading such stories can inspire and motivate other teachers.
My final suggestion is related to research for teachers. Takagi, Tanaka, and Minami
show how practitioner research is an appropriate method to promote learner autonomy
in a classroom setting. As stated by Benson (2011), the best way for teachers to researchautonomy is through their in-class practice. Teachers know not only their learners
but also the context including the curricula, and required materials (or absence ofmaterials). They can use that knowledge to explore ways to help their learners find themeaning of their language learning and to exercise their teacher autonomy. Then, they
can share the results of their research with other teachers, which can trigger reflective
dialogue and collaborations.
Last but not least, as I am concluding this commentary, this issue has helped merealize the power of writing again. Had I only read the articles in LDJ7, I would not have184

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come up with all the ideas I have stated here. For instance, by writing, I was able toinstantly think of the suggestions I made above as well as the one I had for the casewhere reflective activities might not be beneficial in certain contexts, which is addressedin Morioka’s article. It might be obvious, but writing does help a great deal. Therefore,
what I would like to suggest to teachers, as I close this commentary, is to write whenever
you have opportunities. Reflect, write, and share when possible, and the Learner
Development Journal is a good place for that.

Author bio

Dominique Vola Ambinintsoa is a learning advisor and lecturer at Kanda University ofInternational Studies, Japan. She holds a PhD in applied linguistics (Victoria University
Wellington, New Zealand) and a Master of Education in TESOL (SUNY Buffalo, USA). She isa co-managing editor of the Research Institute for Learner Autonomy Education’s Relay
Journal. She has a particular interest in learner autonomy, self-access language learning,
advising in language learning, and positive psychology in education.

Dominique Vola Ambinintsoaは、神田外語大学ラーニングアドバイザー・講師、同大学院講師である。
応用言語学博士（Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand）およびTESOL 修士（State University of New York at
Buffalo, USA）を取得。
The Research Institute for Learner Autonomy EducationにおいてRelay Journalの運営に携わっている。
学習者オートノミー、セルフアクセス言語学習、言語学習アドバイジング、教育におけるポジティブ
心理学に関心がある。

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