LEARNINGLEARNING『学習の学習『学習の学習』』

Newsletter of the Learner Development SIG
ISSN 1882-1103 | LL 30 (2) | Autumn 2023

LEARNING LEARNING『学習の学習』30(2)Contents
次目

Greetings and News Updates
挨拶と近況報告

In this issue: Learning Learning, Volume 30, Issue 2
Ken Ikeda
Coordinator’s greetings for Autumn 2023
James Underwood

4
7

Members’ Voices

メンバーの声

Seamus Johnston9Mart Christine Johnston10

Stories of Teaching and Learning Practices
学習・教育実践の成功談・失敗談

Bridging today’s course requirements and tomorrow’s autonomous learning: Reading aloudas a means to develop fluency and memory
Takeshi Ishikawa

12

Short Reflective Articles
小論

Writing in different genres: Nurturing students’ creativity, criticality, and informed improvisation  19
Andy Barfleld, Hugh Nicoll
What should we do to protect our language identities? The impact of society, beliefs, and theeducation system 
23Maria Yamazaki
Time-traveling and recognizing Aboriginal cultures 
31
Yuiko AsaiLD SIG Grant Awardee Reports
LD SIG 研究助成金受

Empowering language learners: Integrating learner well-being into classrooms
Chiyuki Yanase
PanSIG 2023: Discovering community, reaffirming teacher values Annie MinamiLife and research trajectories as a lens for understanding learner development
Aya Hayasaki

2

37
40
43

CONTENTS

Looking Back
報告

Interview with Phil Benson: Taking a wider view of his work as language teacher, learner,
researcher, & social justice advocate
48
Phil Benson, Andy Barfield
Journeys to learner wellbeing: A dialogue on building student communities
51
Stacey Vye, Chiyuki Yanase
PanSIG Forum: Learner involvement in developing learner-centred pedagogies and practice56
Amelia Yarwood

Looking Forward
今後のイベント

JALT2023 International Forum: Thinking in different ways: Perspective-taking for growth61
Amelia Yarwood
The Learner Development Journal issue 7: Challenging the conventions of learner development
research64
Ellen Head, Aya Hayasaki, Ryo Moriya
An interview with the co-editors of issue 8 of The Learner Development Journal, “Exploringgrassroots, innovative, and creative approaches to language learning materials development
through inclusive practitioner-research”
69
Anna Costantino, Assia Slimani-Rolls, Nour Bouacha with Tim Ashwell

SIG Matters

インフォメーション
Learner Development SIG financial report April 2023 to August 2023
73
Patrick Kiernan
Writing for Learning Learning74

Learning Learning「学習学習」30(2) | Autumn 2023

3

LEARNING LEARNING『学習の学習』30(2)Greetings and News Updates
挨拶と近況報告

In this issue: Learning Learning,
Volume 30, Issue 2
今号についてKen Ikeda
LL30.2 Lead Editor
lleditor30.2@gmail.com
Welcome to this issue! It is my pleasure to debutas lead editor of this LL issue, although I have
served on the LL editorial team since early 2018.
It is a daunting task to step into the role of mypredecessors, yet with the great support andencouragement by the LL editorial team, thisissue offers readers a (generous) sample of many
aspects of the work we are doing in researchinglearner development (or “the puzzles of learningand teaching”) in recent years.
This issue begins with Coordinator’s Greetings
for Autumn 2023 by James Underwood the
LDSIG Coordinator, updating us on SIG-related
news since the Spring 2023 issue of Learning
Learning, informing the various activities andevents in the SIG: online get-togethers, theLD Forum at this year’s PanSIG, Issues 7 and
8 of the LD Journal, the 30th Anniversary
Conference (LD30), and the LD Forum at theupcoming JALT National Conference.
We are pleased to feature self introductions
from two very new members, Seamus Johnston
and Mart Christine Johnston, in the Members’
Voices section. Then, in our Stories of Learning
and Teaching Practices section, Takeshi
Ishikawa presents a study on how reading
aloud strategies relieved student anxiety andboosted their confidence.
The three pieces in the Short Reflective
Articles section are an interlinked effort. Andy
Barfield with one of our editors Hugh Nicoll
have composed a dialogic introduction to theways Andy’s students have explored writing
in different genres: Maria Yamazaki reflects

on how language choice, social restrictions,people’s beliefs can adversely restrict a
person’s language identities, while Yuiko Asai
discusses the ways Aboriginal peoples carry out‘time-traveling’ to meditate and preserve theirown spiritual ties to their history and culture.
Then, we are pleased to feature three LD
Grant Awardee Reports. The first two reports
are by LD Conference Grant Awardees who
attended the 2023 PanSIG Conference in May:
Chiyuki Yanase on how the trauma she hadwith COVID-19 propelled her to seek wellness
for learners in line with the conference’s theme
for a sustainable future for language education,
and Annie Minami on learning more about
Exploratory Practice as well as strategies that
support L2 learners to use English actively. The
third report is by LD Research Grant Awardee
Aya Hayasaki who writes about how pivotal life
experiences have shaped her research outlook
and developed her (learner development)
practices. Thanks to the research grant, she has
been conducting and transcribing interviews
with female acquaintances in Kagoshima.
This issue also features two dialogues withthree plenary speakers at the LD30 Anniversary
Conference held October 21st and 22nd at
Gakushuin University. In the first dialogue, Andy
Barfield interviews Phil Benson. Phil tells how
his first degree in sociology provided him thefoundation for his lifelong work on the social
aspects of language learning, first in Hong
Kong, and presently in Australia. The second
is an engaging dialogue between Stacey Vye
and Chiyuki Yanase about creating learnercommunities and fortifying their well-being.
Amelia Yarwood, who serves as LD-SIG
Programmes coordinator gives her bird’s-eyeview of the PanSIG LD Forum held in May,
including abstracts by the nine presenters (Ivan
Lombardi, Mizuka Tsukamoto, Jenny Morgan,
Robert Moreau, Ellen Head, Stacey Vye, Emily
Choong, Katherine Thornton, Jon Rowberry).

4GREETINGS AND NEWS UPDATES

If that is not already quite a bumper crop of「この号の内容：学びの学び、第30巻、第2号
past happenings, this issue looks forward to the 私はイケダ・ケンと申します。
このLL号の主編集者を務
upcoming JALT National Conference LD Forum, めることは光栄ですが、2018年初頭からLL編集チーム
again overseen by Amelia Yarwood which
で活動してきました。
以前の主編集者たちの大役を受け継ぐのは難しい課題ですが、この号が皆さんに十分features these presenters (Daniel Hooper, Ian
Hurrell, Michelle Jerrems, Patrick Kiernan, Steve な興味を提供できることを期待しています。
この号は、秋の2023年に関するSIG関連のニュースを
Paton).
提供するJames Underwoodによる「SIGコーディネー
We are pleased to feature two reflective
ターのご挨拶」
で始まります。
彼は春の2023年号以来
dialogues among the editors of issues in Theの情報を提供し、SIGのさまざまな活動やイベントにLearner Development Journal (LDJ). The first is
ついて報告しています。
オンラインでの集まり、今年のbetween Aya Hayasaki, Ellen Head, Ryo Morita PanSIGでのLDフォーラム、LDジャーナルの第7号と第for Issue 7 on their theme – “Challenging the
8号、30周年記念カンファレンス（LD30）、
および今後のConventions of Learner Development Research” JALT全国大会でのLDフォーラムについての情報も提供– to be published by the end of 2023. The
されています。
second is between Anna Costantino, Assia
Members’ Voicesセクションでは、新しいメンバー
Slimani-Rolls, Nour Bouacha with Tim Ashwell
Seamus JohnstonとMart Christine Johnstonによる
for Issue 8 on “Exploring Grassroots, Innovative, 自己紹介を掲載しています。また、学びと教育実践のス
and Creative Approaches to Language Learning トーリーセクションでは、Takeshi Ishikawa が、読み上げ戦略が学生の不安を和らげ、自信を高める方法につMaterials Development through Inclusive
いての研究を紹介しています。
Practitioner-Research”, scheduled to be
Short Reflective Articlesセクションには、3つの記事
published in 2024.
が掲載されています。
Andy Barfield と編集者の HughFinally we share the 2023 LD Financial Report
Nicoll によるダイアローグが、アンディの学生が異なる
by LD treasurer Patrick Kiernan, which details
ジャンルで各自の作品を制作したコンテキストを明確
the financial health of the LD SIG from April toに説明しています。
その中には、Maria Yamazaki の記
August 2023, especially concerning the LD30
事が含まれており、言語選択、社会的制約、人々の信念
Conference.
が個々の言語アイデンティティを制約する方法について
The next LL issue will consist of two publications: 語っています。また、Yuiko Asai の記事では、アボリジナ
ルの人々が自分たちの歴史と文化に対する精神的なLL Issue 31.1 (steered by yours truly) and the
結びつきを維持し、守るために「時間旅行」を行う方法
LD 30 Post-Conference Proceedings (PCP)について説明しています。
overseen by Tim Ashwell, which will containreports and reflections by teachers and students また、2023年のPanSIGカンファレンスのLD Grant
Awardee Reportsも掲載されています。
COVID-19とのwho participated in the LD30 Conference.
トラウマについてのChiyuki Yanase の報告が含まれAs always, we continue to depend onており、彼女は学習者の福祉を追求する動機として、
カcontributions from our readers. We accept
ンファレンスの「持続可能な未来のための言語教育」
submissions year-round, even those in theに従事しています。
また、Annie Minami は、探求的実
beginning stages of writing. For those interested 践についてのさらなる学習と、第2言語学習者が積極
in submitting their writing, please refer to the
的に英語を使用するための戦略について学んだことを報告しています。
LD-SIGプログラムコーディネータ
Information for Contributors at the end of thisーであるAmeliaYarwood
は、PanSIG LDフォーラム
issue.
の概要を提供し、9人のプレゼンター（Ivan Lombardi,
We hope your teaching continues to prosper.
Ken Ikeda, lead editor, for the LL30(2) editorial
team: Tim Ashwell, Mike Kuziw, Ivan Lombardi,
Hugh Nicoll, Jamie Thomas, Megumi Uemi.

Mizuka Tsukamoto, Jenny Morgan, Robert Moreau,
Ellen Head, Stacey Vye, Emily Choong, Katherine
Thornton, Jon Rowberry) の抄録も含まれています。
この号では、学習の発展30周年カンファレンスでの3人の基調講演者との対話も2つ掲載されています。
最初の対話は Andy Barfield と Phil Benson の間で行
われ、Phil は彼の一つ目の社会学の学位が、どのように彼の生涯のワークとなる言語学習の社会的側面、初めは香港、そして現在はオーストラリアにおいての基

5

LEARNING LEARNING『学習の学習』30(2)盤を作ったかを語っています。
2番目は、Stacey Vye とChiyuki Yanase の間で行われる非常に魅力的な対話で、学習者コミュニティの作成とその福祉の強化について語っています。
もしこれがすでに過去の出来事の素晴らしい収穫
でない場合、
この号はJALT全国大会LDフォーラムに向けても期待しています。
このフォーラムは再びア
Amelia Yarwood が監督し、次のプレゼンター（Daniel
Hooper, Ian Hurrell, Michelle Jerrems, Patrick
Kiernan, Steve Paton）が出演します。
Learner Development Journal（LDJ）の編集者たちによる対話も2つ掲載されています。
1つは、第7号についての Aya Hayasaki, Ellen Head, Ryo Morita の対話で、彼らのテーマは「学習者発展研究の慣行への挑戦」
で、2023年末までに発表される予定です。
もう1つは、第8号についての Anna Costantino, Assia SlimaniRolls, Nour Bouacha と Tim Ashwell の対話で、
テーマは「包括的実践者研究を通じた言語学習教材の基層的で革新的なアプローチの探索」
で、2024年に発表される予定です。
最後に、LD SIGの2023年の財務報告が、LD会計係のPatrick Kiernan によって提供されており、2023年4月
から8月までのLD SIGの財政健全状況について詳細が報告されています。
特にLD30カンファレンスに関する情報が含まれています。

次号のLL号は、2つのプロダクションから成り立つ予定です。
LL Issue 31.1（私が主導する）とLD 30ポストカン
ファレンスプロシーディングス（PCP）は、Tim Ashwellが監督し、LD30カンファレンスに参加した人々による報告と反映を含みます。
いつものように、私たちは読者からの寄稿に依存しています。
執筆に興味をお持ちの方は、執筆者情報をこの号の最後に参照してください。
皆さんの教育が繁栄することを願っています。
主編集者：Ken Ikeda
LL30.2 編集チーム：Tim Ashwell, Mike Kuziw,

Ivan Lombardi, Hugh Nicoll, Jamie Thomas,
Megumi Uemi.

Call for Contributions to Members’ Voices | メンバーの声
Send to lleditor30.2@gmail.com by February 12, 2024

#1: a short personal profile of yourself as a learner and teacher and your interest in learnerdevelopment (about 500 to 1,000 words)
学習者・教員としての自身のプロフィールと学習者の成長に関する興味 (約 2,000 字-4,000 字）#2: a story of your ongoing interest in, and engagement with, particular learner development(and/or learner autonomy) issues (about 500 to 1,000 words)
学習者の成長や学習者の自律に関する興味や取り組み (約 2,000 字4,000 字）#3: a short profile of your learner development
research interests and how you hope to develop your research (about 500 to 1,000 words)
学習者の成長に関する研究内容と今後の研究の展望(約 2,000 字-4,000 字）#4: a short profile of your working context and the focus on learner development/learnerautonomy that a particular institution takes and/or is trying to develop in a particularcurriculum (about 500 to 1,000 words)

教育環境の紹介、所属機関やカリキュラムにおける学習者の成長や自律に関する取り組み (約 2,000 字4,000 字）6

GREETINGS AND NEWS UPDATESCoordinator’s Greetings for Autumn
2023

James Underwood
LD SIG Coordinator
jamesmichaelunderwood@
gmail.com
Welcome to the Autumn issue of the LD SIG’snewsletter, Learning Learning. Thank you somuch to everyone who contributed to this issue,
Ken Ikeda as lead editor, and the rest of the LLteam for working tirelessly behind the scenes
putting the newsletter together; it was a great
effort. And thank you to Jamie Thomas and Tim
Ashwell for joining the team.
Since the Spring issue, the LD SIG has kept up
the momentum from the new beginning of theSpring with online get-togethers, the PanSIG
forum, the 30th Anniversary Conference (LD30),
the JALT National Forum, and working on Issues
7 and 8 of the Learner Development Journal.
Ken Ikeda, Tim Ashwell, and myself worked
hard to coordinate and host the online
get-togethers in April, May and June. Eachget-together featured a mini-presentation by
an LD SIG member, which provided the focus
for the meeting. Through this framework, wewere able to learn from each other and share
our perspectives on: “Applying learner-centred
pedagogy in English for Tourism: Diversity,
Equity and Inclusion (DEI) and Sustainability
and Ethical travel” (Jenny Morgan); and“How to develop independence in an English
Medium Course” (Cecilia Smith). After the shortpresentations, we could discuss, give feedback
and think about how the topics raised related toour interests.
Also in May, the LD SIG forum, “Learner
involvement in developing learner-centred
pedagogies and practice”, was successfully
held at PanSIG in Kyoto. It featured ninepresentations that explored practical, innovativeand collaborative approaches to learnerdevelopment. Many thanks to Amelia Yarwood
for working with the PanSIG team to organiseit, Nicholas Emerson and Robert Moreau for
helping to organise it on the ground, and,of course, the presenters: Ellen Head, Emily
Choong, Ivan Lombardi, Jennifer Morgan,
Mizuka Tsukamoto, Robert Moreau, Stacey Vye,
Katherine Thornton and Jon Rowberry. And
congratulations to Chiyuki Yanase and Annie
Minami for being awarded the Conference
Grant; thank you very much, Emily Choong, forholding the awards ceremony!
During this time, the Learner Development
Journal teams have been busy as well,with LDJ7 to be published at the end of theyear thanks to the hard work of the editors
Ellen Head, Aya Hayasaki, and Ryo Moriya.
“Challenging the Conventions in Learner
Development Research” features contributions
from Amelia Yarwood, Dominic Edsall, Marlen
Harrison, Misako Kawasaki, Takaaki Morioka,
and Yunita Rana, with collaborative contributions
from Andy Barfield & Akiko Nakayama, andAkiko Takagi, Takeo Tanaka & Yuki Minami, anda concluding commentary from Dominique Vola
Ambinintsoa.
The 30th Anniversary conference was heldon October 21st and 22nd, and featured
plenary sessions from Phil Benson, Stacey Vye,
Chiyuki Yanase, and Taichi Ichikawa, as wellas interactive presentations, workshops, andposter presentations for teachers relating to thethree strands of Learner Development, Global
Issues in Language Education, and Teacher
Development. Students also shared their
original ideas and perspectives on global issues
that matter to them through poster sessions andstory circles throughout the two days. It was
great to work with Andy Barfield, Ken Ikeda,
Nicholas Emerson, Patrick Kiernan, Robert
Moreau, and Tim Ashwell to organise this.
Thank you also to the team of translators: Chika
Hayashi, Sayaka Karlin, Masayo Kanno, Megumi
Uemi, Kio Iwai; and thank you to Fumiko Murase
for helping to review.
The upcoming forum LDSIG Forum, “Thinking in
Different Ways: Perspective-Taking for Growth,”
will be held at the JALT2023 International
Conference at the Tsukuba International
Congress Centre on Saturday, November
24th from 5:35 PM - 7:05 PM, and will feature

7

LEARNING LEARNING『学習の学習』30(2)

授賞式を開催してくれたEmily Choongさん、本当にありがとうございました！
この間、学習者開発ジャーナルチームも忙しく、
エデ
ィターのEllen Headさん、Aya Hayasakiさん、RyoMoriyaさんのおかげで、LDJ7は年末に発行される予定です。
「学習者開発研究における慣習への挑戦」には、Amelia Yarwoodさん、Dominique Vola
Ambinintsoaさん、Dominic Edsallさん、Marlen
Harrisonさん、Misako Kawasakiさん、Takaaki
Moriokaさん、Yunita Ranaさんからの寄稿が含まれ、Andy Barfield & Akiko Nakayamaさん、Akiko
Takagi、Takeo Tanaka & Yuki Minamiさんからの協力的な寄稿もあります。
Thank you everyone for your hard work!
30周年記念カンファレンスは10月21日から22日に2023 年秋のコーディネーター挨拶
かけて開催され、Phil Bensonさん、Stacey Vyeさん、Chiyuki Yanaseさん、Taichi IchikawaさんからのLD SIGのニュースレター「Learning Learning」の秋号
基調講演や、教師向けのLearner Development、言へようこそ。
この号に貢献してくださった皆様、特に主編のKen Ikeda、
そしてニュースレターを裏で一生懸命 語教育のグローバル課題、教師育成の3つの分野に関
ワークショップ、ポ
作成してくれたLLチームの皆様、本当にありがとうござ 連した対話型プレゼンテーション、
スタープレゼンテーションが行われました。
学生たち
います。
そして、Jamie ThomasさんとTim Ashwellさも自分たちにとって重要なグローバルな課題に関す
ん、チームへの参加ありがとうございます。
るオリジナルのアイデアと視点をポスターセッション
春号以来、LD SIGは春の新たな始まりからの勢いを維
このカン持し、オンラインの集まり、PanSIGフォーラム、30周年記 やストーリーサークルを通じて共有しました。
念カンファレンス（LD30）、JALTナショナルフォーラム、 ファレンスを組織するためにAndy Barfieldさん、Ken
Ikedaさん、Nicholas Emersonさん、Patrick Kiernan
および学習者開発ジャーナルの第7号と第8号の制作
さん、Robert Moreauさん、Tim Ashwellさんと一緒に取り組んでいます。
に働けたこと、翻訳チームの皆さん、Chika HayashiさKen Ikeda、Tim Ashwell、
そして私自身は、4月、5月、6 ん、Sayaka Karlinさん、Masayo Kannoさん、Megumi
月にオンラインの集まりを調整し、ホストしました。
各
Uemiさん、Kio Iwaiさん、
レビューを手伝ってくれた集まりでは、LD SIGメンバーによるミニプレゼンテーシ Fumiko Muraseさんにも感謝します。
ョンが行われ、それが会議の焦点となりました。
この枠「異なる視点から組みを通じて、私たちはお互いから学び、次のテーマに 次回のフォーラム、LDSIGフォーラム、
ついての視点を共有できました。
「観光英語における学 の考え方：成長のための視点の取り方」は、JALT2023
習者中心の教育の適用：多様性、公平性、包摂性（DEI） 国際カンファレンスで、土曜日の24日に午後5時35分から午後7時5分に、つくば国際会議センターで開催され、持続可能性、倫理的な旅行」（Jenny Morgan）と「ます。
Daniel Hooperさん、Ian Hurrellさん、Michelle
英語のメディアコースで独立心を育む方法」（Cecilia
Jerremsさん、Patrick Kiernanさん、Steve Patonさん
Smith）。
短いプレゼンテーションの後、私たちは議論からのプレゼンテーションが行われます。
LD SIG AGM
し、
フィードバックを行い、提起されたトピックが私たちもその後に開催されます。
の関心にどのように関連しているかを考えることができ
今後の展望として、LDJの第8号、「包摂的な実践者研ました。
究を通じた言語学習教材開発の草の根、革新的、創造
また、5月にはLD SIGフォーラム、「学習者が学習者
的アプローチを探る」は、Anna Costantinoさん、Assia
中心の教育法と実践を開発する過程への参加」がSlimani-Rollsさん、Nour Bouachaiさんによって編集京都で成功裡に開催されました。
実用的で革新的でされ、二次ドラフトがレビューネットワークに送信され協力的な学習者開発アプローチを探る9つのプレゼたところです。
ンテーションが行われ、このフォーラムの組織に協皆さん、ご苦労さまでした！
力したAmelia Yarwoodさん、Nicholas Emersonさん、Robert Moreauさん、
そして当然ながらプレゼンターたち、Ellen Headさん、Emily Choongさん、Ivan
Lombardiさん、Jennifer Morganさん、Mizuka
Tsukamotoさん、Robert Moreauさん、Stacey Vyeさん、Katherine Thorntonさん、Jon Rowberryさんに感謝します。
そして、Chiyuki YanaseさんとAnnie Minami
さんにカンファレンスグラントが授与されたこと、
そしてpresentations from Daniel Hooper, Ian Hurrell,Michelle Jerrems, Patrick Kiernan and StevePaton. The LD SIG AGM will be held soon after.
Looking forward into the future, Issue 8 of
the LDJ, “Exploring Grassroots, Innovative,
and Creative Approaches to Language
Learning Materials Development ThroughInclusive Practitioner-Research,” edited byAnna Costantino, Assia Slimani-Rolls and Nour
Bouachai has just entered the review stage withsecond drafts being sent to the review network.

8

MEMBERS’ VOICESMembers’ Voices
メンバーの声

Seamus Johnston
Reitaku University
sjohnsto@reitaku-u.ac.jp
Hello everyone. My name is Seamus, and I
come from Dublin, Ireland. I arrived in Japan on
the JET program in 2014, where I was placed ina small town in Fukuoka Prefecture. I intended
to stay for a year and return to Ireland tocomplete a Master’s in medieval history, fromwhich I had been given a leave of absence.
However, when one year didn’t feel like enough,I ended up staying for another and thenanother, and I am still in Japan today. During
this time, I completed my Master’s degree in
TESOL and began working at a University in
Chiba. My Master’s thesis, “An investigation into
the acquisition of high-frequency words in a
Japanese high school context”, introduced me
to vocabulary acquisition, word frequency, andcorpus linguistics in general, which have been
the main focus of my research to date. Although
my main research interest has now moved tohistorical corpus linguistics, I am constantly
working on smaller projects related to corpus
linguistics for language acquisition and how it
can benefit learner autonomy.
Recently, I have been trying to bring elementsof DDL (data-driven learning) and inductive
learning into my classroom activities. One
corresponding exercise is the student’s useof corpus data websites to create original
sentences from target vocabulary. Currently,
my students are using websites like COCA (The
Corpus of Contemporary American English)
and Flax (Flexible Language Acquisition) whencreating sentences from target vocabulary
items, as part of a TOEIC preparation class.
Although both websites are essentially corpus
analysis tools, they can easily be used to
introduce vocabulary items in context and in
my class, retrieve common collocations for thetarget words.​​​​This adds an element of learnerautonomy to the classroom. Similar approaches
have been attested to by Flowerdew (2015),
amongst others. Although I have yet to conduct
research on the outcome of this (which I intend
to do in the future), students noticeably improvetheir command of particles and prepositions.
Learner autonomy has further made its way
into my professional career through our
University’s self-access center, for which I havecreated a student-led podcast. The onus of
the podcast is to create awareness of eventsand activities happening around the university,and to demonstrate to students the English
abilities of their peers, working on the conceptthat students are more likely to be motivatedby hearing their peers speak English thantheir teachers (Walters, 2020). The podcasts
take the form of 20 to 30-minute interviews,
and each ends with an open question to thelistener. This open question is intended toencourage the listener to engage with thecontent and provide a conversation topic forstudents in our university’s self-access center.
For students partaking in the university’s new
TALL (Transformative Autonomous Language
Learning) course, it also comes with somecomprehension questions that students can get
credit for answering.
My classroom always leans toward studentcentrism. Instruction is kept to a minimum, andpractice to a maximum. As for many students,
language learning begins and ends at the startand finish of each class period; I try to provide
as much time as possible for student output andto create a space where students can learn by
doing. Learner autonomy and helping students
to help themselves have long been the coretenet of my teaching philosophy.

REFERENCES

Flowerdew, L. (2015). Data-driven learning andlanguage learning theories. In Studies in corpus
linguistics (pp. 15–36). https://doi.org/10.1075/
scl.69.02flo

9

LEARNING LEARNING『学習の学習』30(2)Walters, J. (2020). Senpai: Learner responses
to a near-peer role modeling intervention.
JALT Post-conference Publication, 2019(1), 106.
https://doi.org/10.37546/jaltpcp2019-14

Mart Christine Johnston
martchristinevito2017@gmail.com
I am Mart Christine Johnston, originally fromthe Philippines, and I have resided in Japan
since 2014. Before my relocation, I spent six
years working in Singapore, where I had theopportunity to contribute my communication
skills at both a safari and a retail establishment.
From my time living there, I learned to adapt
to different accents and adjust my grammar
and vocabulary accordingly so that I could
be understood. Because of this, one of the
key principles I have followed since I started
teaching in Japan is prioritizing meaningover accuracy. Understanding that effective
communication is the ultimate goal, I makemy students feel comfortable expressing
themselves without fear of making mistakes.
Aside from this aspect, I share the knowledge
I gained from living in Singapore and thePhilippines with my students particularly when
discussing the benefits of English proficiency
when traveling or working abroad.
I served as an educator in Osaka for six years,
specializing in preschool, kindergarten, andeikaiwa instruction. I find that a task-based
language learning approach works wonders
for younger students. I have observed thatchildren will effortlessly absorb new phrases
and words. When they feel ready, they apply
a “replacement method” by using these new
expressions in various contexts. I have also
seen this phenomenon firsthand with my own
three-year-old daughter who is exposed to both
English at home and Japanese at her daycare.
In addition, reading aloud plays a crucial role inexpanding students’ vocabulary and enhancing
their understanding of grammar. However,
one aspect I am not in favor of is testing the
proficiency levels of young students. Suchevaluations can easily demotivate them andhinder their natural language learning process.
It is important to create a supportive andencouraging environment where they can freely
explore and express themselves without thepressure of assessments.
It took me some time to discover my passion
for teaching university-level students. While I
recognize the value of a task-based language
learning approach for younger students, myfocus and enthusiasm lie in motivating older
students, particularly by imparting study skills
to help them excel in improving their English,
and I will share with you some of the challenges
that I found recently while teaching university
students.
In the wake of the global pandemic, I haveundertaken the role of an online educator. As
such, my focus has been on how students canachieve more in this format. Within this context,
I often teach students testing strategies,
with a particular emphasis on TOEFL ITP.
Most of these students aim to pursue higher
education abroad or enroll in a university inJapan offering coursework solely in English. In
these classes, I use clear, simple PowerPoint
slides (one target sentence per slide). Wellthought-out PowerPoint slides can be very
effective. They improve student engagement,
minimize cognitive load, and enhance focus
regarding teacher-student and studentstudent interaction. I extend this approach
to listening test items, ensuring consistency
in my teaching methodology. Additionally, I
supplement prescribed materials to aid clarityand encourage interaction. I have found that
this practice also elevates students’ motivationlevels, making their class participation moreenthusiastic and purposeful.
I also have students whom I teach in person.
The use of PowerPoint in such situations may
be a topic of debate among teachers as slides
can sometimes be distracting for students,
particularly when they contain excessive text.
However, I have come to realize the importanceof incorporating slides into my lessons.
Regarding reading comprehension, before
implementing slides, I used to simply write

10

MEMBERS’ VOICES

notes on the whiteboard. I would primarily use
a read-aloud technique, and offer explanations
where necessary. However, I realized that somestudents struggled with this.
Now, in my slides, I incorporate not only theJapanese translations of the target vocabulary,
but also relevant pictures depicting key
elements from the reading texts we discuss.
I typically use these slides as part of a prereading activity and have noticed that thisapproach enables my students to answer
reading comprehension questions better. I havefound that it is best not to completely dim theclassroom and take my time with each slide.
By using a PowerPoint presentation prior toreading the text, I have gained confidence thatmy students’ comprehension has improved.
Whether I teach online or in-class, when it
comes to class participation, I make an effort
to engage every student in every lesson. In thePhilippines, classes can have as many as 50-60
students, and I recall that only a few students
would have the opportunity to participate orally
during a 50-minute class. However, my classes
typically consist of a maximum of 20 students
each. This allows me to take advantage of thesmaller class size and ensure that every student
has a chance to be heard. The only downsideis that some students may lose focus on otheraspects of the lesson when they are aware it is
not their turn to answer. To mitigate this, I makea conscious effort to maintain a steady pacethroughout the lesson, encouraging students
to stay engaged and focused as much as
possible. Aside from individual participation, I
also use collaborative group activities as muchas possible, allowing students to enhance theirpresentation and writing skills while working
alongside their peers. This dynamic often makes
students feel more comfortable as they rarely
find themselves the focus of the entire class.
A portion of the student body consists ofindividuals from diverse Asian nations, including
Brazil, Russia, Korea, Nepal, China, andBangladesh. One of the challenges of teachingthese students in Japanese universities is thesignificant variation in learning levels among
them. Some of the foreign students exhibit

greater spontaneity than others, which may be
attributed to either their strong study habits orthe extensive language learning opportunities
they had in their home countries. For example,
in the Philippines, even though our local
language is spoken outside the classroom, welearn subjects such as science, world history,
math, and even Physical Education (P.E.) in
English.
Because of the wide learning gaps, there
are still some students who need help withreading comprehension and decoding someof the most important academic or common
words. An important realization emerged fromthis experience: I recognized the need torecalibrate my assessment strategy to caterto the average learner within my cohort rather
than tailoring tests exclusively to the highest or
lowest performers. Specifically, I design tests
in which I incorporate previously assigned
materials. I also utilize the exact items from their
textbook. In other words, I rarely introduce new
vocabulary items. If I do, I strive to constructsimple sentences and provide context clues orcommon words to assist students in choosing
the correct answers. Having experienced theconfusion of encountering unfamiliar words
during my own Japanese language learning,
I aim to create tests that align closely with thevocabulary they have been taught. Therefore, I
would rely on context clues or familiar words tounderstand the meaning.
My experiences in various educational
institutions have been incredibly enriching.
Interacting with students of varying proficiency
levels has been particularly advantageous, as it
has allowed me to adapt my teaching methods
and discover effective ways to foster motivation.
Whether it is through online or in-person
learning, I am eager to continue exploring new
approaches that inspire and motivate students.

11

LEARNING LEARNING『学習の学習』30(2)Stories of Teaching and Learning Practices
学習・教育実践の成功談・失敗談“Bridging today’s course requirements and tomorrow’s autonomous learning”:
Reading aloud as a means to develop fluency and memory

Takeshi Ishikawa
Tokyo Keizai University
itakesh@tku.ac.jp

INTRODUCTION

Before applying to university, I was torn between whether to major in English or sociology, and chosethe latter and to study English on my own. As a self-taught English learner, I pulled out all the stops
and tried every strategy I could think of. As a result, I have come to believe that reading aloud, alongwith extensive reading, is one of the most effective ways to develop English proficiency. After getting
into teaching, I was very shocked when I was once asked by a student in the English Department thisquestion: “Ondokutte nandesuka (What is reading aloud)?” I couldn’t believe that, after having learned
English for at least six years, he had never been briefed on what reading aloud was, let alone practiced
it. As a matter of fact, not many other students were familiar with reading aloud either; however, byincorporating reading aloud into my class, I was able to increase their motivation for English andimproved their ability to have a conversation in English. These experiences led me to the belief that
English teachers should not only teach the content of the course, but also introduce varieties of waysof learning that students can choose from to help them become autonomous learners. Although it is
up to the students whether to adopt/adapt these strategies, I believe that it would be wrong not to
expose them to diverse learning strategies. Who, as an English teacher, would not want their students
to continue to learn English after graduation?
This year, I was to teach a course on reading, listening to, and discussing English texts about social
issues, and the course had two requirements: giving a final presentation and getting good scores on
TOEIC vocabulary tests. Getting students to present with confidence is easier said than done, and so
is having them study for weekly vocabulary quizzes. After careful consideration, I decided to set asidea weekly learner-training segment to help students successfully complete those course requirements
and thereby open their eyes to strategies that can pave the way for sustainable, autonomous learning.
Learning strategies, such as cognitive, metacognitive, memory, affective and social strategies, refers to“a range of specific learning techniques that make learning more effective” (Dörnyei, 2001, p. 95) andlearning strategies training “aims to make everyone more capable of independent learning” (Dickinson,
1992, p. 13). Research indicates a tight relationship between the amount of teacher support of student
autonomy and an increase in student autonomy (Noels et al., 1999).
The learner-training segment for my class was twofold: one was an introduction to reading aloudand practice. Some researchers dispute the effectiveness of reading aloud, casting doubt on theclaim that it contributes to improved pronunciation in spontaneous speech because the controlled
texts usually edit out all the redundant features of natural conversation (Celce-Murcia et al., 1996).
However, Gibson (2008) contends that there is no evidence that some texts’ unspontaneous speech
is transferred to learners’ speech and that as long as a long text, instead of a short unnatural one, isused with sensitivity, reading aloud helps students learn prosodic features of the English language.
Herman (1985) actually found that as a result of repeated reading, the improvement in fluency, was

12

STORIES OF TEACHING AND LEARNING PRACTICEStransferred to previously unread materials. Birch (2002) and Underhill (1994) claim that reading aloudtexts is useful in giving students feedback on their decoding skills and comprehension. Stanovich (1991)
also suggests that connecting a letter and its sound helps learners improve pronunciation and learn
new words. Among some types of reading aloud, Kuhn and Stahl (2003) support assisted repeatedreading, in which students read aloud a text repeatedly with help from the tape-recorded model, as it
can provide scaffolding. As someone who has improved his English proficiency by reading aloud, I haveto wholeheartedly agree with the benefits of reading aloud as pointed out by these researchers.
In response to the doubts about the effectiveness of reading aloud, I would say that students who
are not good at speaking English are likely to fall into a vicious cycle: they do not practice speaking
because they feel reluctant (e.g., they are not confident about their pronunciation); their proficiency
never improves; and they still remain poor at speaking English. It is true that the texts used for reading
aloud are usually not authentic ones and that reading aloud training can be boring; however, with someingenuity, these shortcomings can be remedied by the following:• letting students know that real conversations are not exactly like written English read aloud• teaching students how to use fillers• telling students that English speech is acquired through physical exercise (The mouth muscles
used in English and Japanese are different)• giving the students an opportunity to apply their improved pronunciation in their conversation
with partners toward the end of the class
As for the possibility of boredom, what I did are these:• dividing the training part into several short segments (repeating, overlapping, eye-shadowing,
and shadowing)• having students hold the script up while looking at their partner’s face and having them read
aloud to each other with emotion while making eye contact• providing more than one type of text (e.g., conversation texts and monologue texts) so thatstudents did not have to keep using the same one.
These are exactly the techniques that were incorporated in this class.
As I planned to introduce reading aloud in this way (so that it would help students utter words withconfidence and memorize TOEIC vocabulary), there was another issue that needed to be covered:
students’ anxiety toward the final presentation. According to Horwitz et al. (1986), foreign language
anxiety has three components: 1. anxiety related to communicating with people that is attributed tolearners’ incapabilities to appropriately state their thoughts; 2. anxiety of being negatively evaluated bysociety that stems from the desire to look good to others; and 3. test anxiety, anxiety of being evaluatedacademically. With these in mind, I paid close attention to the following in this class.
Firstly, to reduce the first type of anxiety, the standard presentation structure was explained in detailorally and on an Internet bulletin board, together with three elements of a presentation, namely,
delivery, visual aids, and presentation script (the teacher explained about what to say at what stageof the process). Secondly, to alleviate the second type of anxiety, yet another training session wasincorporated that took place at the end of each class throughout the midpoint of the semester andbeyond: a pair presentation session that is expected to make students feel comfortable speaking out
by starting with an audience of only one person (for the first few weeks, students were allowed to lookat the standard presentation structure shown on the screen). And again, to lessen the third type ofanxiety (one student actually mentioned the pressure from the teacher to perform well), I reassured thestudents that their presentations would not be evaluated harshly. When I was in university, I was too
shy to speak in public. Therefore, I made these plans assuming that there must always be some shy
students in a class.

13

LEARNING LEARNING『学習の学習』30(2)LEARNING FROM STUDENTS ABOUT HOW THEY CAN DEVELOP A SERIOUS
ATTITUDE TOWARD LEARNING NEW TECHNIQUES AND CONCEPTS

I decided to do this action research to prove that my belief that knowledge of learning strategies
helps students and is applicable in the field of university education. There were 28 sophomores
enrolled in my English conversation class this year. Half were women and half were men. The classmet once a week. The conversation course is elective and this particular class is a group of students
who score between 400 and 500 on the TOEIC test. The purpose of the class is to read, listen to anddiscuss social issues. There are two requirements in this class: 1. a TOEIC word test that takes place
every week, and 2. a poster presentation on a social issue (e.g., food loss) of their choice as the final
exam. Many of the students at this university are characterized by the fact that they do what they are
told, but are not good at doing something on their own initiative; in other words, they want to do theirbest in English, but would like to be pulled along by their teachers if possible. In light of this reality, I
decided to introduce training to promote independent learning among students.
In the first class, a questionnaire consisting of five Likert-scale items measuring motivation, attitudes
and habits of English learning was administered (see Appendix). Then, a lecture (with fun, visuallyattractive slides) was conducted about the following in order to incorporate stress and rhythm into
students’ speaking: 1. the difference between Japanese and English prosody (syllable-timed language
vs. stress-timed language), 2. the distinction between content words and function words (and how
to stress the former and unstress the latter), and 3. how (introduction of repeating, overlapping,eye-shadowing, and shadowing) and why (e.g., to make their speech comprehensible to others) it isbeneficial to read aloud.
The point here was that I introduced the reading aloud with enthusiasm and humor to motivate
students who find reading aloud tedious. The students were to practice reading aloud using
excerpts from the TOEIC test (dialogues and monologues from the Listening Section Part 3 and Part4) at the beginning of each week’s class. Introduced at the same time was the practice of reading
aloud example sentences containing words that would be on the following week’s test. What wasemphasized here was that the purpose of listening to and reading aloud the sample sentences fromthe TOEIC vocabulary book was not only for a short-term goal of getting good scores but also, andeven more importantly, for a long- term goal of improving their overall English proficiency.
Then, a few weeks later, I introduced the basics about how to give a good presentation. Whatwas explained in detail was the standard presentation structure and what to do at each stage(Introduction, Body, and Conclusion) as well as body language and how to create visual aids. The
students were to practice three-minute pair presentations on the day’s topic from the class textbook
at the end of each week’s class. For the first three weeks, students were allowed to look at thestandard structure shown on the screen. In the practice, the audience of one was asked to giveapplause before and after the presentation, and give mostly positive feedback to the presenter (withsome feedback on negative points to help improve the performance). The students listened intently
to every explanation on reading aloud and making presentations.
At the end of the course, students were asked to complete a second questionnaire (identical to thefirst with additional questions) to see how the students’ attitudes had changed.

EXPLORING STUDENT RESPONSES

It is always good to see changes in students.
Analyzing the results of Question 9 about change in attitude toward presentation, 16 of the 28
students selected “I was not confident in the beginning, but now I am” in their presentation ability
with 11 of those 16 having presentation experience, indicating that their lack of confidence was due
to a lack of proper knowledge about presentations; This is based on the fact that all the students
said instruction on standard presentation structure was useful.

14

STORIES OF TEACHING AND LEARNING PRACTICES

To my delight, seven students, who did not like English due to lack of vocabulary, came to like English
more than before precisely because they became accustomed to memorizing vocabulary by the useof reading aloud.

CHANGES IN STUDENT CONFIDENCE, ABILITY AND BEHAVIOR

The following are comments from students who have become more confident in their presentation
skills and whose home study has changed to include reading aloud more often than before.
“Reading aloud gave me a chance to realize where to put the accent when speaking.
Also, I was happy to learn the structure of the presentations.” - Yasuyuki (pseudonym)
It is assumed that what worried Yasuyuki at the beginning of the course was that he did notunderstand the flow of the presentation and that he was anxious about his pronunciation.
To some, assisted reading aloud has led to a change in their pronunciation.
“By trying to pronounce English aloud and then listening to the audio on the CD, I wasable to notice that some parts of the English are not pronounced in native speakers’
speech and that some sounds are connected to each other. I was inspired to read
English out loud more often from now on.” - Takaki“I got used to TOEIC level speed. Not only by listening to native speakers’ pronunciation
but also imitating them, I can notice the difference from my own pronunciation. I spoke
too fast during my final presentation, and it was then that I realized the importance of
intonating my speech” - Eiichi
Generally speaking, a lot of students tend to procrastinate and have a hard time starting what they
believe they should do to improve their English proficiency (such as reading aloud), but some havethe courage to take the first step. Akiko is one such example.
“I knew that reading aloud was important for developing listening skills, but as a resultof my hard work in reading aloud during the semester, I was made aware that it was
effective for listening. I had not been able to learn English effectively because I did notknow how to, but now that I know how to learn English (e.g., reading aloud), I feel more
motivated about learning English. - Akiko
Other students went out of their way to give specific, vivid examples of changes in their attitudes
toward English in their daily lives.
“The many opportunities to speak in English, including presentations, made me realized
the joy of communicating in English. I started listening to Western music and naturallycame into contact with English more often. I had not had many opportunities to present
in front of others, but through this course, I learned the structure of a presentation andwhat is important when presenting, which I was able to apply in practice. The at-homeclassroom atmosphere allowed me to present without being overly nervous. I was able
to give my presentation in a loud voice so that others could understand. - Kaoru“I had never done much reading aloud before and was very reluctant at first. At the
beginning of this course, I learned the importance of reading aloud, and I started toread aloud on my own. I still have some resistance to reading aloud together in class,but I feel that it has become easier to memorize words since I started reading aloud.
Before taking this class, when I met foreigners, I relied on a translator and did not try
to talk to them. However, recently, when foreigners come to my part-time job, I am able
to go talk to them myself. I want to make it a habit to speak English more. As for givinga presentation, I initially was not confident at all, but through weekly presentation

15

LEARNING LEARNING『学習の学習』30(2)practice, I gained some confidence. I was very nervous when giving the final
presentation, but I was glad that I could speak English better than I expected. - Ayano
As Ayano mentioned, some admitted that reading aloud contributed to them memorizing new words.
As for the TOEIC vocabulary test given at the beginning of each week, it was a pleasant surprisethat most students received perfect or near-perfect scores. The test was a fill-in-the-blanks test of
example sentences, with no Japanese translation provided, and was a test where students who had
repeatedly read sentences aloud would have an advantage.

WHAT I HAVE LEARNED FROM THIS ACTION RESEARCH

Learning strategy training was introduced for two purposes: One was for students to address
immediate course requirements, and the other to help them improve their sustainable home learning.
In terms of types of learning strategies, I introduced different kinds: 1. cognitive strategy (reading
aloud in unison by the use of repeating, overlapping, eye-shadowing and shadowing); meta-cognitive
strategy (understanding the difference between Japanese and English prosody and why knowing
it helps improve students’ English proficiency); memory strategy (memorizing new words from the
TOEIC vocabulary book by the use of assisted reading aloud); social strategy (reading aloud a
dialogue in pairs facing each other; pair presentation practice; peer feedback); and affective strategy(presentation practice with an audience of only one person; allowing presenters to refer to thepresentation structure shown on the screen during a pair presentation practice).
I would also like to note that a pattern (in this case the standard presentation structure) for the
purpose of scaffolding seems to be necessary in learning, and even more so when it is done in aforeign language. I must confess that because their first small presentations were so badly done, I
initially regretted having set the poster presentation as the criterion for the final evaluation. However,I appreciate the hard work that the students put into the final presentation.
In the second questionnaire, quite a few students commented favorably on different activities
covered in class. Some discussed the usefulness of reading aloud itself, while others noted its
effectiveness as a strategy for memorizing vocabulary. Some stated that reading aloud helped themwith their speech during presentations. Some said they would not have felt confident without adetailed explanation of the structure of the presentation. In reality, the amount of time that can bespent with students is limited. With so much to do in the classroom, there is not much time to impartknowledge about useful learning strategies to students to help them improve their out-of-classlearning, much less to help them to continue to learn English in the future. What is encouraging isthat the students saw this strategy training as a chance to improve their learning. To illustrate this,when asked what in-class activities they thought would be useful for their future English learning, 20
out of 28 students responded “learning how to read aloud.” While it is impossible to track their futurelearning, it is pleasing to see that their motivation has improved, at least at this stage. I believe thatbeing exposed to students’ desire to improve is what gives teachers more energy to move on to thenext step, more than anything else.
If I were to imitate the famous saying, it would go like this: “We should not only give them fish, butalso teach them how to fish.” Unfortunately, a short time after graduation, most students will haveforgotten most of what their teachers said and the details they learned (Sad, isn’t it?). But if there is atleast one thing they have adopted in terms of independent study methods, isn’t that good enough?
This is just an aside, but a student who had been absent from the middle of the course suddenly
showed up only on the last day and asked to give a final presentation, saying she knew she would
not receive a credit. I was impressed with her eagerness and glad to think that her courageousdecision was probably attributed to the good atmosphere the whole class and I had created. At times
like this, I am glad I became a teacher.

16

STORIES OF TEACHING AND LEARNING PRACTICESREFERENCES

Birch, B. (2002). English L2 reading: Getting to the bottom. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Celce-Murcia, M., Brinton, D., & Goodwin, J. (1996). Teaching pronunciation: a reference for teachersof English to speakers of other languages. Cambridge University Press.
Dickinson, L. (1992). Learner Autonomy 2: Learner training for language learning. Authentik.
Dörnyei, Z. (2001). Motivational strategies in the language classroom. Cambridge University Press.
Gibson, S. (2008). Reading aloud: a useful learning tool? ELT Journal, 62(1), 29-36.
Herman, P. A. (1985). The effect of repeated readings on reading rate, speech pauses, and word
recognition accuracy. Reading Research Quarterly, 20, 553-565.
Horwitz, E., Horwitz, M. & Cope, J. (1986). Foreign language classroom anxiety. The Modern
Language Journal, 70(2), 125-132.
Kuhn, M. R., & Stahl, S. A. (2003). Fluency: A review of developmental and remedial practices. Journalof Educational Psychology, 95(1), 3-21.
Noels, K. A., Clément, R., & Pelletier, L. G. (1999). Perceptions of teachers’communicative style andstudents’ intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Modern Language Journal, 83(1), 23-34.
Stanovich, K. (1991). Changing models of reading and reading acquisition. Lawrence Erlbaum.
Underhill, A. (1994). Sound Foundations. Heinemann.
Takeshi Ishikawa teaches at Tokyo Keizai University. He holds an M.S.Ed. in TESOL from Temple
University. He has written papers on diary exchange, reading aloud training, and e-learning. His
research interests include learner autonomy and learning strategies training.

APPENDIXThe Questionnaire (translated from Japanese)
1. I like learning English.
o Strongly agree o Agree o Slightly agree o Disagree o Strongly disagree
2. I think I would like learning English more if I had more vocabulary.
o Strongly agree o Agree o Slightly agree o Disagree o Strongly disagree
3. I think reading aloud helps me memorize words.
o Strongly agree o Agree o Slightly agree o Disagree o Strongly disagree
4. I will incorporate reading aloud when learning English vocabulary.
o Strongly agree o Agree o Slightly agree o Disagree o Strongly disagree
5. I read aloud when learning vocabulary at home.
o Very often o Often o Sometimes o Rarely o Never
6. I read aloud English passages at home.
o Very often o Often o Sometimes o Rarely o Never(Question 7 and below were added to the second questionnaire.)
7. Please circle all that apply regarding your English presentation experience prior to taking this course.
A. I had no experience at all.
B. I had some experience. (Please also fill in the blanks below)
C. I had considerable experience. (Please fill in the blanks below.)
D. I had a lot of experience.
I gave a presentation(s) about () in [junior high school/high school/university].

17

LEARNING LEARNING『学習の学習』30(2)8. Looking at the following items related to the class, please select the ones (multiple responses
allowed) that you think helped your poster presentation performance. If there are other factors, pleaselist them in parentheses below.
A. Explanation on presentation organization (Greeting, Background Information, What, Overview, Body1,transition, etc.)
B. Knowledge of English speech (rhythmic differences between Japanese and English, etc.)
C. Reading aloud practice using TOEIC sound sources (e.g. eye shadowing)
D. Pair presentation practiceE. Listening tips segment in the textbook “Global Issues”
F. One month of preparation time
G. Class atmosphere
H. Others ()
9. Has your awareness of presentation been changed compared to before taking this course? Pleasecircle one that comes closest.
A. I was not confident at first, but now I am confident.
B. I was confident at first, but now I am not.
C. I was confident and still am.
D. I was and still am not confident.
Please write a supplementary explanation about it.
[]
10. Please write frankly what you thought about the final presentation (preparation, presentation on theday, etc.).
11. What do you think will be useful for your future English study? Please select the ones (more than one
answer is acceptable). If there is anything else, please write it in parentheses.
A. The knowledge I have gained about English speech (rhythmic differences between Japanese andEnglish, the notion of differentiating between content words and function words, sound connections,etc.)
B. The knowledge I have gained about methods of practicing reading aloud (e.g. eye shadowing).
C. The experience of giving presentations and the confidence gained from them.
D. Listening to and reading aloud example sentences of TOEIC English vocabulary.
E. Discussions in English.
Others ()
Q 12. Please write about your impressions and findings regarding reading aloud.
Q13. Please describe any changes in your overall English learning (motivation, habits, etc.) during thefirst semester.

18

SHORT REFLECTIVE ARTICLES

Short Reflective Articles
小論

Writing in Different Genres: Nurturing Students’ Creativity, Criticality, andInformed Improvisation

Andy Barfield
Chuo University
abarfield001f@g.chuo-u.ac.jp

Hugh Nicoll
Miyazaki Municipal University
hnicoll@gmail.com

This issue of Learning Learning includes pieces of student writing by two third-year undergraduate
students, Maria YAMAZAKI and Yuiko ASAI. Maria chose to write an academic blog post (“What should
we do to protect our language identities? The impact of society, beliefs, and the education system”),
while Yuiko decided to work on an article for a youth magazine (“Time-traveling and recognizing
Aboriginal cultures”). These were the final products that Maria and Yuiko created in 2022 for theirsecond-year seminar on Language Issues in Society. In this discussion, Hugh Nicoll talks with Andy
Barfield, the seminar teacher, about why he asked the students to write in different genres and how
Maria and Yuiko saw, from their perspectives, the process of creating these original pieces of writing.
Hugh: Andy – I really enjoyed reading Maria and Yuiko’s pieces as we were putting this issue of
Learning Learning together. Reading their pieces took me back to my full-time days, when working
with seminar students was one of my greatest challenges and greatest pleasures. My seminar
students were tied to the graduation thesis requirements at my university, so there were few options
for exploring alternative genres in their projects. Can you tell us a bit more about the context in whichyour students were working?
Andy: Sure, Hugh—the institutional context is a little different from the graduation thesis
requirements at your university. My colleagues and I are fortunate to have some leeway with student
work for the seminars that we teach as there is no standardised requirement for second-year
students to produce a particular type or length of report, and the seminar itself is independent ofstudents’ 3rd and 4th year “senmon enshu” choices. That said, “academic report” is probably themost common expectation that students have for seminars in the different years that they take them.
Going back to the 2022 Autumn semester, the eight students in the Language Issues in Society
seminar did individual semester-long research projects, with some fieldwork (e.g., observational/
visual, discussions outside the seminar, interviews). Around mid-November or so, they gave
presentations on their research, then they started working on writing up reports of their projects.
When I raised the possibility of writing in different genres, most were interested in creating theirreports in a non-academic style, so I encouraged them to choose their own style of report and tofind examples in English and Japanese of the kind of genre they wanted to write. “At first I didn’tknow what way was better to do my report, and I was thinking about doing a video report like adocumentary or blog. Because my report will be a little specific I was also thinking of doing academic
writing too but I wanted to make a report which is easy to read for everyone,” reflected Maria as
she initially opted for a more personal style of academic writing. Later she settled on producing an
academic blog. Yuiko decided to write an article for a youth magazine, while other students chose“newspaper article,” “mass media web article,” and “academic report.”

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LEARNING LEARNING『学習の学習』30(2)Over the next several weeks, the students would refer to different texts and discuss with each otherand me how they were trying to align their writing with the examples of the genre that they had
chosen. Often this involved multimodal features like images, headings, font choice, and font colour.
Other features the students noticed included sentence and paragraph length. “I am trying not to write
an academic report like I am very used to doing, while thinking how I can be closer to the readers.
Plus, I am taking a look at different magazine reports (and also other types of reports) to find some
useful points that I can adapt to mine,” wrote Yuiko in her weekly journal. I found it interesting to see
students realising that they could use short 2- to 3-sentence paragraphs if they were writing mass
media web articles, rather than longer, more complex paragraphs that they associated with academic
reports. Some of the more elusive genre features revolved around the authorial voice that thestudents wished to adopt, and, where they wanted to write in an “I-you” style, how they might create
an interpersonal quality to their evolving texts.
Hugh: This question of genres is a fascinating one for me, especially because I’ve been struggling
for so long to understand why thinking and writing, any creative pursuit really, is subject to so much
mystification – especially in institutional contexts. For example, many people express difficultyin understanding poetry or philosophy – seeing them as fundamentally difficult, essentially as
impossible to understand. Not enough time here to explore all the ways in which gateway practices
exclude people from participating in academic and professional life, but my sense is that Maria andYuiko began to create new paths for themselves; new paths that allowed them to start participatingin the conversations that are at the heart of so-called academic writing. Perhaps, by exploring theseapproaches, along with the commitment to demystifying academic writing in They Say, I Say by
Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein, we can help build bridges of empowerment that will benefit all
stakeholders in our institutional contexts, and help us develop more critical or liberatory pedagogies
for the long term.
Andy: Demystifying is a great way to put it. There was definitely a buzz and energy about the students’
discussions. As the groups rotated and changed, they seemed to be learning as much from working
on the same genre as on a different genre. Maria and Yuiko both wanted to write for near-peer
audiences—young people like themselves—and, as they were particularly enthusiastic about thewhole process, in the final seminar of the year, I asked them whether they would be interested inseeing their writing published outside of the seminar. Serendipitously, they both said yes.
Catching up with Maria and Yuiko in April and early May this year, we met a few times in Zoom to
discuss how they might develop their writing further for publication in Learning Learning, based on
the feedback that you and Ken (Ikeda) had given them. They were both still focused on writing for anear-peer audience, and we talked in more detail about genre features, voice, audience, and purpose.
Maria and Yuiko could see the “I-you” style in example texts that we looked at, and they were able tobring this into their writing in some places, but they found it challenging to sustain this throughout.
Trying to understand why, I decided to ask them about their writing histories. Maria had written a
research-based report in Japanese in her first year. While she had been expected to include her own
experiences and views, she had been taught to follow a formal academic register and to adopt an
objective position—to distance herself in her report. Maria was now interested in writing an academic
blog, so that she could share her experiences and research in a more personal way without being
too informal. She grew up in Japan as the child of Brazilian parents in a society which doesn’t use
her mother tongue. Although Maria now uses Japanese, Portuguese, and English, she had had
many struggles with identity and language, particularly in her teens. In the seminar, while she felt thatjournaling each week in the second-year seminar had helped her express her thinking with a greater
sense of own voice, one challenge she still faced was how to share the story of her deeply personallanguage identity struggle and connect it to wider issues in society. This was what she became
able to do by developing her academic blog. While Maria was satisfied with what she had written

20

SHORT REFLECTIVE ARTICLES

within the seminar and with talking through her own experiences and research within the seminarcommunity, she worked hard to include more of her personal experiences in the version of her writing
published in this issue of Learning Learning. Through this process Maria came to understand andexpress her own story more clearly for herself and for a new readership.
During her high school years, Yuiko, on the other hand, had spent a year at a high school in Canada,
where she had written essays and short reports in English. In her first year at university in Japan,
Yuiko had also completed a 2,000 word academic report in English. She was academically literate
in English and found writing in English more familiar than writing in Japanese. Now she wanted todiversify her writing repertoire and reach out to other young people and feel closer to her imagined
readers by writing an article for a youth magazine. To some extent this followed through from Yuiko’s
way of researching in the second year. Her initial focus had been on the revitalisation of Aboriginal
languages in Australia; very early on in her research project as she began to seek the different voices
and perspectives, Yuiko decided to find popular sources and perspectives authored by Aboriginal
people themselves. This included video testimonies by survivors of the Lost Generation, the work ofdifferent Aboriginal artists (e.g., 2nd National Indigenous Art Triennial: Undisclosed (2010), 3rd National
Indigenous Art Triennial: Defying Empire (2017), including Sandra Hill, and the songs and activism
of DOBBY Rapper). Working with these sources radically shifted Yuiko’s focus from revitalisation tosurvival, healing, resistance, and reconciliation, and appreciating Aboriginal histories and worldviews.
Her choice of youth magazine article fit well with her interest in understanding the stories, experiences,and strength of Aboriginal peoples in their own vibrant terms. By extending and developing her writing
for Learning Learning, Yuiko came to create a stronger “I-you” voice and managed to express her
thinking and understanding more concisely for her imagined near-peer readers.
Hugh: Wonderful that you encouraged your seminar students to choose a genre and emulate it. The
practice we do—in athletics, music, or in writing—always begins most productively in learning forms.
By giving them the chance to explore the various genres, and to discuss how to align their writing
with their chosen genres, then share their challenges with their peers sounds like a great way tomove toward what I’ll call informed improvisation. Clearly, though you did not say so explicitly above,
this proved a great way for your students to think about the relationship between rhetorical moves,diction, the function of the various elements of a piece of writing, and their awareness of writing for a
specific audience.
The choices you are making as teacher/mentor also sound intriguingly parallel to efforts among our
younger peers in academia, who—it seems to me—are exploring alternative approaches to formal
literary criticism and developing new models for interdisciplinary study and writing. I am thinking here
especially of Anadhid Neressian, a writer and critic teaching at UCLA, Namwali Serpell, currently
teaching at Harvard, and London-based novelist and essayist Zadie Smith. I am also thinking of
historians and economists who have pursued newsletters, often hosted on the Substack platform,
as a way of engaging more directly with readers from both within and beyond the walls of academe.
(Just a few names here, if Learning Learning readers might be interested: Brad DeLong, Heather Cox
Richardson, Noah Smith, and Adam Tooze – as always, too much to read, too much to learn, and too
little time!)
Andy: I am always surprised and delighted by the connections you make, Hugh! There are somevery interesting parallels there in creating new representations and understandings within different
intersecting communities. On reflection, the practice of experimenting with genres goes some way
to empowering students in authoring and communicating their own understandings of the world increative and critical ways. They don’t need to be beholden to a single paradigm for sharing theirresearch with other people. Maria and Yuiko already had actual and potential mutliliteracies. They
could see what they wanted to do, but it took time for them to realise this in their writing. Through21

LEARNING LEARNING『学習の学習』30(2)multiple interactions with others, in which they often de-constructed the way their own texts andother texts were organised, their perceptions of the new genres that they had initially imagined
became sharper and more concretely focused. They were able to make sense of their own lived
experiences (Maria) and the lived experiences of others (Yuiko) and connect this to conditions andideologies in society. With feedback and support, they became fully capable of producing original
work outside of standardised academic genres such as “academic essays” and “seminar reports.”
For me, working with student-chosen genres has become a significant part of a pedagogy for learnerautonomy and critical literacy with the Language Issues in Society seminar and other classes that I
teach. This “informed improvisation,” as you eloquently put it, is, I feel, also resonant with a Pedagogyof Hope whereby students can “explore how they and others perceive the world and reimagine it as
an equitable space for all” (Gonzaga University, n.d.).
Hugh: Yes, exactly – as we’ve discussed and written about, formally and informally, for so many years
now, the foundation of so much of what we’ve been trying to do for and with our students begins with
Freire. Thank you Andy for this opportunity to explore these puzzles again.
Andy: And thank you, Hugh, for another thought-provoking discussion, both here in writing together
and in Zoom as we have shared ideas with each other. To round things off, I’d also like to thank Mariaand Yuiko for all their commitment and hard work on preparing their writing for Learning Learning—aswell as say a big thank you to Ken (Ikeda) and you for supporting them and dialoguing with me about
their writing. Thank you one and all!

REFERENCESArt Gallery of Western Australia. (2023). The view from here. Sandra Hill [Artwork]. https://tvfh.
artgallery.wa.gov.au/artist/sandra-hill/
Creative Spirits. (n.d.). Curious about Aboriginal culture but unsure where to start? https://www.
creativespirits.info
Ethical Teaching and Learning. (n.d.). What is multiliteracies? https://www.ethicalliteracies.com/
multiliteracies
Gonzaga University. (n.d.). Watch, Listen, read. Get to know pedagogy of hope. School of
Education. The office of a pedagogy of hope through research and practice. https://www.gonzaga.
edu/school-of-education/about/office-of-a-pedagogy-of-hope/watch-listen-read
Graff, G., & Birkenstein, C. (2021). “They say / I say”: the moves that matter in academic writing (5thed.). W.W. Norton & Company.
Healing Foundation. (n.d.). Make healing happen. It’s time to act. https://healingfoundation.org.au/
make-healing-happen/
National Gallery of Australia. (2012). unDisclosed: 2nd National Indigenous Art Triennial [Exhibition].
https://digital.nga.gov.au/archive/exhibition/undisclosed/
National Gallery of Australia. (2017). Defying Empire: 3rd National Indigenous Art Triennial[Exhibition]. https://digital.nga.gov.au/archive/defyingempire/index.html
NITV (2018, July 16). Rapper DOBBY’s latest single is a dedication to Aboriginal struggle. https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/article/2018/07/15/rapper-dobbys-latest-single-dedication-aboriginal-struggle
NITV (2022, January 20). Explainer: Day of Mourning, the birth of modern First Nations protest.
https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/article/explainer-day-of-mourning-the-birth-of-modern-first-nationsprotest/j6ccrqkgb
Reconciliation NSW. (n.d.). Reconciliation: Truth, equity, healing. https://reconciliationnsw.org.au
Stolen Generations’ Testimonies Foundation. (n.d.). Stolen generations’ testimonies. https://www.
stolengenerationstestimonies.com

22

SHORT REFLECTIVE ARTICLESWhat should we do to protect ourlanguage identities?
The impact of society, beliefs, and the education system
Maria Yamazaki

About the author

Introduction

I was born in Japan as a child of Brazilian
parents, coincidentally in the year that had afootball world cup in Japan/Korea when
Brazil became world champion. Ⅰ speak
Japanese, Portuguese, and English and I’m a
student at Chuo University studying law andinternational politics. My area of interests inresearch is about protecting minority rights soin my first year I researched thediscrimination against LGBT persons andfocused on “gay marriage” in Japan. From
my own experiences as a multilingual person
who grew up in Japan, in my second-year
seminar, I wanted to research about language
issues, specifically the protection of language
identities. That is the focus of this academicblog.

Language identity is a type of
personal identity that is createdfrom our language history and thisis a very important part of our lives.
For me, the question of language
identity had a great effect in thecreation of my own identity, andthat process made me who I amright now. Even though I didn't
know what language identity
meant exactly at the time, it played
an important role in my life.
As a person who grew up in asociety which doesn't use mymother tongue, I had many
struggles in terms of using anotherlanguage. The elementary and junior high schools I went to in Gunma didn’t havegood programs to help children with more than one language to use two
languages. The school system of separating students who didn’t have Japanese as
their first language made me have a feeling of exclusion. And from the age of 10 or
so, I started to think it was embarrassing to use Portuguese in front of Japanesepeople. I also tried hard to be “Japanese” so I could be the same as everyone. This
need to be monolingual and monocultural stopped me from being proud of myself:
Without knowing, I was excluding myself from speaking a different language fora long time.
All this had a big impact on my sense of identity and raised many personal andcomplex questions for me. In this academic blog I want to focus on my personal

23

LEARNING LEARNING『学習の学習』30(2)language experiences in relation to social systems and beliefs to do withnationalism. I also share the experiences of another young person who, like me,went to school in Japan, but whose school environment was quite different frommine. What follows is based on my autumn research project in my second-year
seminar on Language Issues in Society.
When I first started going more deeply into these experiences, I started to
become interested in the connection of identity and multilingualism. Earlier in 2022,
I had researched about issues in multilingual countries. I had expected that, when
the society is multilingual, there should be several mixes of language identities forpeople who use more than one language. In addition, as a politics major, therelationship between language identity and nationalism had a big appeal for me.
How do beliefs and ideas about nationalism affect language users’ identities? Is
there a simple national identity for people like me who are multilingual? Thosequestions were really important for me in understanding language identity, so
nationalism is one of the essential themes in this academic blog post.
I have had a struggle with my own personal and national identity since I was ayoung child. I have often asked myself: “Am I Japanese/Brazilian or
Brazilian/Japanese?” According to my own experiences, does it mean thatsomehow, the society, and the situation around a person can harm a person’s
language identities? I have come to understand that there are several factors which
may have the potential to build a wall and limit our language identities.

What is language identity?
We cannot underestimate the importance of language identity. According to myresearch, I found that it is a type of identity that is created based on language. I
also learnt that language is not only an individual question. It has a strong
connection with society, the feelings and attitudes of people around you, andcultural norms.
Stan Grant, an Australian journalist who writes and talks about indigenous issues
and his Aboriginal identity, has commented, “Languages and names are markers ofidentity.”1 According to Grant, language identity is not just a simple factor, but itshows who we are and where we are. For me, language identity is one of the most

1

Grant (2016)

24

SHORT REFLECTIVE ARTICLES

important parts of my own identity. My first language is Portuguese, and then I
learned Japanese when I was 3-5 years old, so I grew up with two languages fromwhen I was very little.
Understanding the significance of those two languages was a challenge for me.
We use language to speak, think, communicate, express our thoughts, ideas, andopinions ... and to show ourselves to others. When you want to do something, thefirst thing you do is probably to think, and language and thought are deeply
connected with each other. So, most of the time, language is an important factor in
our daily lives. We can also say that our social life depends on our language use
and the communities we interact with. Basically, our daily lives are dominated byour language use. But in what ways were my language choices restricted or not?
Let’s think together about language choices, and language hierarchy in society.

Language choice and the impact of social systems
To put it simply, language choice is the choice about what language one will use,
but it is not a free choice that individuals make. Language choice can shiftdepending on both individual and societal factors.

Societal restrictions on language choice
According to my research, language choice is both individual and societal. In
sociolinguistics, when people mention the word “language choices”, they are talking
about individual speakers’ decision-making within a language (Aoyama & Denton,2020) — the choices that a person makes to use one language or another.
However, societies also restrict language choices that people can make. As you cansee in the figure below, language choice means not only the language which will be
spoken but also the languages that will have official support, and which are taught
in the education system. Society restricts language choice in this way, for example:• What/How many languages will be used in this society & when they will be
used?
• How many different languages are included in a language education
system?
• How many different languages are recognized and included in a public
spaces/places and information way in a society? … etc.

25

LEARNING LEARNING『学習の学習』30(2)This figure2

global languages

shows the hierarchy
between languages

national/regional
languages

in terms of language
choice which helped

dialects/creoles/pidgins

us understand how
language choices

idiolects/sociolects/
ethnolects

are created insociety.
What stands at

the top of the hierarchy is global languages, which today is primarily known as
English. According to my research, there is no official definition of global language,
but it refers to language that is learned and spoken internationally. Also, global
language is defined by its usefulness on a global scale for economic and trade
purposes (Tyers, 2016). The second level is national and regional languages, which
can include the main languages of the society (for example, Japanese in Japan,
Portuguese in Brazil, or Bahasa Indonesia in Indonesia). The third level is dialects(for example, Osaka-ben, or Yamaguchi-ben), creoles and pidgins, and the bottom
level is idiolects, sociolects, ethnolects which includes various kinds of languages
that individuals or small groups and communities use. In Japan, nearly everybody
speaks Japanese, and young people rarely have a choice about the first foreign
language that they learn. It is English. So, people’s basic language choices are
restricted unless they have interest in learning another language or they use
some different languages in their family.

Individual restrictions on language choice
For an individual person, the meaning of language choice is simpler. Each person
can have multiple language identities depending on language choices and uses.
However, this flexibility depends on your society’s language hierarchy, which
affects the choices that you can make. Sometimes the restrictions in a society can
prevent you from freely making individual language choices. In my case, I started
with Portuguese at home, then through playing with children at kindergarten I

2Tyers (2016)

26

SHORT REFLECTIVE ARTICLES

began to use Japanese, and later I began to learn English at school. Although there
was a Portuguese class at school, I did not take it because it was Portuguese only
and the children in that class did not interact in Japanese with Japanese speakers.
The children in the class were isolated within the school community, and myparents wanted me to be bilingual. The school’s language policies, my parents’wishes, and my future social prospects acted to restrict and support my language
choices.
Strangely enough as I grew up in a monocultural society in Gunma, I still could
live with two totally different cultures. However, even for me, accepting the use ofanother language became difficult as I went through the school system and learnt
that monolingualism is expected. It became so normal for me to speak only
Japanese, that I thought it was weird to use a different language. As a teenager I
wanted to use only Japanese, and I insisted on this to my parents a lot. On myparents’ side, they didn’t want me to use Japanese at home because they were
hoping for me not to forget and lose Portuguese. I respected their wishes andmanaged to use only Portuguese at home, but it was still really annoying at thetime!

Having an international education in Japan, Tokyo
While doing my research, I started to be interested in the story of a student who
had to come through a situation similar to me. She spoke different languages athome and school like me, but with a totally different school system unlike mine. She
is a high school student in Tokyo, but she has studied only at international schools.
Her name is AH (pseudonym). She was born in Japan to Japanese parents.
However, from kindergarten, at a very young age, she grew up surrounded by
English. She has been to 3 different international schools in Tokyo, and when I
interviewed her, she was 16 years old, a freshman at an international high school. In
the school which she is going to now, teachers and students use Japanesefrequently compared to other international schools, but the previous two schools
were mainly in English, so she spent her recent school life mostly using English. At
home she used Japanese and then at school she had education and interaction in
English with other students.
“There were many times when I asked myself which language is my mothertongue; Japanese or English?”27

LEARNING LEARNING『学習の学習』30(2)This is what AH said about her own language identity. Studying wasn’t the badpart because she loved learning languages, but the high amount of study, thepressure, and the other kids calling her “ガリ勉” (= gariben, which means nerd inJapanese) were a hard part of using two languages for her. Sometimes It made her
feel uncomfortable learning English, but she said she is grateful now for having
studied English.
“I think I am very lucky to have the opportunity to say my opinion in English.
There are some opinions that can be expressed in English that cannot be felt inJapanese, and there are somethings about language that can be spoken only
because I studied English.”
AH’s story was very impactful for me. She had an opportunity to be bilingual
even though she was living in a monolingual society; in clear contrast to me, she
could become bilingual because she spoke Japanese at home but not at school.
Since she interacts with people in her age in English, at the time she was more
comfortable using English than Japanese, which is her mother tongue. It’s funnythat the “language shock” we faced was the same even though we went to schools
with completely different systems; while mine was a rural and conservative school,hers was a metropolitan “international” school. Even when we are trying to make achoice for ourselves, social restrictions (at this point coming from the schools)
and people around us (parents’ decision in a young age, other students who weinteracted with, and teachers) can cause a huge impact on our language
identities as individuals.

Strong beliefs and exclusion
Nationalism, patriotism and language identities
As I mentioned, sometimes the idea of monolingualism can create a feeling of
exclusion about using another language. It makes people think that their language
has the priority, which I associate with the sense of strong mono-nationalism. So,
what would be the connection between nationalism and language identity?
Language is the most important way to create a sense of group identity. From myresearch I concluded that language, politics, and culture are not separated, but they
are all mixed together and they occupy an important part in our lives. One of thewell-known beliefs which occupies an important role in language, politics, andcultures is nationalism.

28

SHORT REFLECTIVE ARTICLESNationalism is often used to bring people together and to have a common
national identity. However, it can also be exploited to create separation anddifference between people. One example is with language. It is not rare to see
people discouraging other language speakers to use only their language in theircountry; in Japan people say, “If you live in Japan, you MUST use Japanese” or, “Whywould I have to learn another language since I will live only in Japan for the rest of
my life?”.
In fact, what I saw in my life was not only the exclusion by society as I mentioned
before, but also by the people around me. When I used a different language, I felt
several “EYES” looking at me. Thinking about this now, those people around me
might simply have been amazed that I was using different languages, but for me asa child, those creepy “looks” I had to face when I was speaking Portuguese, mademe feel insecure about using it. Even though I had been using Japanese five seconds
before, in the time I used Portuguese, suddenly, I was being positioned as an
outsider.
In my opinion, believing strongly in nationalism can limit and be detrimental for
people's identities. This belief may make people have a strong sense of mononationalism and even a hatred for speakers of other languages. I have come torecognize that people’s beliefs sometimes play a bigger role in the creation of
language identities than other social factors.

Conclusion
To sum up, there are several factors which can prevent us from developing ourmultilingual language identities: the language choice in society, its system, thebeliefs of the people around us… and so on. How our language identity will becreated depends on our society and the people around us. If the society, and thesituation around a person can harm a person’s language identity, yes, it can have an
impact at some point. If someone or something stands in your way one time, it will
be difficult for you to try again and overcome it. Just once, if you lose being proud of
your language, you will be scared and try to eliminate your identity. If you stay inthe same situation, it will be very hard to escape from there. The same thing
happened to me, and the only way to escape from that kind of mindset was to put

29

LEARNING LEARNING『学習の学習』30(2)myself into a different environment by going to university in a metropolitan area
where people are much less judgmental than in my hometown in Gunma.
Language identity occupies a very important part of our lives. It is yourself, yoursociety, your culture, and your people. To respect everyone’s language identities,
there is one thing that we have to protect: freedom of choice. Accepting language
diversity affects the way of language identities that we have. We have a right tochoose what languages we want to use and what languages we want to learn
without being disturbed by our society, and the situation around us. Social systems
and ideologies should not have to threaten this. If we show our respect to our
choices, there will be fewer problems to create our language identities.
At the end of this blog, I hope you have understood more about language
identities than when you started reading this. The most important thing that I want
to show is to respect yourself and your language choices, so that you can protect
your language identities in different stages of your life.

References
Aoyama, R. & Denton, L. (2021, April 1). Language choice of Japanese high school
students in intra-national communication critical reflection on language use andusers in Japan. KATE Journal.
https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/katejournal/34/0/34_73/_article
Brown, A. (2014, November 10). The power of language-nationalism/patriotism.
YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzCs8MHR7XE
Grant, S. (2016, August 30). If language tells us who we are, then who am I? | stan grant.
The Guardian.
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/commentisfree/2016/aug/31/if-languagetells-us-who-we-are-then-who-am-i
Ichijo, A. (2016). The origin of nationalism: A review and annotated bibliography. The
State of Nationalism. http://stateofnationalism.eu/articles/the-origin-ofnationalism-a-review-and-annotated-bibliography/
Stone, E. (2020, July 5). Nationalism and language. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&amp;v=rc1QhHxyRcI&amp;feature=youtu.be
Tyers, D. (2016). Language and identity. Advance Consulting for Education. https://aceducation.ca/pd_videos/language-and-identity/
Tyers, D. (2016). Language and multilingual societies. Advance Consulting for Education.
https://aceducation.ca/pd_videos/language-and-multilingual-societies/

30

SHORT REFLECTIVE ARTICLESTime-traveling andrecognizing Aboriginal
cultures
I acknowledge with respect that First Australians from the past to
the future are guardians of the Australian land.
By Yuiko Asai
July 3, 2023, Tokyo
Disclaimer: This article includes some swear words in the lyrics that I quote from an
Aboriginal rap artist. I decided to keep these to show respect toward the original workof the artist in protesting how Aboriginal people have been treated since the invasion
by British settlers in 1788. Also, for Aboriginal people, this writing may cause you torecall traumas and other negative experiences you have gone through. I would like toforewarn you in case you decide to read the whole article.

Muttonbird Island is spiritually important for Aboriginal people, particularly the
Gumbaynggirr, according to one of the boards at the Muttonbird Island Outdoor
Learning Space. It represents their connections with nature (land and water),which their ancestors created for the future generations.

31LEARNING LEARNING『学習の学習』30(2)I needed to hear them out, understand their values
Yuiko Asai is from Tokyo, Japan, and athird-year university student at Chuo
University in Tokyo. She has been
researching Aboriginal issues in Australia
since April 2022. Yuiko has studied
different perspectives about the current
situation between Aboriginal people andthe majority, particularly to do withlanguage. The majority talks of“revitalization” as its final goal, but
Aboriginal peoples are concerned with“healing.” Her main questions are: What do
Aboriginal people say? and Where are their
voices? Her aim is to grasp the current
situation from Aboriginal people’s side.
Also, Yuiko has been questioning How do
Aboriginal activists act in order to be “listenedto” by society (particularly the majority)? This
is why she started to look at the activist
work of Aboriginal artists, and to explore
Aboriginal peoples’ cultural values andphilosophies. In turn, this brought her tolearning about “The Dreaming” – the way
in which Aboriginal people understandthe world and their place in it.

On January 26 each year, the majority of theAustralian population celebrates the British
settlement as Australia Day, whereas
Aboriginal people consider this Invasion
Day 1 . Aboriginal people have a different
story and history from the mainstream.
According to a group of UNSW
researchers2, Aboriginal people arrived over
50,000 years ago and have since thendeveloped their own cultures and have theirown languages. They settled in the land
long before the first voyage of Captain Cookin 1770. Today, they live in Australiansociety with great language and cultural
diversity despite all the oppression andviolence they have faced since the 18th
century.

In the early part of my project about
language revitalization in Australia, I cameacross a dark period called the Stolen
Generations. The Stolen Generations iswhen Aboriginal children were taken awayfrom their homes by the government
schemes from the mid-1800s through the
197os3. Listening to video testimonies by survivors of the Stolen Generations4, I cameto realize the importance of “hearing” people’s own voices. I then tried to recognize how
Aboriginal people have been seeking “healing” and that their language revitalization is
actually a part of their “healing.”
Then, a totally changing question came up for me: What do Aboriginal people do to heal
themselves? That is when I started to meet their activism through hip-hop, art, andeducation, for instance. I began to feel strong voices that hope to be “listened to” by the
public. I started to notice their strong cultural prides and learn about Aboriginal people’svarious cultural values and philosophies. I also met this interesting concept – “timetraveling” – for the first time. This is a key to unpacking Aboriginal people’s values andunderstanding their cultural pride. Now, I would like you too to get to know about the
time-traveling concept, and reflect on the situation for oppressed minorities around theworld. Welcome to the unique, significant time-traveling of Aboriginal people. In thismagazine article, I’ll guide you by looking at the past, the present, and the future as wetime-travel ourselves.

1 Korff (2023)

2 Coper, Williams, & Spooner (2018)
3 Healing Foundation (n.d.)4 Stolen Generations' Testimonies Foundation (n.d.)322SHORT REFLECTIVE ARTICLESWhat is “time-traveling”?5
Okay, I get that we’ll go on some kind of a journey, but what is Aboriginal people’s“time-traveling” – it’s not the Back to the Future time traveling, eh? Of course, this isn’t
the same concept as visiting the present and going back to the future, like “the idea of
linear time” seen in western cultures6. As you can see in the image below, Aboriginal
people’s time-traveling is for today’s generations to maintain and feel spiritualconnections with different times now, in the past and in the future in nature. They can
get to know about what ancestral beings have done in the past, appreciate them for what
they have, and, most importantly, find connections to their lands which will bring themto their languages. I created this visual image of time-traveling for our better
understanding about the concept and will explain more in no time!
Time-traveling image

Believes ó Spiritual connections

NatureAs you can see in the image above, Aboriginal people’s time-traveling is done
across every generation and every time through the Dreaming. And this is anever-ending process.

Traveling back to the past – What is the Dreaming?
Why don’t we start our journey from the past? But, first of all, let me introduce to you
Aboriginal people’s core, the Dreaming. In an article of Creative Spirits whose website
is run by Aboriginal people 7 , Mudrooroo (an Aboriginal writer) explains that theDreaming is “a psychic state in which or during which contact is made with the ancestral
spirits, or the Law, or that special period of the beginning.”8 In other words, it is when
Aboriginal people are making spiritual contact with their ancestors to learn about what
their ancestors created for them – from the Creation Period through the present to the
future.
The Creation Period for Aboriginal people is the time when there were ancestral beings
5 Korff (2020)

6 Working with Indigenous Australians First Nations people (2020)
7 Korff (2021)

8 Korff (2020)

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3

LEARNING LEARNING『学習の学習』30(2)(ancestral spirits) forming and shaping the world of “Aboriginality” on their own land –knowledge, cultural values, traditions, and customary laws.
The stories of their creations are vividly alive and strongly connected to today’s society
through the Dreaming. They can learn about given rules, laws, and cultural values, how
the universe and everything in the lives of Aboriginal people were created, as well as
knowledge about creatures and the nature. The Dreaming takes place when people get
to listen to the stories through discussions, singing, plays, dances, and other culturalrituals like body painting. This lets Aboriginal people living in this modern world haveconnections with their ancestral beings, and with their own traditions/cultures and theirown lands.
An example of the Dreaming
Let me share with you one of the most well-known
Spiritual beings of the Dreaming: the Rainbow
Serpent. The Rainbow Serpent is a life-giver inmany Aboriginal cultures. In the Creation Period
she shaped the earth as she was traveling acrosslands; for example, meandered paths became
mountains, valleys, and riverbeds. She even tickled
frogs’ stomachs, and the frogs gave the paths
water, which turned into rivers and lakes. Since theRainbow Serpent storytelling
Rainbow Serpent is a creator of the foundations of
video
their lands, people pay respect through a ritual.
When they enter rivers, lakes, or other watery sources, they declare by singing to the
Rainbow Serpent that they will do no harm. If they do not show her the respect, theyfear she will cause great natural disasters like storms, strong winds, or heavy rain. With
Dreaming stories like the Rainbow Serpent, we can learn about the Creation Period
where everything surrounding Aboriginal people started. This is how they learn about
their stories and acquire their cultural pride.
Coming back to the present
After we come back from time traveling through the Dreaming with new knowledge
about Aboriginal people’s cultural values and philosophies, we return to the present.
We’ve completed the past part of our journey, but have not learned about Aboriginal
people themselves yet. With what they have taken in during the Dreaming, Aboriginal
people build up their cultural identity or “Aboriginality” and they gain pride in theirculture and traditions. Then, they can express this actively in the present. By doing so,they “heal” themselves from their dark history since the invasion.
In the present, more and more young people would be keen on taking actions in orderto protect and make their own cultures thrive. This is one way they do this is throughraps. Now, let’s continue our journey by getting to know about the work of an
Aboriginal rapper, and how he story-tells his “Aboriginality” as his interpretation of theDreaming.
Rapper DOBBY
In this new part of our journey, we bump into a rapper called DOBBY! He is a rap artist

34

4

SHORT REFLECTIVE ARTICLES

and an activist with a mixed-heritage Murrawarri (from Weilmoringle, NSW 9 ) andFilipino cultural background. He actively tackles today’s issues faced by the Aboriginal
people through music, performance videos, and lectures. His rap music deal with about
issues such as land rights and environmental issues.
I saw a music video by DOBBY rapper for the first time when I was looking for real
Aboriginal people’s voices. I noticed his great sense of cultural pride through one of hissongs, Walk Away (2022). This is his way to pass down what he has been story-told
about Aboriginal people and their resilience, as well as to show how he feels about
Aboriginal people’s struggles. DOBBY does not want Australian people to forget about
the assimilation in the past and its consequences. Rather, he wishes to encourage people
to move forward together. In this song, he is storytelling about Aboriginal people’s
experiences with assimilation and invasion, as well as what they lost as a result.10 Theselines are where I personally feel his message strongly.

Assimilate us, and then you blamed us

Goddamn, that’s a bitch
Talkin’ shit, you might be liable to catch a fist

You took the voice of my Murrawarri people, and you

ripped it from our throat
Man, I swear I’m ‘bout to let ‘em all know

But you tell me, “Let it go”

DOBBY

This song really expresses Aboriginal people’s loss since the invasion, particularly thatof the Murrawarri. DOBBY is very eager to let Murrawarri people know that their
voices have been taken away by Europeans. And he tries to encourage Aboriginal people
to keep story-telling about themselves and their struggles, not “letting it go”. His song,
Walk Away, can empower them to build their strong cultural pride for themselves.
Also, in other songs like Peregrine11, DOBBY story-tells his own “Aboriginality”. It is
so powerful that audiences can sense this only by listening to his songs, which makes
them want to rethink and take some actions. Through story-telling like DOBBY does,
people can acquire in the present time cultural pride and endeavor to preserve their own“Aboriginality” with great passion.
After our time-traveling
We now have completed our time-traveling. Did you see how Aboriginal people always
go on the journey to learn about their cultural values and philosophies through theirancestors? We don’t necessarily have to be “Aboriginal” to go on the time-traveling
journey to learn about them. Let’s also recognize one of the most famous Aboriginal
elders, Uncle Michael Jarrett. He has said that he “strongly believes in keeping his
language and culture alive and proudly teaches anyone who wants to learn.”12 From thisquotation, I feel that, even though I am a non-Indigenous writer, I am encouraged todeepen my understanding about Aboriginal people as much as I can. We all can keep
9 Loo (2020)
10 Sloan (2022)

11 DOBBY.au (2018)

12 State Library New South Wales (n.d.)355LEARNING LEARNING『学習の学習』30(2)time-traveling more, and if we do, we will be able to consider Aboriginal peoples andthe richness of their cultures from their side. This time-traveling is just the beginning:
let’s continue this journey together in the future (and also in the past).
References

Coper, A., Williams A., & Spooner. N. (August 7, 2018). Opinion When did Aboriginal people
first arrive in Australia? UNSW Sydney. Accessed April 16, 2023.
https://newsroom.unsw.edu.au/news/science-tech/when-did-aboriginal-people-firstarrive-australia
DOBBYau (May 19, 2022). DOBBY - Walk Away ft. The Merindas (Official Video). Accessed
October 3, 2022. https://youtu.be/R9gHqK-BEL8
DOBBYau (March 5, 2018). DOBBY - Peregrine (Official Music Video). Accessed April 27,
2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2Oddm3TJgE
Healing Foundation (n.d.). Who are the Stolen Generations? Healing Foundation. Accessed
March 26, 2023.
https://healingfoundation.org.au/who-are-the-stolen-generations/
Korff, J. (February 10, 2023). Australia Day - Invasion Day. Creative Spirits. Accessed April 8,
2023. https://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/history/australia-day-invasionday
Korff, J. (April 18, 2021). About Creative Spirits. Creative Spirits. Accessed April 16, 2023.
https://www.creativespirits.info/about/
Korff, J. (July 17, 2020). What is the ‘Dreamtime’ or the ‘Dreaming’?. Creative Spirits.
Accessed October 16, 2022.
https://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/spirituality/what-is-the-dreamtimeor-the-dreaming
Loo, K. (April 28, 2020). Interview // Dobby & the rise of Aboriginal Hip-Hop. Deadest.
Accessed October 3, 2022. https://deadset.press/2020/04/28/interview-dobby/
Muurrbay Aboriginal Language and Culture Co-operative (n.d.). Staff and consultants.
Accessed November 7, 2022. https://muurrbay.org.au/about-us/staff-profiles/
Sloan, J. (May 20, 2022). Filipino and Aboriginal rapper DOBBY releases new single “WalkAway”, featuring The Merindas. the AU review.com. Accessed April 8, 2023.
https://www.theaureview.com/music/filipino-and-aboriginal-rapper-dobby-releasesnew-single-walk-away-featuring-the-merindas/
State Library New South Wales (n.d.,). Story told in Gumbaynggirr. Accessed December 12,
2022. https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/research-and-collections/significantcollections/indigenous-language-collection/my-weekend-pop-3
Stolen Generations' Testimonies Foundation (n.d.). Testimonies. Stolen Generations'
Testimonies. Accessed April 16, 2023. https://www.stolengenerationstestimonies.com/
Violata, A. (June 2, 2021). Meet Dobby, the Filipino-Aboriginal rapper calling forenvironmental action. SBS Filipino. Accessed October 3, 2022.

https://www.sbs.com.au/language/filipino/en/podcast-episode/meet-dobby-thefilipino-aboriginal-rapper-calling-for-environmental-action/uf7u4qlnx

Working with Indigenous Australians First Nations people (June, 2020). The Dreaming.
http://www.workingwithindigenousaustralians.info/content/Culture_2_The_Dreaming.
html

Visual elements’ citations

Rainbow serpent & the blue bird (August 11, 2020). The Rainbow Serpent. YouTube.
Accessed November 6, 2022. https://youtu.be/T8RA7-yktM0?t=111
Violata, A. (June 2, 2021). Meet Dobby, the Filipino-Aboriginal rapper calling forenvironmental action. SBS Filipino. Accessed October 3, 2022.
https://www.sbs.com.au/language/filipino/en/podcast-episode/meet-dobby-the-filipinoaboriginal-rapper-calling-for-environmental-action/uf7u4qlnx

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LD SIG GRANT AWARDEE REPORTS

LD SIG Grant Awardee Reports
LD SIG 研究助成金受

Empowering Language Learners: Integrating Learner Well-being into
Classrooms

Chiyuki Yanase
Keio University
chiyanase@gmail.com
In July 2020, just as I had completed all my grading and was looking forward to my summer
break, I experienced my first and most severe panic attack whilst being alone at home. I genuinely
believed I was going to lose my life because of my inability to breathe. The trigger for this episode
was a phone call from my brother, whom I had met the previous day, informing me that he might
have contracted COVID-19. Overwhelmed by the extreme stress and exhaustion accumulated
through the semester, my heart began racing, and I struggled to catch my breath. By some strokeof luck, I managed to make my way to a nearby clinic, where the diagnosis confirmed it as apanic attack. From that day forward, I found myself battling a daily onslaught of panic attacks
until I obtained suitable medication during the summer. This experience served as a wake-up callreminding me of the utmost importance of self-care in my journey as an educator. So, I began to
study and research teacher and learner well-being in education.
As a result of my recent research interest in well-being in education, I have become increasingly
curious about how fellow educators address and enhance learner well-being within theirclassrooms. Therefore, I felt an overwhelming sense of privilege and gratitude when presented
with the opportunity to participate in PanSIG 2023. This conference offers a valuable platform forlearning and engaging in discussions that revolve around the challenges and possibilities involvedin constructing a sustainable future for language education. The selected theme of the conference
was exceptionally timely, pertinent, and relevant, given the numerous ecological, social, andeconomic challenges our world is currently facing. Indeed, it has become increasingly important toaddress this topic, particularly in light of the ongoing pandemic and the rapid advancements in thefield of AI, which are intensifying changes and presenting new obstacles in education. Within sucha complex context, the process of reevaluating and participating in discussions concerning the roleof language education has been truly rewarding for me.
During PanSIG, I attended several presentations, workshops, and forums to develop myunderstanding and explore innovative strategies and approaches to create sustainable, equitable,
and socially responsible language learning spaces. In particular, this report focuses on exploring
how we can enhance learner wellbeing in class through positive psychology intervention, which
promotes and enhances the overall well-being of learners.

LEARNER WELL-BEING

One of the most informative, relevant, and inspiring presentations I attended at the conference
was by Dominique Vola Ambinintsoa Razafindratsimba and Phillip A. Bennett. Their presentation
focused on positive psychology interventions to support EFL (English as a Foreign Language)
students. They highlighted how these interventions can be effectively implemented in classrooms
to cultivate a positive learning and working environment, boost motivation and resilience, andencourage students to embrace learning opportunities. As someone with a keen interest in

37

LEARNING LEARNING『学習の学習』30(2)student well-being based on Positive Psychology, as well as my prior research on teacher wellbeing, I was eager to learn practical ideas from this presentation that I could apply to enhance mystudents’ positive mindset and self-efficacy, both within the classroom and in their personal lives.
Additionally, I was interested in discovering strategies to facilitate a positive learning environment.
As I expected, Razafindratsimba and Bennett facilitated a relaxing and friendly atmosphere in thepresentation and shared their ideas based on PERMA which is a concept introduced by Seligman(2011) . The acronym PERMA stands for Positive Emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning,
and Accomplishments, and these five elements contribute to overall well-being and happiness, andthey are interconnected.
After explaining the fundamental purpose of Positive Psychology and its interventions, thepresenters introduced five practical strategies that can be implemented in the classroom toenhance learner well-being based on the PERMA model as written below.
Three Good Things (Helgesen, 2016; Seligman et al., 2005; Seligman, 2011)
In this activity, students write down three experiences, thoughts, occurrences, etc, that went wellduring the day and reasons why they were positive. Then, they share one of them with their partners.
By focusing on positive aspects of their lives, this activity can raise positive emotions, encourage
engagement, may promote positive relationships among students, and notice meaning of their lives
and achievements. Additionally, it may develop metacognitive awareness of affective states (emotional
regulation) and linguistic ability to express thoughts in a less superficial way
Confidence Building Diary (Kato & Mynard, 2016)
In this diary, students are asked to record something good and positive they have done in theirEnglish study in order to boost their confidence and motivation. This activity helps students notice
and appreciate small achievements, may raise positive emotions, encourages engagement in theirlanguage learning, and can support students to notice that what they do is meaningful.
Savoring Positive Experiences (Seligman, 2011)
Savoring is a technique that can be used to amplify both the intensity and duration of positive emotions.
Students are encouraged to identify and share three positive aspects or achievements from their class.
This practice provides students with opportunities to recognize and appreciate pleasant experiences,
extend their enjoyment, and engage in detailed reflection. By incorporating thought-provoking
questions that elicit positive emotions, this approach can enhance students’ confidence and motivation.
Furthermore, it can foster their ability to critically examine challenging aspects when prompted.
Medals (Helgesen, 2016)
After completing a pair or group presentation or project, it is important to allocate some time forstudents to reflect together on their collaborative effort. Then, either the students themselves or
the teacher can create medals using blank paper, and they should write down a quality or positive
attribute they observed in each of their partners during the project. This activity promotes reflection,
appreciation, and recognition of each student’s strengths and contributions within the group. It
also helps foster a positive and supportive learning environment while encouraging students toacknowledge and value the efforts of their peers.
Action Logs (Miyake-Warkentin et al. 2020)
An action log in an educational context is a document or record that tracks the actions or tasks
performed by students in the classroom. It serves as a tool to monitor and assess student progressand can have various purposes. Here are a few common uses of an action log in a classroom setting:tracking emotional states, goal setting, and communication with the teacher. By using an action log,
students can actively engage in self-reflection, monitor their progress, and communicate their needs

38

LD SIG GRANT AWARDEE REPORTS

or concerns to the teacher. It enhances student agency, promotes self-awareness, and fosters acollaborative and supportive learning environment.
Razafindratsimba and Bennett’s presentation offered a comprehensive understanding of Positive
Psychology and its application in language classrooms. Additionally, it provided numerous practicalactivities that can be implemented in language classrooms.
Another presentation that aimed to enhance learner well-being was a visually attractive andinteractive poster presentation titled “Sustainable Wellness and Accessibility: Finding Your Red
Balloon” by Andrew Reimann and Natsuki Suzuki. The poster was filled with adorable illustrations
and included a space for participants to write about one of their talents, which could be shared withothers on a red balloon-shaped piece of paper. I wrote, “My colorful facial expressions can makepeople laugh.” I have developed instantly changeable facial expressions to communicate more
effectively with English learners. Many of my students and friends find my expressive face funny, so
I thought this could be represented by my red balloon. Sharing my red balloon and reading others’
contributions on the poster was absolutely enjoyable. Explaining my red balloon to the presenters
also became a communicative activity that can be incorporated into a language classroom. After
participating in this activity, called “Finding your red balloon,” Natsuki, one of the presenters,
made a real red balloon and gave it to me as a gift. It was a simple yet thoughtful gesture that truly
brightened my day. I attached it to my backpack and traveled back home to Tokyo from Kyoto, filledwith a playful and positive sentiment.
As a keen advocate for teacher and learner well-being, such activities introduced in thepresentations served as a clear reminder that promoting positive perspectives regarding students’skills and capabilities significantly enhances their overall well-being and motivation to thrive as
both learners and human beings.

CONCLUSION

Since attending my first PanSIG conference in 2011, this was the first time I participated as anattendee rather than presenting my own research or approach. It provided me with the opportunity
to engage in numerous presentations, poster sessions, and forums at a futuristic university witha breathtaking view of Kyoto. Unfortunately, due to my hectic schedule, I could only attend from
Saturday and missed out on some of the social events during the conference. However, thediligent efforts of the organizers and student helpers made it one of the most welcoming andaccommodating conferences I have attended in the past decade. I was grateful to connect withboth familiar and new fellow educators who share a profound concern for the future of language
education.
In addition to gaining insights into effective approaches and activities to promote learner wellbeing, I learned the importance of creating a learning environment that enhances learners’autonomy, respects their agency, and provides resources and information tailored to their needs.

REFERENCES

Helgesen, M. (2016). Happiness in ESL/EFL: Bringing positive psychology to the classroom. In T.
MacIntyre, T. Gregersen, & S. Mercer (Eds.), Positive Psychology in SLA, 305-323. Multilingual Matters.
Kato, S. and Mynard, J. (2016). Reflective dialogue: Advising in language learning. Routledge.
Miyake-Warkentin, K., Hooper, D., & Murphey, T. (2020). Student action logging creates teacher
efficacy. In P. Clements, A. Krause, & R. Gentry (Eds.), Teacher efficacy, learner agency, 341-349. JALT.
https://doi.org/10.37546/JALTPCP2019-40
Seligman, M. E. P, Steen, T., Park, N. & Peterson, C. (2005). Positive psychology progress: Empiricalvalidation of interventions. American Psychologist, 60(5), 410-421.
Seligman, M. E. P. (2011). Flourish: A visionary new understanding of happiness and well-being. Free Press.

39

LEARNING LEARNING『学習の学習』30(2)PanSIG 2023: Discovering Community, Reaffirming Teacher Values

Annie Minami
Kamakura Women’s University
Senior and Junior High School
annieminami0719@gmail.com
Curiosity and growth. These are the values that have guided me as a secondary teacher working
in Japan for the past 17 years and what have inspired me to explore how to better create autonomy
in my classes at an all-girls secondary school in Kanagawa. Starting my career in eastern Gunma,straight out of university, I worked at four public high schools where I experimented and developed
as a teacher. At that time, I was interested in how to make English class a fun and exciting
experience for my students. Through the use of games, interactive activities, and music, my goal
was to inspire my students to become invested in how exciting learning another language canbe. Born and raised in Wisconsin, USA, I found my freedom through learning my L2. Majoring in
Asian Languages and Literature with a concentration in Japanese at the University of Minnesota,
I discovered a whole new world through learning another language. Naturally, as a teacher, I want
to share this joyous experience with my students. After the Great Japan Earthquake, I moved Westand worked as an elementary school teacher in Osaka, a city that intrigued me for its comedy andunique dialect, Kansai-ben. While living there for six years, I taught at three elementary schools insouthern Osaka and reveled in the joys of primary school teaching. Differing from the secondary
level, I found the receptive and eager nature of the students invigorating and extremely rewarding.
After a gap year away to backpack around Asia while making some cash on the side as an
instructor for an online Chinese teaching platform called VIPKid, I returned to Japan and have sincethen worked as a teacher at two private schools in Kanagawa. During this time, I attended nightclasses at Temple University in Tokyo and last year, after receiving my M.S.Ed., naturally I began tocontemplate the next step in my career. After some soul-searching, I decided I wanted to become auniversity professor and in order to pursue this goal, I joined JALT.
When signing up to become a JALT member, I looked through the organization’s various SIGs andthe LD SIG stood out to me. On the SIG website, LD describes itself as “supporting autonomous
learning and teaching” and my teaching philosophy and values firmly align with this as “increasing
intrinsic interest, self-confidence and student autonomy are techniques that can motivate ourstudents” (Dörnyei, 2001, pp. 28-29). Just as I am forever curious, I want to foster learning
strategies that support curious L2 learners, and currently, I am exploring translanguaging and how
its use can promote active student participation in my classes for Learner Development Journal
8 (LDJ8). Translanguaging utilizes learners’ full arsenal by allowing students to switch between
either L1 and L2 to promote comprehension in active and passive language processing (Garcia &Wei, 2013). As my students often struggle to find the words in their L2 to discuss questions posedto them in class, I have found translanguaging to be an effective strategy to increase student
motivation and self-efficacy as it allows students to use their background knowledge to ease theverification of information and creates a safe and comfortable environment in which they can do so.
In order to support my writing for LDJ8, I felt naturally the next step was to attend my first JALT
conference. As I do not receive support from my institution to attend professional conferences, it
was hard to justify the shinkansen ticket and hotel price to travel to Kyoto on my own dime, but I
didn’t want to wait until JALT 2023 which is being held a little closer to home in Ibaraki. Thankfully,
the LD SIG sent out an email announcing the grant opportunity. I applied and was elated tohave my grant proposal accepted. The grant not only helped ensure my focus would be on the40

LD SIG GRANT AWARDEE REPORTS

presentations and not my bankbook, but also gave me the confidence to attend my first JALT
conference with hundreds of mostly university instructors, only one of whom was a friend. My
reasons for wanting to attend PanSIG 2023 were plentiful but mostly, I was just hungry for ideas.
I am currently conducting classroom based research using Exploratory Practice and the term
“puzzle” is preferred and used throughout the EP literature. The reasoning behind this is that“problem” can come across as a negative, teacher-centric term and “puzzle” is used to promotecollaboration and inclusion with students in a more positive light. Throughout my grant report, I am
looking at the presentations I viewed at the PanSIG conference through an EP lens.
As an instructor, I try to improve my classes each year by understanding a puzzle I encounter in
my classes. For example, last year there was no curriculum provided and I was asked to design acurriculum for English conversation classes that supported JHS and SHS English courses taught
by my Japanese colleagues. The school’s hope was that I could reinforce the language from their
textbooks in my English conversation classes and give students a chance to practice and use thislanguage in various activities. Mostly, I was instructed to help inspire students to enjoy the processof learning English while helping them increase their EIKEN test scores. At Kamakura Women’s
University JHS/SHS, a school with two tracks, international and progressive, students have threeopportunities a year to take EIKEN. The international track with higher English ability aims at higher
EIKEN scores, passing pre-2 by year 3 in JHS and level 2 by HS. Students in the progressive course
are required to pass Level 3 by year 3 in JHS and Level pre-2 before graduating from HS. Naturally,
the puzzle I explored was how can I keep English interesting and engaging for my students while
helping them to pass the EIKEN level required for them?
Also, I was searching for ideas on how to improve the club I oversee and am an advisor of, English
Speaking Society (ESS). In previous positions I have worked at, ESS was a casual club for students
to come and play games in English. I co-advised with several other teachers and though I careddeeply for the students in the club, it always felt a bit underdeveloped. At Kamakura Women’s
University JHS/SHS, my colleague and supervisor, Mr. Takao, and I, as first-time sole advisors,
wanted to develop the club into more than just a casual English game club. We hoped to provide
opportunities for students to improve their English skills in meaningful ways through school events,
speech contests, cultural lessons, etc. This year, we implemented several new strategies to support
this goal. Perhaps the most significant, we introduced an English first rule. We encourage ourstudents to speak English first and to try to express themselves without resorting to Japanese.
Initially, it was challenging for them but slowly over the past four months, they have started tocommunicate using only English, no small feat for sure! Currently, a puzzle we are exploring is
how can we support students in becoming autonomous learners who actively are using English?
Specifically, what systems could we implement to support students between activities or when
there is downtime? Often, the high school students finish an activity more quickly than JHS
students, and this waiting time is sometimes spent reverting to Japanese. When HS students areorganizing the logistics of the school festival club display, JHS students may be sitting withoutsomething to do. How could we better support them to put English first?
My desire to foster learning strategies that support curious L2 learners led me to the firstpresentation I attended at PanSIG 2023 which was conducted by LD SIG member, Tim Cleminson.
His case study investigated one of the principles of exploratory practice: quality of classroom life
(Allwright, 2003; Allwright & Hanks, 2009). During his session, Cleminson compared and examinedthe experiences of both teachers and students engaging in exploratory practice (EP) for the firsttime and then analyzed these narratives to facilitate overcoming challenges that teachers facein the classroom. His presentation stood out to me as I am also currently using EP to analyze myclasses with quality of classroom life at center stage for my research for LDJ8. By listening to41

LEARNING LEARNING『学習の学習』30(2)Cleminson’s presentation, I was able to solidify my knowledge of EP, what it means in different
teaching contexts, and think more deeply about how to further use it in my teaching situation.
In regard to my puzzle concerning ESS, I was drawn to Steven Lim’s presentation “Do Compulsory
Self-Access Learning Center Visits Facilitate Autonomy?” In his study, Lim surveyed first andsecond-year university students’ use of his university’s self-access learning center and the kindsof activities students engaged in. I found the use of discussion cards particularly of interest and it
is an element I would like to add to our club room guiding students to have a more autonomous
relationship with English. Some examples that Lim gave were situational English interactions suchas ordering from a menu or checking in at the airport as well as more conversational prompts suchas how to express your opinion on a new fad or ways to connect with others in English. From next
semester, I plan to mirror Lim’s efforts and make some original conversational prompt cards for ESS
and instruct the students on how to use them to facilitate conversation.
The final event of the day was the LD SIG Forum. A bit nervous to enter being the newbie I was,
I walked up to one of the poster presenters and was welcomed by an instructor with a calm
yet passionate demeanor, Jenny Morgan. I was really impressed by my interaction with Jenny
because right off the bat, I could tell we both had one thing in common: a passion for empowering
our students. Jenny told me about a project she was doing at her university in which she was“expanding upon the typical travel English roleplays to bring an awareness of diversity, equity,and inclusion (DEI).” Morgan believes that instead of just presenting cookie-cutter dialogues thatcan be found in textbooks concerning travel, we can push our students to go deeper and discuss
ethical travel. We brainstormed together about how we could present students with the language
needed to volunteer abroad or discuss environmentally friendly travel. We also discussed how
to visit countries that are off the beaten path for most Japanese tourists and how to promote DEI
travel to all corners of the globe. As an avid backpacker myself, it was exciting to discuss these
topics that are not often presented in the standard MEXT textbooks. Morgan was receptive to thefact that even though I’m in secondary education, there are parallels and the presentation left me
feeling hopeful about expanding more upon dialogues that I encounter in my student’s textbooks.
Connecting with another instructor who was working at the tertiary level was exhilarating andhelped fuel the fire that I too could enter university academia. Though I do currently share mytravel stories with students, I started to see that my experiences outside of the classroom could
be highlighted even more in my current and future classes. A recent trip I took to Sri Lanka forayurvedic treatment could turn into a lesson introducing students to holistic medicine and stressmanagement techniques that could support their learning. Meditation and yoga poses could be a
warm-up activity before a challenging task. The possibilities are endless.
After listening to a few other poster presentations, I was lucky enough to be acknowledged with myco-recipient and allowed to say a few words of thanks. Overall, attending PanSIG 2023 was sucha humbling and rewarding experience and one which I will never forget. I look forward to getting
more involved with the LD SIG and contributing more in the future. I was moved and humbled by
the welcome I received and highly recommend joining the LD SIG.

REFERENCES

Allwright, D. (2003). Exploratory practice: Rethinking practitioner researcher in language teaching.
Language Teaching Research 7(2): 113-141.
Allwright, D. & Hanks, J. (2009). The developing language learner: An introduction to exploratory
practice. Palgrave Macmillian.
Cleminson, Tim. (2023, May 13). Understanding quality of classroom life: An exploratory practicecase study [Presentation]. JALT PanSIG 2023 Conference, Kyoto Sangyo University, Kyoto, Japan.
Dörnyei, Z. (2001). Motivational strategies in the language classroom. Cambridge University Press.

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LD SIG GRANT AWARDEE REPORTS

Garcia O. & Wei L. (2013). Translanguaging: Language, bilingualism and education. Palgrave
Macmillan.
Lim, Steven. (2023, May 13). Do compulsory self-access learning center visits facilitate autonomy?
[Presentation]. JALT PanSIG 2023 Conference, Kyoto Sangyo University, Kyoto, Japan.
Morgan, Jenny. (2023, May 13). Applying learner-centered pedagogy in an “English for Tourism”
course: Exploring diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), and sustainable and ethical travel [Learner
Development SIG Forum Poster Presentation]. JALT PanSIG 2023 Conference, Kyoto Sangyo
University, Kyoto, Japan.
Annie Minami has been teaching English around Japan since 2007 and currently teaches at
Kamakura Women’s University Junior and Senior High School. She holds a master’s degreein TESOL from Temple University, Tokyo Campus. Her research interests include exploratory
practice, translanguaging, and self-efficacy.

Life and Research Trajectories as a Lens for Understanding Learner
Development: Aya Hayasaki 2021 LD Research Grant Awardee

Aya Hayasaki
Waseda University
hayasakiaya@gmail.com
James Underwood writes: Aya Hayasaki was awarded a Research Grant in 2021 and has been
active in the Learner Development Journal Issue 7 “Challenging the conventions in learnerdevelopment research, which she has been co-editing with Ellen Head and Ryo Moriya. Whatfollows are prompts that are the start of a dialogic interview.
1. How or why did you become interested in learner development, and decide to
become a member of the LD-SIG?
I finished my master’s program in 2017, joined JALT in 2018, and chose to join the LD-SIG because
it seemed the most active of all the SIGs. When I started my PhD program in 2020, I started tointeract more actively with the members of the SIG. Everything suddenly went online, and I had tomake drastic changes to my PhD proposal because of the pandemic. I was desperately looking
for opportunities to connect with people I could exchange research ideas with. I met Ryo, asenior at the same university, and that’s when I learned about the Learner Development Journal(hereafter LDJ) and found it very appealing to be able to write papers while interacting directly withexperienced researchers/teachers.
2. Who or what has been particularly important for you in developing your (learnerdevelopment) practices and/or your understanding of learner development?
​​
Looking
back, I feel there were several turning points in my life as a learner/teacher/researcher.
The most significant was a two-week homestay in Salinas, California, my hometown’s sister city,when I was 15 years old. I was born and raised in a rural area of Kagoshima (the southern partof Kyushu, Japan) and began studying English as a school subject for the first time in junior highschool. So, the first thing that was new for me was to realise that there were actually people who
do use English in their daily lives—that English was a real language that people speak living in thereal world, something that exists beyond those thin textbooks I used to use. My host sister, who

43LEARNING LEARNING『学習の学習』30(2)was two years older than I, told me that she had come to my hometown in Japan through the same
program and that her dream was to become an ALT in Japan (which came true after several years).
It was also a big shock to me when I visited a local school and learned that individual students set
and decide their own timetables (to me then, it was a symbol of learner autonomy!). As I had noconcrete dream before, it was a great stimulus for me to be exposed to people’s lives in a foreign
language. I felt that English education in Japan, where most students seemed to study English only
for tests, was such a mottainai thing– a real waste of time –and that English classes should be
more meaningful to each student.
Later, in my second year of senior high school, I convinced my parents to allow me to spend
one year as an exchange student at a public high school in the same host family’s community
in California. I studied English hard in high school, which I loved, but in university, I wanted tolearn “in” English, so I majored in international liberal arts at an English-medium university. I alsostudied at a university in Brno, Czech Republic, for a year to experience firsthand the situation ofEnglish language education in another country where English is learned as a foreign language.
Interestingly, contrary to my expectations at the time, English was often not spoken in the citywhere I studied. I realised the privileged position I had unconsciously assumed English to hold.
So, I shifted my focus to studying the Czech language and interacting with Czech friends, whichallowed me to experience the richness of learning languages and cultures other than English. At
the same time, I made friends with international students from other parts of the world, which gave
me opportunities to use English as a lingua franca. It was around this time that my fear of making
grammatical and pragmatic mistakes began to diminish and I began to feel more like a user ofEnglish rather than a mere learner.
After graduating from university, I worked for three years as an English teacher at a public highschool in southern Kagoshima. This was something I had long dreamed of. Soon, however, I faced
a gap between my ideals and the realities of the classroom. Many of the students were really
hard-working and we did enjoy many things together in and outside the classroom, but according
to their questionnaire responses, not many of them had reasons to learn English beyond ‘because I
need it for the university entrance exam’. While I do not think that is a bad thing in itself, I once saidin one of my classes: “Right now it’s very important to face the exams in front of you. But after you
are free from these exams, I want you to have as many experiences as you can have because you
have learnt English.” I showed them pictures of my experiences abroad, studying, backpacking andvolunteering. One of the students – smiling broadly – responded, “Teacher, I really enjoyed looking
at the photos! You were really rich, weren’t you?” In the next lesson, I explained that there are more
and more opportunities for anyone to study abroad, regardless of academic or financial ability,
as long as they have something they want to do and can demonstrate a plan and passion. Theylooked confused. I felt that even though there are more and more programmes offering support
for young people to study abroad, making these opportunities personally relevant to those fromdiverse backgrounds is probably a very different thing. This led me to my current research theme,
which I will introduce later.
3. Where do you work now, and what kind of learners do you work with, and whatpuzzles or questions do you have about them related to learner development?
I currently work at Waseda as a research associate while also working on the fourth year of my PhD
studies there. I also teach a course called Self-Directed Learning (SDL) at Gakushuin University. My
puzzles and questions in both practice and research are mostly around the role of social context inlanguage learning; specifically, I am interested in how to make language learning more personally
relevant, meaningful, and empowering.

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LD SIG GRANT AWARDEE REPORTS

4. What area of learner development are you particularly interested in, why? And
have you conducted any research related to it, if so how? And what were yourfindings?
Here, I would like to focus on my PhD project, part of which I wrote about in my application to the
LD Research Grant. I have been exploring the role of English language learning experiences on
the life and career trajectories of women from rural Japan, focusing on both opportunities andchallenges for empowerment. While today’s research in foreign language education underscores
the significance of considering learners’ social contexts, a noticeable gap exists in Japanese
research in that insufficient attention has been paid to regional and gender disparities—and thisincludes an incentive divide (Kariya, 2012), as well as gaps in motivation or aspiration to learn.
As for data collection, I have been conducting life story interviews with women from Kagoshima
Prefecture, which is known for having the lowest four-year university enrolment rate in the
country. I also integrate my personal experiences as a female learner and teacher of English, aswell as a researcher, from the same region, through autoethnography. For data analysis, I utilise
Trajectory Equifinality Modelling (TEM), a methodology originally developed in the field of cultural
psychology. TEM has been applied in studies of language learner and teacher psychology,
particularly in Japanese contexts (e.g., Moriya & Ishizuka, 2019). It offers insight into how differing
initial conditions can lead to similar outcomes, aiding in the visualisation of changes in values andactions. I also try to employ Auto-TEM (autoethnography through TEM; Tsuchimoto & Sato, 2022)
to reflect on how my researcher reflexivity has evolved throughout this study. In doing so, I am also
hoping to address the ethical dimensions of foreign language education research.
I wrote up the first phase of my PhD project as a paper published in the 6th volume of the Learner
Development Journal (LDJ6) (Hayasaki, 2022). In this study, I focused on the stories of three
women in their third year of university who self-reported that they experienced a positive change intheir career aspirations through their English language learning experience. They had participatedin the project-based learning programme in English as part of their senior high school curriculum.
The findings revealed how they overcame various social constraints by meeting near-peer rolemodels and other supportive people. Cultivating their possible L2 selves seemed to have helped
them form clearer future visions and eventually succeed in enrolling in the universities they
aspired to go to. At the same time, more questions emerged than answers to my original researchquestions. For example, these three women eventually chose more academically challenging
universities outside Kagoshima than they had originally imagined, but that is only one of many
examples of the positive impacts that language learning can have on different people’s lives. This
led me to pose the following questions: Is pursuing more challenging educational and professional
opportunities always the best option? What other forms of positive changes could language
learning bring about?
5. How did you use the research grant?
The questions above brought me to the idea of the second phase of the project, in which I am
currently interviewing my friends from senior high school in Kagoshima. I used the research
grant to pay rewards to the interviewees for participating in the interview, as well as the cost ofa transcription service. We (my high school friends and I) come from an even more rural part ofKagoshima, and few of us went to a 4-year university—and there are different kinds of stories
in the lives of these women that I knew about. While being aware of the ethical dimensions ofconducting acquaintance interviews, I wanted their voices, as well as my own, to be heard andincluded in research in this field. Foreign language learning has educational significance not onlyin terms of the instrumental benefits derived from the acquisition of the target language itself
but also in that it allows learners to deepen their understanding of their own values and those of45

LEARNING LEARNING『学習の学習』30(2)others through contact with different languages and cultures. My primary goal is to understandthis aspect of language learning more deeply. By conducting this research, I hope to provide bothadolescent and adult learners the ability to proactively understand the pedagogical implicationsof their L2 learning experience with their career development and overall well-being beyond thecompulsory language classroom. This is still a work in progress, and I hope I can continue to report
on my further progress to the LD community, which has provided me with such incredibly immense
support over the years.
6. Where did the idea for the theme for Learner Development 7 come from? Why
did you choose to become an editor for this issue? And what have you foundinteresting, puzzling or rewarding about the writing or editing process?
The questions I discovered working on my LDJ6 project helped me reflect on the assumptions,values, and beliefs that I had unconsciously accumulated through my experiences as a learner,
teacher, and researcher. I decided it was time for me to challenge them. I also thought people inother contexts might have different kinds of conventions to challenge. Particularly for the readersof LL, these questions might be interesting to think about: What is practitioner research? Whatis research for practitioners? What is it not? … Is it really not? How? These questions emerged
through discussions among the editors and contributors in LDJ7. I have, as a result, started tounderstand how different approaches may contribute to practitioner research.
7. When have you thought your learners (past or present) have been “truly
autonomous rather than just going through the motions to please you”, and whatconvinced you that they were?
I believe that one of the moments that a learner becomes truly autonomous is when they are
confronted with their own vulnerability or negativity. In my own experience,as an L2 user of English
and as an early-career researcher, I have spent a great deal of time feeling unsure of myself. Asa teacher, I have also met many students like me. However, you never know what may becomea catalyst for learning, for growing interests in new things, or for experiencing success. Just as
intrinsic and extrinsic motivation naturally fluctuate, wanting to score well on a test or to pleasea teacher or parent can become the starting point for authentic learning opportunities. In thepassage of time and with the accumulation of experience, learners move back and forth between
different feelings and identities. This may involve confusion and pain, but that often becomesthe reason to try to move forward. They may not be able to understand themselves well enoughwhen they are in the middle of such changes, but they may look back later and find themselves
having made positive changes in different ways. Positive psychology is often applied to language
teaching, but in my research, I want to shed more light on the seemingly negative aspects oflearning from new angles. To this end, I would like to continue working with different ways ofreflection and retrospective interviews. What I would like to emphasise is that when faced withdifficult situations, it is important to be given a place of psychological safety and a role with somedegree of tension in order to face those challenges. LD-SIG is a community that has given me
just such a place and has supported me in taking on those challenging new roles. Thank you verymuch!
Acknowledgements to Hugh Nicoll.

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LD SIG GRANT AWARDEE REPORTS

REFERENCES

Hayasaki, A. (2022). Beyond the classroom, beyond the track: The role of English in thetransformation of career perspectives in three females in rural Japan. The Learner Development
Journal, 6, 82–96. https://doi.org/10.37546/jaltsig.ldj6-6
Kariya, T. (2012). Education reform and social class in Japan: The emerging incentive divide.
Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203076996
Moriya, R., & Ishizuka, A. (2019). In the midst of emotion and identity: Investigating trajectories oflearners’ self-esteem from psychological and sociocultural perspectives. The Learner Development
Journal, 3, 8-25.
Tsuchimoto, T., & Sato, T. (2022). Career decision-making as dynamic semiosis: Autoethnographic
trajectory equifinality modeling. Culture & Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1177/1354067X221140609

LD SIG Grants

Every year, the Learner Development (LD) SIG provides grants to support members’
professional development, research and educational- and volunteer-related activities
and projects in the broad area of learner development. To get a better idea of the kindof work we’ve supported over the years, please see our Past Recipients page, with links
to reflections, reports, and publications that resulted from grant-supported projects andconference presentations.

Types of grant available

Members may apply for the following grant categories:
1. Conference participation (PanSIG, International JALT Conferences)
2. Research
3. Projects
All applications will be judged on merit according to the same grant selection criteria (seebelow). Research and project grants can be submitted by individuals or groups (including
local LD SIG Get Together groups); in the case of group submissions all group members
must be current SIG members.

Selection criteria

All applications will be judged on merit according to the selection criteria below:
1. Clarity of the applicant’s purpose for applying for the grant
2. Connection between the applicant’s purpose and the LD SIG’s aims**
3. Necessity of receiving the grant & Appropriateness of proposed budget allocations**To understand what LD SIG aims for, reading past issues of Learning Learning is also
recommended.

Inquiries

Any questions regarding the grants or any feedback should be sent to the grants team.

47

LEARNING LEARNING『学習の学習』30(2)Looking Back
報告

Interview with Phil Benson: Taking a Wider View of His work as Language
Teacher, Learner, Researcher, & Social Justice Advocate

Phil Benson
Macquarie University, Australia

Andy Barfield
Chuo University

Andy: Phil hello, how are you, and how is everything going? I know that you retired at the end oflast year, and that you are continuing to do research as Honorary Professor of Applied Linguistics inthe Department of Linguistics at Macquarie. Congratulations on your retirement and on continuing
to do research: it must be really exciting to have the time for doing research full-time now.
Phil: Hello, Andy, and thank you for your congratulations! Like many language teachers I started
my academic career in Applied Linguistics quite late, in the early 1990s. So I have been aroundfor about the same length of time and have been through a lot of the same developments as
the LD-SIG. I wouldn’t say I’m doing research full-time now, but it is exciting to have the time andfreedom to pursue projects that are particularly interesting to me.
Andy: Among your many research projects, which one(s) are you currently working on, and whichquestions or puzzles or pieces of work have been particularly catching your interest of late?
Phil: I published a book on ‘language learning environments’ in 2021. It was initially going to bea book on language learning beyond the classroom, but in the end that turned out to be only theend point of the research. Working backwards, I became very interested in the basis of second
language learning in the global mobility of languages, in how languages move, and more generally
in how theories of language fit in with theories of space. It is a longish argument, but in brief I see
second language learning as involving interaction with second language resources in the learner’s
environment. This is a language ecology view, but unlike earlier ecological views, I am interested
in how language learning environments vary around the world: how second language resources
make their way into them, the relative scarcity of these resources, and how successful learners
construct and expand their environments in order to maximise their access to them. This is how we
get from theories of space to second language learning, and especially learner development, and I
think this view opens up a lot of new avenues for research and practice.
Andy: That’s exciting the emphasis on second language resources, and learners constructing andexpanding their environments to access those resources. What are some examples of the newwork in this area that you see starting to come through in research and practice?
Phil: Together with Phil Chappell and Lynda Yates, at Macquarie University, I used the ideas ofspace and resources to explore the ways in which adult international students learning English
in Sydney used the spaces of the city in their informal out-of-class learning. As a PhD student at
Macquarie, Yeong-ju Lee has applied this spatial perspective in an interesting way to language48

LOOKING BACK

learning on TikTok and Instagram. The question of how learners connect online and offline spaces
is a really interesting one. I should also mention Mayumi Kashiwa’s research at Macquarie on theenvironmental transitions involved when international students’ come to Australia from their homecountries, which was inspirational to me; also her PhD project on changes in changes in teachers
conceptions of students’ learning environments, which showed how important it is for teachers andstudents to be on the same page on this issue. Outside work at Macquarie, I have been especiallyinterested in recent work by Suresh Canagarajah who is doing different and exciting ideas with
the idea of the space in language learning and use. In the area of language learning beyond
the classroom, I think that some of the most exciting work is being done in the area of ‘informal
digital learning of English’ (IDLE), on which there have been symposia at the last two or three AILA
Congresses. IDLE researchers are focussed on the online world as a space for informal learning,
and though I wish they would look more at the integration of online and offline worlds, they aremaking real progress in understanding how informal online language learning works.
Andy: When you look back at your own rich and long history of doing research (not just in
language learning research, but in other interdisciplinary areas too), how do you see the periods
and turns in your own research history? What stands out for you in your personal and professional
research trajectory?
Phil: My first degree was in Sociology, and I think I have always had a sociological view of language
learning; that is in trying to understand the social side of why people learn languages and howsocial factors make it easier or more difficult to learn a language. As well as being involved inresearch on learner autonomy, I also had a parallel research track in sociolinguistics - my PhD
was in the area of world Englishes, which I saw as being about not just varieties of English but
also about why and how people learned English in different parts of the world. My interest in
learner autonomy came out of my work with self-access centres in Hong Kong and my own
interest in learning languages independently as an adult, but I now see it as part of a broader
shift in language learning and teaching towards learner-centredness in the late eighties andearly nineties. The social turn that followed was interesting for me, because I saw names suchas Vygotsky, Foucault and Bourdieu coming into language learning theory that were familiar tome from my days as a sociology student. But at that time there also seemed to be some conflict
between the so-called ‘individualism’ of learner autonomy and the new social, community-based,collaborative views of language learning. I think that particular conflict– between the social andthe individual–if it is a conflict, has really defined the trajectory of my career. In the early days,
research on autonomy took a swing in the direction of the social turn - interdependence rather
than independence - but I was always somewhat skeptical of this. I find the idea that everything issocially determined difficult to accept, and if you take the idea of individuals authoring their own
lives out of the idea of autonomy, you don’t really have much left. That was partly my motivationfor engaging with narrative research as a means of getting to grips with the individual and socialsides of language learning. With the idea of language learning environments, I am thinking of
how second language learning is socially constrained by the environment in which it takes, butalso driven by the initiative and effort of individual learners. I think that many socially-oriented
researchers have also shifted towards a similar view, so there is now a kind of productive
convergence taking place.
Andy: You have been very much committed to research for practitioners and for learners, in the
broadest sense, with many of your research projects have been characterised by collaboration andengagement with different communities (for example, Multilingual Sydney, Racism It Stops With
Me 2020, Community Language Under Threat Due to Lack of Support, and International students’experience of racism: A City of Ryde report). Could you share how you see this dimension to your49

LEARNING LEARNING『学習の学習』30(2)work – including how different communities that you engage with influence the kinds of researchquestions and directions that you take up?
Phil: The projects that you mention are projects that I have been involved in Australia. My
academic career has been a kind of ‘game of two halves’; the first part in Hong Kong (1991-2013),
which was where I developed my ideas on autonomy, and the second part in Sydney (2014-),
where I have been much more concerned with multilingualism. There is a difference and also a
connection. In Hong Kong, second language learning is dominated by learning English at schoolfrom kindergarten through to university, whereas in Australia there are three main contexts: adultinternational students using and improving their English, heritage (or ‘community’, as it is calledhere) language learning by children of migrants, and foreign language learning in schools. The
connection is that the first two contexts (international students and heritage language learning)both very much involve autonomous learning beyond the classroom, although these take very
different forms in Australia and Hong Kong. The way that I see the community dimension of thework that I have been involved in here in Australia is, first, that it is important to understand thelife of languages in different communities and, second, that it is important to understand how
languages and language learning fit into learners’ lives. Language learning beyond the classroom
is far more important, and complex, in Australia than it was in Hong Kong (which is not to say that itwas not important or complex there also).
Andy: I’m really struck by how you communicate your research and reach different audiences
through multiple genres (academic papers, books, talks, social media, videos, mass media reports,
websites, leaflets, city reports, and so on). The diversity of research products is phenomenal. What
influences the choices you make in how you publish/share your work? How has this dimension ofyour work grown and changed over time for you?
Phil: I think that is mainly because I have a short attention span! I am rather restless in regard toresearch and, in that respect, autonomy and out-of-class learning have been a kind of anchor
for everything else I have done. But again, I think the move from Hong Kong to Australia has
been a major factor in diversifying genres and audiences. In Hong Kong, I think I was more of an
advocate for autonomy in the context of language education. In Australia, I have become moreof an advocate for language learning itself, especially for heritage language learning, whichis undervalued in the community. In regard to international students, it is more a question of
advocacy for a better understanding of students’ lives, not only in respect to language learning but
also into issues such as racism and a more general tendency to isolate international students frommainstream social life.
Andy: All these issues are so deeply interconnected in our own and our learners’ lives andparticipation in society. For me it’s striking how questions of learner autonomy, agency, and identity,
not to mention rights and access to resources, are becoming ever more socially situated andengaged with by practitioners and researchers in language(s) education. For sure, issues of social
justice and the struggle for a more equitable future have always been there, but they now seemto be increasingly recognised and taken up — some very strong connections here to the theme of
LD30 and Learning for Change and Action, Making a Difference for the Future. Speaking of which,as we come to the final part of this interview, could you share with us what you are looking forward
to focusing on in your sessions — and also learning about — at the conference?
Phil: In my plenary talk, I will be looking at the broader context of the history of the LD-SIG in thedevelopment of language learning research over the last 30 years. In particular, I’ll be trying toevaluate the lasting significance of the ‘learning’ and ‘social’ turns that I mentioned earlier. There
will also be a workshop on language learning beyond the classroom where I will try to introduce

50LOOKING BACK

some practical implications of ideas on language learning and space. It’s some time since I havebeen to an LD-SIG event, so I am also looking forward to learning about what is new in your world!
Andy: Thank you for your wholeheartedness in taking part in this written interview, Phil. It’s beenfascinating to learn from you a wider view of your work as language teacher, learner, researcher,and social justice advocate, and how you see your researching life and developments in the fieldover time. I am sure readers will have gained, like me, many new perspectives on your work, andstarted seeing new and exciting possibilities and directions for their own engagement with learnerdevelopment. Thank you so much!
Phil: Thank you, Andy! The LD-SIG has been at the forefront of the kinds of research we’ve beentalking about for many years, and it is a real honour to be invited to the conference and to do thisinterview.

Journeys to Learner Wellbeing: A Dialogue on Building Student
Communities

Stacey Vye
Saitama University

Chiyuki Yanase
Keio University

INTRODUCTION

At the JALT PanSIG conference in 2023 in Kyoto, Stacey gave a poster presentation at the Learner
Development (LD) SIG Forum about the self-access centre she oversees at Saitama University.
Chiyuki was nominated as one of the recipients of an LD-SIG conference research grant and wasinterested in learning how to enhance learners’ wellbeing. Since Chiyuki was also curious about
whether a facility like a student-access centre could serve as a student community and contributeto boosting their wellbeing, she seized the opportunity to pose this question to Stacey during her
poster session. That is when our dialogue began. Our discussions continued to explore how toestablish the learners’ own community for collaboration and communication by organizing various
events, fostering learner autonomy, and accessing useful activities such as grounding practiceand reflective dialogue to maintain or improve learners’ wellbeing. From our collaboration, thedialogues evolved into a dialogic plenary for the LD30 Conference.
Chiyuki: Stacey, this dialogic plenary has provided such a wonderful opportunity for me to delve
deeper into our latest research and professional interests. I remember meeting you at the JALTInternational Conference in Hamamatsu in 2012, and we instantly clicked while discussing how
effective storytelling could be for language learning. Since then, I have always looked forward toseeing you at the JALT annual conferences to explore our professional interests and occasionallyshare aspects of our personal lives. However, it was our mutual friend, the legendary Michele
Steele, who founded and organized the Best of JALT awards, who brought us back together in2019 when she invited us to her birthday celebration after you earned your Ed.D. Unfortunately, thedreadful pandemic separated us for a while, but fortunately, we reconnected and began to engage
more personally. To my surprise, our personal life events align remarkably, and so do our latest

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LEARNING LEARNING『学習の学習』30(2)research interests. I feel deeply honoured and privileged to present my research interest in learner
wellbeing with your expertise.
Stacey: Oh, my goodness, Chiyuki, why did we wait ten years to get together more often anddiscuss, learn, grow, and stay connected? I am glad we are closer now and making up for lost time.
That is right, in 2012, we spoke about how storytelling can be a powerful English learning tool for
vocabulary, sequence and scope of a story, and learner ownership of the narrative. I will explain
later in this mini-dialogue, yet more recently, I think storytelling and the use of metaphors play an
integral part in wellbeing, which has been useful working with students at our hybrid self-accesscenter at Saitama University.
Our dear Michele Steele got us together again for her birthday at one of her favorite Mexican
restaurants just before the pandemic. I think so many of us miss Michele very much after her
passing. One respite was grieving together with you and others helped me not feel alone andshare stories of her warmth, wit, and never-wavering dedication to the JALT community that washealing. I am grateful that now we regularly discuss personal and professional growth, and yes, wesure have a lot in common. In fact, there is one more practice we share, which is I am now baking
bread and trying to make it as delicious as yours, but I am not quite there yet. Chiyuki, we spoke
about this a bit, but can you let the readers know how you got interested in learner wellbeing andlearner-centered community? ?
Chiyuki: I couldn’t agree with you more about Michele, and we share many values, both privately
and professionally. That’s why, when we started discussing our ideas about integrating learner wellbeing information, resources, and events into a facility like your self-access center this spring, wewere so excited and couldn’t stop discussing the focus on the learner on the bus in Kyoto after the
PanSIG conference. To answer your question, I became interested in learner wellbeing and started
thinking about the importance of building a student community or a hub where they can manage
the place independently.
My initial motivation to learn about teacher wellbeing was that I experienced significant burnout
in 2020 during the first year of emergency remote teaching (ERT). As a part-time lecturer, I teachat four universities across five separate departments. In 2022, I started four new courses at a new
university and also began teaching in a different department at one of the universities I had beenworking at. Designing four new courses presented a considerable challenge. Additionally, learning
to navigate four different learning management systems (LMS) and various video conferencing
platforms made preparing for the new academic year in 2020 overwhelming. Due to the excessive
workload, constant uncertainty, and anxiety I experienced, I had my first panic attack and teacher
burnout for the first time in my 30-year teaching career. Clark (2021) asserts that prioritizing
teachers’ well-being is essential to facilitating engaging and inspiring classroom settings. This
reflection resonated with me profoundly because of the mental issue I had. That was when I started
reading about teacher burnout and wellbeing extensively to understand how I could deal with mypanic attacks and overcome the setbacks. Thanks to the Teacher Wellbeing Handbook (Mercer &Gregaersen, 2020), I realized how crucial it was to take care of myself.
Stacey: I am so sorry you went through this heart-wrenching time in your professional career that
impacted your wellbeing. Managing four LMS systems and teaching remotely in one place withvarious video platforms is a significant burden and challenge. I think many full-time tenured faculty
have little to no idea about the hardships part-time faculty went through while teaching remotely
during the pandemic. In 2020, I could barely manage the various platforms at one university, yetluckily, I already had my own teaching website with less to prepare. Chiyuki, your resilience andself-awareness of overcoming a teacher burnout crisis and setbacks are profound as you are52LOOKING BACK

internally aware of the importance of continual self-care and wellbeing. I am curious: What kept you
interested in the wellbeing of learners after you returned to the classroom face-to-face?
Chiyuki: Thank you so much for your kind words. I am so amazed that you were prepared for
unprecedented circumstances in 2020. How lucky your students were. It took me a while tobecome comfortable with ERT, so when we returned to face-to-face classes in 2022, I was
overjoyed. I also noticed the excitement in the learners as they reunited with their classmates.
Nevertheless, I also observed an unusually high number of students struggling with mental healthissues. This phenomenon connects with the research of Seto et al. (2023) regarding university
students’ mental health problems, and that is why I continue to study the topic of wellbeing among
them. By this point, I had developed coping strategies for my panic attacks and anxieties. Feelingcompelled to help my students, I decided to share the activities that had worked for me.
Stacey: By experiencing anxiety firsthand, you are well prepared to advocate for the learners’
coping mechanisms with much compassion, empathy, and a greater understanding. That is astrength and a gift, Chiyuki. I am wondering, could you let me know how you facilitate wellbeing
with your students?
Chiyuki: Thank you, Stacey, for identifying my strength! You are such a great motivator and always
inspire me to come up with ideas. Perhaps finding positive characteristics for students can be
another class activity to enhance their well-being. Anyhow, the first activity I introduced was called
WOOP (wish, outcome, obstacle, plan) (Oettingen, n.d). WOOP is a science-based mental strategy
that helps people identify and achieve their goals, set preferences, and change their habits. Setting
manageable goals, such as walking more than 6,000 steps a day, gave me a sense of purpose anda daily focus, which significantly reduced my constant anxiety. I introduced WOOP at the beginningof the semester and asked students to come up with achievable goals and report their experienceswith it at the end of the semester. Some of them reported achieving their goals, such as getting
up early every day, gaining a sense of purpose, and increasing confidence, much like I did. It is
too early to assess the activity’s effectiveness definitively, but at the very least, it seems to bebeneficial.
Another activity I incorporated into my classes is called the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding activity (Smith,
2018, April 10), which is a mindfulness practice that helps students stay in the present moment
rather than worrying about the past or the future that can often lead to uncontrollable anxiety. The
grounding techniques engage the five senses to bring attention to the present moment. Here is
how the process works (Smith, 2018, April 10):
1. Look around and identify five different things you can see in your environment. It can beobjects, colors, or anything in your surroundings.
2. Pay attention to your sense of touch. Identify four things you can touch and feel. It might be thetexture of your clothing, the surface of a table, or the sensation of the ground beneath your feet.
3. Listen carefully and identify three different sounds you can hear at that moment. It could be thesound of traffic, birds singing, or the hum of a computer.
4. If possible, notice two distinct scents in your environment. It might be the scent of food, flowers,
or anything else around you.
5. If you have access to something to taste, such as a piece of food or a drink, take a moment totaste it and focus on the flavor.
The “5-4-3-2-1” grounding activity helps you to be more aware of the present moment, which
can be particularly useful when you are feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or disconnected. It
encourages mindfulness and can help you regain a sense of calm and control. Particularly before

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LEARNING LEARNING『学習の学習』30(2)nerve-wracking activities such as presentations, I ask my students to close their eyes and do thisexercise. Nobody complained about the activity, and some mentioned that it made them feel lessnervous. Whether these activities are truly effective or not, I am committed to exploring moreevidence-based practices to enhance and promote the well-being of my students. Overall, mystudents have inspired me to delve deeper into the study of well-being, both for teachers andlearners. I believe that such activities and resources could also be beneficial in your self-accesscentre. What do you think, Stacey? Could you share what you do at the centre for your students?
Stacey: Before I discuss the English Resource Center (ERC), Chiyuki, the WOOP and the 5-4-3-2-1
grounding activities must be soothing and beneficial for your students and teachers or advisors,
and will work well at the ERC, so I will try them with students as the need arises. It seems thatyou practiced with many students in classrooms with large student numbers if I am not mistaken.
How lucky your students were to practice their sense of wellbeing in their classrooms due to yourexpertise as a wellness practitioner.
About our center, the ERC is designed as a group advising context with only three volunteer
advisors open in the afternoons for students to gather and work on their English language skills
and foster a sense of belonging in a social community. I have been incorporating reflective
dialogues suggested by Kato and Mynard (2016) through a series of strategies that facilitate thelearner to come up with reflections and solutions rather than being told by the advisor what todo. As the dialogues progress, the students’ depth of reflection increases as they become moreaware, go deeper, and then transform with more profound levels of reflection regarding theirlearning processes. The authors’ three principles, which are techniques that can immediately
benefit students, are that the advisors focus on the learner rather than themselves, keep an open
mind through support and respecting the learner’s choices, and take a neutral position by not
judging and evaluating, but rather encourage the learners to be more aware, so they challenge
their own preconceived notions through reflection (Kato & Mynard, 2016). I have tried to adhere tothese general practices for many years before the publication, yet having a well-laid-out publishedadvising roadmap serves as a significant reminder to me and provides greater access to theadvisor and teacher communities.
Chiyuki: The reflective dialogue sounds excellent for facilitating a humanistic and learner-centred
approach. It explains a lot about your mindful and kind speaking manner. Could you please tell
us more about the practices you incorporate into your teaching based on the principles you
mentioned?
Stacey: One practice that changed for me about learner development is the power of storytellingby using metaphors to bolster wellbeing by using imagination and empathy (Aoki, 2012; 2019),
metaphor and empathy (Kato & Mynard, 2016), and the use of empathetic and mindful listening(Sheldon-Strong & Tassinari, 2022) to support the learners’ psychological wellbeing in a creative
and uplifting manner. By not ignoring the learners’ puzzles at hand, instead exploring the learner’s
views and expectations without pressure through imaginative play, I can revisit what they are
stressed out about together so they can come up with their own goals to redress those concerns.
Aoki (2012; 2019) created an inspirational list of can-do statements for advisors to boost theirconfidence as practitioners by using imaginative statements that encourage empathy not only forthe learners, but also for the advisors themselves that I will post in the ERC this autumn for theTAs and advisors. One example that I love that helps to keep the focus on the learner instead ofmyself is the statement, “I can imagine how this person would feel, think and act in this situation(rather than how I would act in this situation” (Aoki, 2019, p. 156). I also love to read Naoko’s (Aoki)
statements as well for her wisdom that helps keep her memory alive as my mentor and friend, who,
like Michele, passed away too young. I can actually hear her distinct voice and see her smile as if we

54LOOKING BACK

are still communicating whenever I read her publications. Since I have not used the advisor can-dostatements yet with others at our center, I will have to report the findings to you later, Chiyuki.
Similarly, Kato and Mynard (2016) advocated how the learner can create metaphors as a powerfulvisualization strategy that helps express feelings and thoughts in an alternate view with the supportof the advisor (Kato & Mynard, 2016). For example, a learner at our center was frustrated with his
motivation and lack of progress with his self-studies of English. When I encouraged him to describe
his learning English through YouTube videos in a metaphor, he said, “Hmm, I’d say, sailing a boat
without a map” (Vye, 2021, p. 111). We then could creatively refer to this roaming boat going here
and there without much progress in the third person rather than focusing on the setbacks of thelearner himself. Then, upon reflection, he set a study plan using specific videos and reading andlistening techniques using closed captions with confidence that helped him navigate more clearly
to improve his English for his own purposes and at his pace. Encouraging the ERC advisees to use
metaphors to tell a story has been a joy to listen to and work with, as no two stories are the same,and the results lead to greater awareness through reflections to reach their own learning goals.

CONCLUSION

Chiyuki: Thank you so much for sharing the practice with a successful case. This is great advice forall of us to understand the power of storytelling and the importance of empathetic listening.
Through our dialogues for the plenary presentation, we have reached a consensus that
establishing a community of students, by students, and for students would yield numerous
benefits, including a sense of belonging, increased self-confidence, and resources for their overall
well-being, haven’t we? I have learned a lot from you and am inspired to share my thoughts andexperiences with fellow educators and educational institutions. Thank you so much, Stacey.
Stacey: Thank you for our ongoing dialogues at JALT workshops, through friendship andprofessional development, over so many years, Chiyuki. I have learned a lot from you too, so I feelinspired knowing that I have more tools to share with the learners in our center, in the classrooms,
and with colleagues. Hopefully, the Learning Learning readers can explore and adapt some of ourpractices that work well for their students. I have learned a lot from your experience facilitating
students’ goal-setting pursuits through WOOP and calming anxieties by focusing on the present. I
also look forward to more dialogues with you soon and in many years to come.

REFERENCES

Aoki, N. (2012). Can-do statements for advisors. In C. Ludwig & J. Mynard (Eds.). Autonomy in
Language learning: Advising in action (pp. 155-163). IATEFL Learner Autonomy SIG. http://lasig.
iatefl.org
Aoki, N. (2019). Can-do statements for advisors. In C. Ludwig & J. Mynard (Eds.). Autonomy inlanguage learning: Advising in action (pp. 155-163). Candlin & Mynard. https://doi.org/10.47908/01
Clark, T. (2021, June 4). Learner wellbeing: Thinking beyond learning losses. Cambridge
Assessment International Education. https://blog.cambridgeinternational.org/learner-wellbeingthinking-beyond-learning-losses/
Kato, S., & Mynard, J. (2016). Reflective dialogue: Advising in language learning. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315739649
Oettingen, G. (n.d.). What is WOOP? WOOP my life. https://woopmylife.org/en/home
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic
motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55(1), 68-78. https://doi.
org/10.1037/0003-066X.55.1.68
Seto, M., Usukura, H., Kunii, Y., Hamaie, Y., Kodama, E. N., Makino, Y., Kinouchi, Y., Ito, C.,

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LEARNING LEARNING『学習の学習』30(2)Ikeda, T., & Tomita, H. (2023). Mental health problems among university students under the
prolonged COVID-19 pandemic in Japan: A repeated cross-sectional survey. The Tohoku Journal of
Experimental Medicine, 260(1), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1620/tjem.2023.J012
Shelton-Strong, S., & Tassinari, M. G. (2022). Facilitating an autonomy-supportive learning climate:
Advising in language 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 (pp. 185-205). Multilingual Matters. https://doi.org/10.21832/9781788929059-013
Smith, S. (2018, April 10). 5-4-3-2-1 coping technique for anxiety. Behavioral Health Partners.
https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/behavioral-health-partners/bhp-blog/april-2018/5-4-3-2-1-copingtechnique-for-anxiety.aspx
Vye, S. (2021). Utilizing advising strategies with grounded theory to support an advisee’s learning
goals. Relay Journal, 4(2), 107-115. https://doi.org/10.37237/relay/040206
Stacey Vye is a professor and volunteer advisor at Saitama University. For over 20 years, she has
been researching learner and teacher autonomy through the lenses of retrospection, narratives,
self-efficacy, and reflective dialogues. And by focusing on the wellbeing of others and myself, mywork is more meaningful and satisfying .
Chiyuki Yanase is a lecturer at multiple universities in Tokyo. With over 30 years of experiencein teaching English at various institutions, she holds an MSc in TESOL from Aston University. Her
current research interests primarily revolve around the well-being of teachers and learners.

PanSIG Forum
Title - Learner involvement in developing learner-centred pedagogies and practice

Amelia Yarwood
LD SIG Programmes CoordinatorAt the centre of every learning activity is the learner. During the LD SIG’s PanSIG forum, we
decided to keep this concept close to our hearts as we explored the potential benefits of learner
involvement in the development of learner-centred pedagogies and practices. Practical, innovativeand collaborative approaches to all areas of the teaching and learning experience were welcomed.
In particular, we wanted to explore how we could better take into account the voices of learners
and foster their capacity to craft their own future. The presentations covered a wider array of
topics including, but not limited to, the co-construction of academic skills, materials and resources,
understanding the experience of learners when instructors get involved in group work andsupporting student-run workshops.
As a first-time facilitator, the experience was made just a little more challenging by circumstancesthat made attending PanSIG in-person impossible. Thankfully, the LD SIG community is full to thebrim with thoughtful, motivated individuals who happily volunteer their time and energy to support
each other. A special thanks to Robert Moreau and Nicolas Emerson for stepping up as the on-site
support team - the smooth running of the forum was ensured because of your enthusiasm. I would
also like to thank the nine presenters for joining our pre-PanSIG feedback sessions and sharing
thoughts, files and comments on the Padlet page. It was great to see so much interaction between
presenters.
Attending PanSIG in-person wasn’t feasible, but with Zoom I could emcee to a degree. From myscreen I watched as audience members and presenters discussed, enthused and congratulated

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LOOKING BACK

each other on actions taken to bring learners to the foreground of learning. Using mentimeter, we
captured a snapshot of how the audience members felt about the presentations:Audience members also shared the following reflections and comments:
As always, very inspiring to hear stories from practitioners brave enough to trust theirstudents and experiment and explore.
I’ve got ideas to take back to class and try.
I love how poster presentations are really dialogues about a poster - a two-way
conversation.
Great to meet up with so many passionate colleagues.
Emily Choong’s interactive presentation was fun and stimulating. Very empathetic
towards students and solutions based.
I saw three presentations. The common theme was a focus on a project basedlearning integrating CLIL. There was a lot of talk about integrating AI tools into LD.
Much food for thought!
Stacy Vye’s ERC and learner ownership poster session was informative and inspiring.
Looking forward to seeing how your project develops!
Really enjoyed the forum with every poster and presenter engaging and having great
discussions with attendees (and other presenters!) - welcome to self-access posters
too! - Thank you one and all.
It’s inspiring to see that others are doing similar things in their classes. Also
reassuring that I’m on the right track and it’s nice to share with like-minded educators.
Jenny’s learner-centred pedagogy for DEI related to ecotourism encouraged students
to own their success of their eco presentations and English agency.

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LEARNING LEARNING『学習の学習』30(2)Learner Development SIG aims to be a lively, dynamic community of learners and teachers from allteaching contexts who share an interest in exploring learner autonomy and development throughpractice, research and dialogue. This year’s LD SIG forum at PanSIG 2023 achieved those aims
while inspiring all. Congratulations everyone.

PanSIG 2023, LD SIG Forum presenters and abstracts
Learner-generated materials for English communication
Ivan Lombardi, University of Fukui
Keywords: Exploratory practice, communicative English, reflective evaluation of materials
From April 2023, I will teach an advanced English communication course for first-year university
students who plan to study abroad in the anglosphere during their undergraduate years. The
course meets twice a week for a total of 30 times (90 hours). It will follow an exploratory practice
approach in which students work in small groups to create, test, and revise learning materials
based on the actual communicative situations they experience as freshmen (meeting otherstudents, registering for courses, finding accommodation, interacting with the instructors, andother themes chosen by the students). The goal of the course is for learners to reflect on their daily
communicative events and become able to recreate them in English.
Instructor’s involvement or interference in a learner-centred practiceMizuka Tsukamoto, Ritsumeikan University
Keywords: Group work, online, student-teacher dynamics
This is an ongoing study on encouraging students to take ownership over learning through working
in groups. The attempts have encountered various challenges but with some successful aspects.
Through the process, improvements have been made to improve the learning experience for boththe students and instructor. The poster describes how the group work took place in an online
environment, the successes and the challenges that the instructor faced due to her involvement
or lack of involvement in the process. Discussion will extend to what measures could be taken forimprovement.
Applying learner-centred pedagogies to bring DEI content and issues of ethical travel into an“English for Tourism” course
Jennifer (Jenny) Morgan, Sophia University, CLER
Keywords: DEI, experience sharing, modified materials, travel and tourism
In designing content and materials for a university “English for Tourism” elective course, thepresenter wanted to expand on the typical situational roleplays in many “Travel English” textbooks(e.g. How to greet foreign travelers at the hotel) and bring in awareness of diversity, equity andinclusion (DEI) and an ethical traveler’s mindset from the course outset. The presenter will sharematerials and activities that encourage learners to draw on their own rich experiences of diversity
and interests in travel and tourism, and co-create knowledge with their peers through roleplays,
discussion, research and presentations. While developing language skills and expanding theircontent knowledge, students take ownership of their learning and develop a critical understandingof important related issues including ethical travel, DEI, and sustainable tourism in today’s
globalized world.

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LOOKING BACK

Preparing for PBL in a First-Year University Classroom
Robert Moreau, Meiji University
Keywords: PBL, global issues, reflection on learner-centred teaching practices
Project-based learning (PBL) can be an effective way to create student-centered learning
opportunities. Through the completion of projects, students can not only develop theircommunication skills in the target language, but also grow as autonomous learners throughthe choices they make involving the researching, gathering, and organizing of information. This
presentation explores the initial stages of the introduction of PBL into a first-year university, global
issues classroom using a five-stage framework proposed by Stoller and Myers (2020). During
this poster session audience discussion will be encouraged. It is hoped that through the sharingof ideas and experiences using PBL, teachers will be able to consider new ideas for facilitating
learner development in their classes.
Co-Constructing Academic Literacy with Multimodal Conversations
Ellen Head, Miyazaki International College
Keywords: Academic literacy, social-constructive approach, skill development
Academic Literacy is particularly challenging when first year students enter college with a levelaround CEFR A1 or 2, and have to participate in CLIL or EMI courses. In this poster presentation, we
take a look at how a social-constructive approach was used in order to help students develop theirwriting personas and schemas. Lea and Street (2006) point out that academic literacy is not simply
a matter of written products, but entails a complex of abilities and skills. In our course, the textbook
Q Skills for Success (Lynne, 2019) provided the main focus. Students were challenged by the levelof critical thinking demanded by the book, as they did not assume that English classes would
require it. In addition, it was very attractive for them to use digital translation as an alternative tousing a dictionary, and they sometimes translated chunks of text. How could the students develop
the skills of writing and have confidence in their ability while using these resources? It was vital tocreate a conversation spanning various genres including writing and speaking, formal and informal,
digital and non-digital, L1 and L2, in order to authenticate the students’ writing. The poster will use
data from student’s learning journals, feedback questionnaires and paragraphs to address thedevelopment of academic literacy in the first year of their course.
Creative Online Elements for Learner Ownership are Encouraged During Face-to-Face Learning
Stacey Vye, Saitama University
Keywords: SALC, advising, autonomy-supportive online strategies
This poster session provides several examples of supportive behaviors that facilitate greater
learner ownership and engagement during remote learning at a university self-access learning
center (SALC). The learners’ preferences for attending the SALC for group advising were analyzed
before, during remote learning online, and afterward when the center resumed face-to-face andonline hybrid sessions. Additionally, the advisors participated in focus group sessions for thesame duration. The focus group identified valuable elements that increased learner ownershipduring online advising because learner engagement strengthened from effective personalization
in a creative digital venue associated with remote learning. As a result, the learner autonomysupportive online strategies are encouraged in a hybrid environment for promoting learnerownership, as detailed in the LD-SIG Forum.

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LEARNING LEARNING『学習の学習』30(2)Understanding students’ English speaking anxiety in face-to-face and online contexts
Emily Choong, Utsunomiya University
Keywords: Foreign language classroom anxiety, low-anxiety classrooms
Language teachers need to be aware of their students’ worries about learning English so thatthe classroom can be a safe place for them. The Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale(FLCAS) has been widely used to measure language anxiety. This presentation talks about how the
instrument was updated to reflect the focus on speaking skills and the changes in English learning
environments due to the pandemic. FLCAS was adapted to address English speaking anxiety inJapanese EFL undergraduates in face-to-face and online learning contexts. The presenter will
discuss the cultural appropriateness and content validity of the instrument. This study hopes toinform language teachers on how to tackle psychological aspects of language learning to create
low-anxiety classrooms in the future.
Supporting student-run SALC Workshops
Katherine Thornton, Otemon Gakuin University
Keywords: SALC, learner-led events, student voices
English Cafe at Otemon (E-CO), Otemon Gakuin University’s self-access centre, has always had an
active student volunteer group which supports our activities. In recent years, in addition to working
at the counter and organising seasonal events, students have started to plan and implement theirown workshops. Topics include: study abroad experiences, Chinese language and culture, and UK
culture. In this poster presentation I will explain how we have helped students to develop the skills
to run these workshops successfully, and what challenges we have encountered in the process.
Voices from the students themselves will be highlighted to show how they have gained from theseexperiences.
Learning form the learners: Keeping up to date with emerging resources for language learning
beyond the classroom
Jon Rowberry, Sojo University
Keywords: Reflective evaluation of resources, student voices, interactive
With the proliferation of apps and online tools for language learning it is increasingly importantthat learners themselves play an active role in identifying resources rather than relying on teachers
and learning advisors for guidance. This interactive poster will present an ongoing project inwhich students make short, slide show videos to introduce their preferred resources for language
learning and explain how they use them. The videos are then made available to peers and futurecohorts of learners. The outcome of the project is that both learners’ and instructors’ knowledge of
popular and emerging resources for language learning is constantly updated. Participants will beable to view some example videos and learn how the project was set up and administered.

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LOOKING FORWARD

Looking Forward
今後のイベント

JALT2023 International Forum
Title - Thinking in different ways: Perspective-taking for growthAmelia Yarwood
Facilitator
On Saturday evening (25th Nov) between 5:35 and 7:05 in the Multi-purpose hall there will befive individuals standing proudly by their posters. Just as their posters will explore the notionof perspective-taking for growth, audience members will seek to take on new perspectives on
language learning pedagogies and practices. At its core, perspective-taking is the considerationof alternative perspectives, the seeking of new information and an openness to new ideas orexperiences. As educators, we know that seeing the world through the eyes of others can help us
to expand our understanding of who we are, how we interact with the world around us, and how
others move through the world in their own unique ways. This year’s forum tackles the concept ofperspective-taking by asking:
•
•
•
•
•
•

What kinds of perspectives should we encourage learners to explore? Why?
What kind of perspectives have been explored in your language classrooms?
How can materials and resources be used to explore different perspectives?
What processes are involved in challenging learners’ current perspectives?
What benefits do learners gain from taking on novel perspectives?
How do learners’ past experiences inform their current attitudes toward perspective-taking?

So, hold off on the post-conference drinks and join the LD-SIG forum presentations at the JALT2023
International Conference in Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.

Poster Presentations
Mind the Gap: Student-Developed Resources for Mediating Transitions into Self-Access Learning
Daniel Hooper, Tokyo Kasei University
Making the transition from classroom language learning to a self-access center (SAC) can be adaunting prospect for many learners. This poster is based on a study examining the discomfort
experienced by learners transitioning into a SAC and the different cognitive, social, and symbolic
resources (Zittoun, 2007) that can help to scaffold this environmental change. Based on a longitudinal
ethnography of the LC, a SAC-based student-led learning community, this study determined various
sources of anxiety for new SAC users and the ways in which the learning community attempted torespond to these issues. This poster presentation will highlight how gaps in knowledge between
exam-focused English study in secondary education and communication-focused English in SAC
social learning spaces contributed to learner anxiety in addition to insufficient social scaffolding
for SAC newcomers. I will also explain how LC members responded to these problems by
operationalizing learners’ existing skills, proactively engaging new members, and providing
low-anxiety modes of access to new knowledge. In summary, this poster will highlight the various
sociocultural obstacles that SAC newcomers must negotiate and the valuable role of student learning
communities as socializing agents bridging the gap between learners’ past and future worlds.

61

LEARNING LEARNING『学習の学習』30(2)A New Paradigm: Exploring LD from an English as Lingua Franca Perspective
Ian Hurrell, Toyo University
The role of English in the world has changed greatly during the 21st century. As English is being
used more and more as a common language in multicultural contexts, it is often cited that speakers
of English as a second language are now more likely to be using English to communicate with
non-native speakers (NNS) than with native speakers (NS). As a result, many are now calling for ashift from a native speaker model of language teaching to an English as lingua franca (ELF) modelin order to reflect this change. This presentation will start with a brief overview of some of thecore tenets of teaching English from an ELF perspective, such as, transcultural communication,translanguaging, a focus on intelligibility, etc. Then, the presenter would like to discuss with theaudience some of the challenges and practical methods of introducing these concepts using theresults of a questionnaire designed to investigate the perspectives of Japanese university students
toward the ELF model of language learning.
Classroom practice: Encouraging learners to broaden their perspectives
Michelle Jerrems, Kanda University of International Studies
Research has shown that real-life experiences such as studying abroad can encourage learners
to think about alternative perspectives, and seek out new information or ideas (Enberg, 2013).
However, not all learners are able to experience such opportunities as studying abroad, especiallyin recent years due to the spread of coronavirus. This poster presentation will investigate whatthings we can do in the classroom to encourage learners to broaden their perspectives through afocus on classroom processes and activities that promote a ‘reflective learning style’ through theencouragement of student-led inquiry, critical thinking, learner autonomy and reflective learning.
This classroom or learning style involves students’ reflecting on what they have learned, analyzing
their experiences, and finding alternative ways to improve (Flanagan, 2022). The researcher willdraw on anecdotal evidence to outline the perspectives explored and methods used. Specifically,
the poster presentation will focus on the use of classroom processes and activities including
discussion, debate, speaking tests, literature and media review, essay planning, essay writing, andpost-activity and assignment reflective tools. Through these processes and activities, students
are encouraged to develop critical thinking skills and become more aware of their own learning
processes. In this way, they can broaden their perspectives and seek out new information and ideas.
Developing New Perspectives on Writing through Genre
Patrick Kiernan, Meiji University
Writing at university is naturally focused on academic writing. Yet many students struggle torecognise that academic writing differs from language they encounter in other contexts, often
resulting in inappropriate borrowings of language derived from informal talk or elsewhere. At thesame time, those trained only in academic writing may find that they are trapped in the formal suitof the language of academic writing struggling to adapt to other writing contexts. This presentation
reports on a course designed to promote growth and a broader perspective on writing by raisingawareness of genre and giving students opportunities to develop their voices through a range ofdifferent writing tasks. These tasks include a recipe; a comparative service/shop/product review;formal and informal email exchanges; a blog introduction and personal narrative; and an exam
essay. Each task was introduced through models and consciousness raising activities to draw
attention to the features of the writing genre. After the writing task, students also compared theway each of their writing samples reflected the genre. Samples of the materials used, student

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LOOKING FORWARD

writing, and feedback on the course will be introduced in this poster presentation. The materials
used will be available to participants and I welcome ideas or suggestions.
Recalibration: questions, demonstrations, and requirements from a new perspective
Steve Paton, Chikushi Jogakuen University
Students often engage in counterproductive behaviours which hinder the development of theirlanguage skills. Classroom silence, unwillingness to ask clarifying questions, and avoidance
strategies are all-too-familiar problems that many teachers face. The reasons behind students
consistently bringing these behaviours with them into the language classroom are often deepseated aspects of culture pertaining to face-saving and perceptions of power-distance (Hofstede,
Hofstede, and Minkov, 2010). From the perspective of someone raised and educated within theculture, no frame of reference might exist against which to compare and reevaluate such common
classroom practices. It falls to teachers to provide new perspectives for students to view their own
behaviours by, whereby they might come to want for themselves to take alternative approaches
to classroom activities. Teachers can recalibrate students’ classroom behaviours by having themnotice for themselves how counterproductive such behaviours would be in other communicative
situations. For instance, students often leave a prolonged silence upon being asked a question bya teacher, but balk at the suggestion that they should try, even once, waiting just as long before
answering a question from a friend at lunchtime .In this presentation, the presenter will highlightquestions, demonstrations, and course requirements that have helped students come to viewcounterproductive behaviours from a new, but familiar and powerfully-motivating perspective- thatof just about every other social situation they ever find themselves in.

LD30 Post-Conference Publication

Call for Reflections and Articles / リフレクションと記事の募集

All presenters at the LD30 Conference are invited to submit a reflection or article on theirpresentation for publication in the Post-Conference Publication, “Learning for Change
and Action, Making a Difference for the Future”. This will form a Special Issue of Learning
Learning, the biannual publication of the Learner Development SIG. All article submissions
should be made via the PCP email address ld30pcp@gmail.com.
LD30 Conferenceのすべての発表者は、ポストコンファレンス特集号「変化と行動のための学習、未来への変化をもたらす」に掲載するために、発表に基づいた振り返りや記事を提出するよう招待されています。
これは、Learner Development SIGが年2回発行する『Learning Learning』の特集号という形を取る予定です。
記事の投稿はすべて、PCPのEメールアドレス ld30pcp@gmail.com を通じて行ってください。

Both students and teachers are welcome to make a contribution. For more details see: LD 30
PCP Call for Reflections and Articles
学生も教師も投稿を歓迎する。
詳細はこちらをご覧ください：LD 30 PCP Call for Reflections and Articles

63LEARNING LEARNING『学習の学習』30(2)The LDJ7 Editorial Team Reflect on The Learner Development Journal 7,“Challenging the Conventions of Learner Development Research”

Ellen Head
Miyazaki International University
ellenhxin2@yahoo.com

Aya Hayasaki
Waseda University
hayasakiaya@gmail.com

Ryo Moriya
Waseda University
ryo.m6bell.a@gmail.com

Right now (November 2023), we are in the final stages of work on Issue 7 of The Learner Development
Journal. We came together in 2021, thanks to a shared enthusiasm for the experience we each had as
writers participating in the communities created around earlier issues of LDJ, Ryo in issue 2 “Qualitative
Research and Learner Development” and 3 “Identities and Transitions”, Ellen in issue 5 “The Multilingual
Turn in Learner Development”, and Aya in issue 6 “Learning Beyond the Classroom.” Each of us has
a different “take” on what we mean by “challenging the conventions” but we share a fascination withlearner emotions and the interplay between our identities as teachers, learners and writers. Below we
discuss how we came together as an editorial team, the experiences we had as authors in earlier issues
LDJ, and why we wanted to focus on challenging the conventions of learner development research. We
hope this will arouse your curiosity, whet your appetite in relation to LDJ7 and encourage you to think
about getting involved in a future issue of LDJ.

HOW WE CAME TOGETHER AS AN EDITORIAL TEAM: CONNECTIONS THROUGHLD SIG AND LDJ

Ellen Head: Hearing Aya speaking online about dilemmas and trajectories in adolescents’language learning at the Learner Development Forum at JALT 2020 made me think we could put
forward a theme proposal for the Learner Development journal. I was fascinated by the way she
drew on her own experience and put this together with interview data and research literature,
looking at how learners could reinterpret failure as a source of strength. She was asking newquestions. Her use of “Trajectory Equifinality Modelling” (Sato, 2006) as a way to understand life
histories, relating that to gender issues in rural Japan, was very thought-provoking. At the time, I
had been interviewing students about their experience of online learning during the pandemic, andreflecting on how positioning impacted students’ willingness to communicate (Head, 2022). Our
first suggestions for a call for papers included learner emotions in the wake of COVID and how thatexperience had brought out autonomy in some but not in all learners. Thanks to Aya’s connections,
we were able to ask Ryo Moriya to join us. At some point I realized I had already met him at ILA
2018 conference in Kobe and still had the handout of his presentation (about measuring a learner’s
emotions and heart rate during an advising session). He shared our curiosity about life-trajectories
and research methods which attempt to capture both the subtleties of individual experience andthe connection to a larger picture. Thus the theme of “challenging the conventions” emerged.
Ryo Moriya: For me, writing for LDJ was an unforgettable experience that expanded myconnections with others. As a first-year MA student, I had read numerous papers on my interests
in sociocultural theory and advising, many of which discussed the development of a few people
in detail. However, many of the studies in the classes I was taking at the time were based on
statistical analysis, and I remember being repeatedly told, “we need at least 30 subjects.” At thetime, the terms “qualitative research” and “quantitative research” were not in my mind at all. I was
simply bewildered by the gap between what I was reading voluntarily and what was covered inclass, and I was unsure if my understanding was wrong. When I talked about my research withpeople around me, they twisted my head again and again. Some of my seniors even said to me,“Our research is science,” as if my research was unscientific and inappropriate (they may not havemeant to offend me, but it is hurtful when someone close to me says something like that). Today,

64LOOKING FORWARD

I would be able to explain Kuhn’s (1962) philosophy of science (the idea that “truth” can change
depending on paradigms or worldviews) and confidently refute those seniors, but at that time, I
did not have the right words to say back to them. I even sometimes cried at my immaturity andinadequacy, wondering if I was not suited for research. But through the personal connections I
made due to LDJ editors Christina Gkonou and others, I have come to realize that I was not alone
and in fact it was the exclusivity of the research paradigm that needed challenging.
Aya Hayasaki: Like Ryo, I was feeling the sense of loneliness like a lost child in academia, until I
became a contributor to LDJ6. I have been working on rather peripheral topics in underrepresented
contexts in current applied linguistics research particularly in Japan. My main interest has been in
inequalities regarding opportunities to learn English and after learning English, and I started my PhD
by exploring life stories of female learners from rural Japan–the kind of context I myself come from.
When I joined the response community of contributors and editors for LDJ6 “Learning Beyond theClassroom”, I met practitioners working on topics that were similar to my own, such as exploring
learners’ agency in resource-limited contexts and teaching learners to critically reflect on theirlearning and develop their own learning goals. This was an empowering moment for me, giving mea safe space to nurture my identity as a qualitative researcher who takes positionality and reflexivity
seriously.
Ryo Moriya: One of the features of LDJ which struck me as an author for LDJ2, was the uniquepublication process that took about one and a half to two years to complete, while exchanging
opinions with the editors and other contributors. It was so different from anything I had ever
heard of that I could not even imagine at the start, how it would proceed. However, as a first-year
MA student and a novice in qualitative research at the time, writing the paper through dozens ofclose communications with various teachers was the best learning experience for me. When I met
the editors and contributors for the first time at the meet-up at Seikei University, I was the only
graduate student, while the other contributors were teachers who had already established theircareers to some extent. I sometimes wondered if I was worthy of being named alongside them, but
I am grateful to the editors and contributors for their thoughtful advice and comments and for the
supportive environment they provided until the very end (Moriya, 2018). Looking back, I feel that
unfortunately I needed to improve in many areas, such as responding to peer review comments
and making revisions, because it was almost the first time for me to write up a paper. However,developing this paper provided a memorable experience as a learner and contributor thanks to thisjournal. In fact, I notice that when I read a paper, my reading speed and comprehension depend
on whether or not I can meet the author and get an image of his/her personality. Related to this, inmany journals, there is an aspect of uncertainty because we do not know whether the paper will be
accepted until the very end, but having the paper accepted at the proposal stage allowed me as acontributor (with a junior Ami Ishizuka) to write the paper for LDJ3 with a relaxed mood (Moriya &Ishizuka, 2019). I hope that as editors, we have offered that kind of mood to LDJ7 authors.
Ellen Head: Maybe this is a good place to say a bit more about the process of working on
LDJ7. In LDJ7, we formed three thematic groups, one broadly concerned with learner emotions
and psychology, the second focussed on classroom-based approaches to promoting learnerdevelopment and the third interested in innovative ways of writing about teaching as a form of
self-investigation or auto-ethnography. Between June and November 2022 we had on average
three online get-togethers in which we talked in small groups about the draft articles which werebeing developed. In some cases the research was still being done at the time of the first meeting. I
joined the group concerned with learner emotions. What impressed me most was the joy that oneof the members showed when talking about her teaching. She could see that her students were
shy but she had confidence that they would develop during one school year, and they did. As it

65

LEARNING LEARNING『学習の学習』30(2)happened, some of the members of this small group were researching their PhDs during the timethey were writing for LDJ and were much better read than I in the field of learner emotions. They
were able to offer peer feedback to each other, so the group process was still an effective medium
for scaffolding writing, even though sometimes I was the person who was learning the most. The
written papers do not always catch the whole of the experience, since the things which emerge
during a zoom chat or real chat inevitably give it another dimension. We considered making
some kind of video part of LDJ7 but we decided that maintaining a confidential space was more
important and would not be consistent with videoing our sessions for those outside the group. So
we didn’t end up venturing into multimedia.

CHALLENGING THE CONVENTIONS

Ellen Head: The idea of challenging the conventions can be interpreted in many ways. In the callfor papers, we were influenced by the fact that the pandemic was still going on, and the conditionsof learning seemed to have changed utterly from what they had been pre-pandemic. Three aspectsof ELT changed radically during the period 2020-2021: online learning became accepted much
more widely as a normal and inevitable practice, study abroad appeared to be in jeopardy and so
the idea of online study abroad appeared and last but not least, the ability of AI to provide fast andaccurate translation raised questions about the future role of teachers and use of AI in teaching.
The situation is still changing and causing many changes in our practices as teachers, as learners
and participants in communities. The idea of challenging the conventions emerged from our
feeling that the conventions of classroom learning had been challenged by circumstances. At thesame time, there were multiple ways in which we could understand challenging the conventionsof research. Research such as Ryo’s and Aya’s seemed to challenge the conventions by focusing
on the individual learner. One of the things that we were all interested in was looking at learners
and learning as part of a dynamic system. Although we are hesitant to use the term “complex
dynamic systems theory”, at least we could say that as a metaphor, the idea of dynamic systems
has allowed us to look at an individual’s experience without assuming that learning is a linear
chain of cause and effect. As John H. Schumann writes in the introduction to Dörnyei et al. (2014),“[Dynamic systems theory] forces us to rethink our conceptions about cause and categories; itmakes us deal with the way the world actually works not simply the way we all think it works…andleaves us open to the notion of investigation without an expectation of an ultimate answer.” (p. xvii).
Several of the papers in LDJ7 have been inspired by this kind of approach of tracking emotions orautonomy development in one or two individuals over time and experimenting with different waysof quantifying or interpreting the findings. Aya, can you say a word or two about how the theme
emerged?
Aya Hayasaki: For me the idea of challenging conventions takes me back into the story of myown research. Initially I believed the goal of my research was clear. My LDJ6 project was also
the first step of my doctoral research, concerning my experience as a woman from a rural area
whose life choices have been broadened through learning English. The goal was to find people
with similar experience, and to disseminate what I have learned from this collection of stories; andto consider whether and how its implications could help people in similar contexts navigate theirlearning journeys (Hayasaki, 2022). However, I realized through the LDJ6 project that it was notclear what exactly this meant or how it was to be done. In retrospect, from the beginning I could
not even define the key words of my research such as “rural” and “empowerment.” I also graduallyrealized that I did not dare to define them. In hindsight, I feel like I did not want to because I wasscared of losing important insights or excluding or hurting someone because of my decision to
set a boundary. Over the course of the year and a half process of the LDJ6 project, I learned
to undo, or deconstruct, the premises I had unconsciously constructed through my personal,
professional, and academic experiences. For me challenging convention meant casting doubt

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on the taken-for-granted beliefs and values underlying previous literature and my own decision
makings in life as a researcher, teacher, learner, and a person. This experience I had through LDJ6
led to the theme of LDJ7. From the beginning of the LDJ7 project to today, one of my favorite andmost important topics of discussion among us editors and contributors has been what it means tochallenge conventions; what are the conventions we want to focus on, how we can and want tochallenge them, and why, both as individuals and as a community. As it turned out, we came awaywith various interesting answers with some commonalities–some focusing on specific theories,
others methodology or writing styles.
Ellen Head: Yes, Aya, in the first draft of the call for papers, it was you who introduced the ideaof challenging the conventions. Here’s a bit from our first draft: “In today’s unpredictable society,
it is time for us to shed light on the impact of social factors on learner autonomy anew and think
about future research on learner development from a fresh angle. How has the pandemic impacted
language learner autonomy? Now, who are (or should be) learning what, when, where, how, andto what extent? And why?” It was exciting that you had the breadth of perspective to be thinking
about social justice-related issues at the same time as the interior and personal side of learning,
and to make connections between them. At the time when we submitted the theme proposal to
the steering committee, we had several meetings which helped us to shape our ideas. In particular,
Dominic Edsall was on the steering committee when we first met with them. He recommended us
to look at the transdisciplinary framework for understanding learning and teaching, created by the
Douglas Fir group (Douglas Fir Group, 2016). In his own writing Edsall makes connections between
various ways of looking at learner autonomy. We felt this was empowering for us and teacherresearchers in general, because it allows various approaches to be seen as perspectives on amulti-faceted reality. When the papers came to be submitted for LDJ7, there was quite a variety ofgenre and methodology, ranging from quite traditional, quantitative studies to reflective dialogues.
We asked Dominic to write an article for the journal to help articulate the legitimacy of presenting
the various interpretations of our theme in one journal. In a sense, LDJ has been about challenging
conventions from the start. Tim Ashwell, Andy Barfield and Alison Stewart, who were involvedin establishing the journal in 2017, gave a talk about “Breaking with the Third-party Academic
Paradigm in Writing about Inclusive Practitioner Research” (Ashwell et al., 2021) at the AILA World
Congress in 2021, which made it very clear that part of the purpose of the journal was to build acommunity of writers which was inclusive and supportive, and to get away from image of the editor
as anonymous gatekeeper.
Ryo Moriya: With regard to the theme of Issue 7 (Challenging the Conventions of Learner
Development Research), I consider it “scientia brought about by the negation of the negation.”
Scientia is Latin for knowledge in general, and the negation of the negation represents the laws ofcultural and historical development in dialectical materialism on which sociocultural theory is basedas philosophical underpinnings (Lantolf & Poehner, 2023). Just as all human wisdom has not been
built up through mere ‘negation,’ human beings have developed through dialectically respecting
and, simultaneously, ‘criticizing (reflecting on)’ the past. In fact, even if we restrict our discussion to
the field of foreign language education, transdisciplinary features of Applied Linguistics, the riseof mixed methods research, and constant endeavor to bridge theory and practice can be listed asconcrete examples of this.
Ellen Head: You almost lost me with the Latin there, but I think you have identified somethingimportant when you talk about “the negation of the negation.” Do you mean that a great diversityof methodologies and voices can legitimately co-exist? Every story has value and it is a matter of
how the stories are framed and juxtaposed which can give an impression of chaos or orderliness?
This brings us to the question of the frame for LDJ7. The closing commentary is being written by67

LEARNING LEARNING『学習の学習』30(2)Dominique Vola Ambinintsoa. When it came to deciding who to invite as author of the closingcommentary on LDJ7, we decided to invite someone who has knowledge of learner development
as it is seen from the perspective of both advising and teaching. Since many of the papers inthis issue refer to contexts in Japan, we wanted the author to be someone who knows Japanbut also has a perspective from outside and a background in narrative enquiry. Dominique Vola
Ambinintsoa’s writing was known to all of us from LDJ6 and we are very happy that she agreed towrite the commentary. However, we are trying not to offer too many “spoilers” here. We hope you
will enjoy discovering more by reading the full issue!

REFERENCES

Ashwell, T., Barfield, A., & Stewart, A. (2021, August) Beyond the third-party academic paradigm
in writing about inclusive practitioner research [Paper presentation]. The 19th International
Association of Applied Linguistics World Congress, Netherlands.
Dörnyei, Z., MacIntyre, P., & Henry, A. (2014). Motivational dynamics in language learning.
Multilingual Matters.
Douglas Fir Group, (2016). A transdisciplinary framework for SLA in a multilingual world. Modern
Language Journal, 100, 19–47. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/modl.12301/abstract
Hayasaki, A. (2022). Beyond the classroom, beyond the track: The role of English in thetransformation of career perspectives in three females in rural Japan. The Learner Development
Journal, 6, 82–96. https://doi.org/10.37546/JALTSIG.LDJ6-6
Head, E. (2022) Positioning students as “Knowers” in research interviews. In CALR Applied
Linguistics Journal, 13. Teacher Talk From Dialogic and Didactic Perspectives. https://web.aou.edu.
lb/research/online-journals/Pages/CALR---Issue-13.aspx
Kuhn, T. (1962). The structure of scientific revolutions. University of Chicago Press.
Lantolf, J. P., & Poehner, M. E. (2023). Sociocultural theory and classroom second language learningin the East Asian context: Introduction to the special issue. The Modern Language Journal, 107,
3–23. https://doi.org/10.1111/modl.12816
Moriya, R. (2018). Exploring the dual role of advisors in English learning advisory sessions. The
Learner Development Journal, 2, 41–61. https://ldjournal.ld-sig.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/
LDJ2-04.pdf
Moriya, R., & Ishizuka, A. (2019). In the midst of emotion and identity: Investigating trajectories oflearners’ self-esteem from psychological and sociocultural perspectives. The Learner Development
Journal, 3, 8–25. https://ldjournal.ld-sig.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/LDJ3-02.pdf
Sato, T. (2006). Development, change or transformation: How can psychology conceive and depict
professional identity construction? European Journal of School Psychology, 4, 319–332.

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An Interview with the Co-Editors of Issue 8 of The Learner Development
Journal, “Exploring Grassroots, Innovative, and Creative Approaches toLanguage Learning Materials Development Through Inclusive PractitionerResearch”

Anna Costantino

Assia Slimani-Rolls

University of Greenwich, UK
Regent’s University, London

Open University

Nour Bouacha
Bachir Ibrahimi University, BBA

With Tim Ashwell
Tim: Thank you, Anna, Assia and Nour, for taking part in this email interview. I’d like to start, if I may,by asking about your particular interests in learner development issues, and what appeals to you
both personally and professionally about the theme of Issue 8, “Exploring Grassroots, Innovative, andCreative Approaches to Language Learning Materials Development Through Inclusive PractitionerResearch.”
Anna: Thank you, Tim, for this question. It is particularly relevant to working with Assia and Nour,
given our shared history of learning materials and practitioner research. I have always beenfascinated by materials development due to its crucial role in creating a dynamic language classand its strong correlation to learning. However, my initial perspective on how materials correlate tolearning and learner development shifted dramatically when I participated in an exploratory practice(EP) project mentored by Assia in the higher education institution where we worked. During thisproject, my puzzle was about students’ engagement with feedback. Materials came into the frame
because I used them to investigate my puzzle. They were at the heart of the potentially exploitable
pedagogical activities (PEPAs) I used. This inquiry came with several understandings, one of which
was about the way I had used materials in the past. As I de-contextualised pedagogic activities
from my routine usage, some of my assumptions about my students’ beliefs and actual knowledge
became shaky. I realised that developing activities based solely on preconceived notions of how
our students learn might be misdirected. This understanding prompted me to consider the learning
scope of materials further. This understanding also underpinned the pitch for LDJ8, where I aimed
to create a space in which language teachers could share their views on challenging the canon ofmaterials development by situating the learner centre stage.
Assia: Thanks, Anna, for this introduction. Two reasons, at least, motivated me to join in with the LDJ8
project: first, the three-year-long project which I co-directed when mentoring a group of language
teachers, including Anna as a participant, to implement an EP approach in their classrooms , which
led me ultimately to guide them to write, for publication, about their personal EP lived experience(Slimani-Rolls & Kiely, 2019). The process I used then was essentially that of an editor providing theauthors with plenty of timely feedback. I also encouraged them to discuss their writing with theirpeers, which they found helpful too. So, given this experience, I was keen to know more about the
LDJ writing processes, which I thought, at first, to be quite involved. The second interest stems from
Nour’s doctoral dissertation, which I supervised. Nour recommended that teachers and learners
should be encouraged to create their own materials, given their familiarity with the classroom
environment. So, I wanted to pursue this idea in the work with the LDJ8 contributors.
Nour: Thank you, Assia. As mentioned above, my doctoral thesis was supervised by Assia at Regent’s
University London. Part of my Ph.D. research was about learners’ views, wants, and uses of theirnationally- prescribed textbooks. To give you a bit of context, the Algerian educational system is
a top-down, centralised one whereby all educational decision-making, curriculum, syllabus, and69

LEARNING LEARNING『学習の学習』30(2)textbook design are in the hands of the Ministry. Though they are the actual curriculum enactors
and textbook users, teachers and learners have been largely marginalised from such processes.
The findings of my study revealed that teachers and learners can reflect on their experiences andparticipate in material development, evaluation, and adaptation. They proved their awareness andability to play an active role in the process of material development. However, their roles have been
reduced to that of technicians and implementers. Nevertheless, the EP practitioner literature suggeststhat learners can and should be given the opportunity to participate in decision-making and material
selection given that they are the ones doing the learning. So, when the theme was suggested, I felt anatural fit and an instant link to my research interests.
Anna and I have only met virtually. But, we built a strong relationship in getting things done andmaintaining cohesion remotely as co-editors of this issue. Working with Anna and Assia was awonderful opportunity for me to exchange views on a topic that is of great interest to all of us. It was
fascinating to see how things have unfolded as we talked through and discussed ideas, queries,
and drafts with each other to reach toward co-understanding and providing diverse possibilities andperspectives.
Tim: Thank you. It is always nice to understand how co-authors or editors know each other andsomething about their interweaving paths.
I wonder if next you could explain something about your own teaching contexts and how the themeof LDJ8 intersects with your contexts and your learners?
Anna: As I mentioned earlier, I have always been interested in materials. In fact, my interest inmaterials led me to teach Materials Development in the MA in Applied Linguistics and TESOL
programme at one of the universities where I work. With my students, I encourage them to question
the conventional use of pedagogic materials and to explore ways to enhance learner autonomy.
As a practitioner researcher, I am currently considering the multimodal quality of materials from theperspective of learner creativity. To a certain extent, this resonates with the work pursued by some of
the contributors to LDJ8 and also aligns with Nour’s findings.
Nour: Indeed, from my experience working with learners as a Ph.D. researcher and as a university
lecturer (I’m currently teaching and supervising master’s students in Algeria), I found that learners
can and are capable of articulating their views and contributing to decision-making regarding theirlearning processes. I became aware of the unique nature of each classroom context and the needfor learners’ involvement and reflection. I found that this LDJ8 issue offers a unique perspective
for empowering teacher-researchers to develop their own materials and collaborate with learners
much more closely, engaging them and motivating them via materials designed by and for everyone
involved in the teaching-learning process. By engaging in LDJ8, I was allowed to engage withthe contributors’ writing, and explore how they visualise and conceptualise learners’ roles in suchprocesses, what puzzles them, and what changes, ideas, thoughts, and adaptations they bring to
instructional materials.
Assia: From my perspective as a practitioner, I realised that the student’s perceptions of the materials
are more determining than any effort put into designing a textbook to make it more palatable tothe students. They can create havoc in any task that is given to them, depending on how they
perceive the material. A telling example here is the study by Zhang Ruwen (2004), an EP practitioner
researcher, who felt that she couldn’t successfully attract the students’ attention during her reading
lessons until she involved them in the search for better understanding of the events which controlled
her classes. She appealed to the students by explaining the difficulties that she encountered as well
as shared with them the responsibility of bringing to some of the lessons the materials that they
thought would engage them and engage their peers, in order for them to build the lesson around70

LOOKING FORWARD

them. Soon, both parties started to pull their efforts towards more constructive reading lessons as
they now shared the same motivation to make their ideas work for the benefit of all concerned.
Anna: As Assia pointed out, I can relate to the change of attitude and participation among learners
when I investigated their involvement with feedback during the EP inquiry mentioned earlier. Bychanging the implementation of classroom activities, students had the opportunity to express theirthoughts and feelings on receiving feedback and interact with the learning materials at their own
pace. This experience made me realise that they possessed more knowledge than I had previously
assumed.
Tim: You all seem to have had powerful experiences of the ways in which students can exert control
over materials when given the opportunity and how this may enhance their learning. It’s a strong
message!
Changing direction a little, I wonder if you could explain where you are in the LDJ8 process? What are
you and the contributors doing now?
Nour: The contributors have just submitted their second drafts – about 2,500 to 3-500 words. The
drafts are now with the Review Network. They will submit their third piece of writing between mid
December and the end of January 2024.
Tim: I see. And how has the process worked so far? Have you encountered any bumps in the road or
have things moved along quite smoothly? What have been the biggest challenges so far in managing
an issue of the LDJ?
Nour: Although we were based in different countries with different time zones, we managed toengage with each other and with the contributors through emails and regular meetings. We, as
editors, got to work closely with the contributors at various stages to build their proposals andversions. Reading the contributors’ drafts has fed into my own thoughts and ideas about material
development and learners’ inclusivity.
Assia: We realised together, authors and editors, that it is clearly complex to publish for PR. What ispermissible and logical in academic research is not in PR. For example, a PR study must be driven by
the author’s concern about their practice rather than by finding a gap in the literature review to justify
the study. Albeit it is evident that practice is central in PR, this principle took a while to take shape.
Anna: One aspect I find challenging when doing practitioner research is the work to untangle ourcontext of practice when confronted with critical instances emerging from our practice. It is notalways easy to establish connections between our knowledge, beliefs, the lived experiences of theparticipants in the classroom, and the institutional interests and constraints. We stick to routines andassumptions. Yet, for me, the striving comes to be about questioning the given. This endeavour isalso reflected in the scholarly writing we engage in as practitioner researchers. As Assia mentioned,
we tend to resort to the given of literature, as if writing about our practice were ultimately aboutfinding a gap in the literature rather than a bumpy journey of making sense of what we do andexperience. The LDJ8 authors are working with all of this.
Tim: It sounds as if the experience of working on LDJ8 may have had some profound impacts on theway you see practitioner research.
Finally, I wonder if you can give us a hint about the range of perspectives we will find in the finished
Issue 8? How are people approaching the theme of materials development? Are there any surprises
for you in the way some people have chosen to tackle the subject?
Anna: The language contexts explored in this issue are varied, ranging across countries such as
Brazil, Germany, Japan, the USA, and Ecuador. Examining their context of practice and teaching71

LEARNING LEARNING『学習の学習』30(2)materials through reflexivity lenses is a sound common thread of the contributions. Indeed, thepredominant practitioner research frames are exploratory practice and action research, withmany of the authors offering a personal take on classroom inquiry in their quest to explore andcreate learner-centred materials. The other significant commonality across the contributions is theintersecting interest in translanguaging and creative approaches to classroom pedagogy. Returning
to the underpinning idea of LDJ8, this is surprising but also telling because it shows how language
educators framing their pedagogical work through practitioner research are becoming increasingly
open to acknowledging the idiosyncrasies of learner development. Materials are viewed asopportunities for language educators and learners to make sense of their mutual learning, rather
than being a given, a magic wand for creating the perfect lesson. This is clearly illustrated by someauthors discussing the understanding they gained during a class observation as teacher-students.
They detected how a pedagogic material implemented to facilitate English spoken fluency became
a tool to repress self-expression and identity and so failed to acknowledge the learner’s multiple
perspectives present in the classroom.
Another interesting aspect that has emerged in one of the LDJ8 review pieces is mentoring
practitioner researchers, which is connected to Assia’s experience in mentoring language teachers
to become teacher researchers of their classroom environment. It is somehow self-referential within
an LDJ issue but nevertheless intriguing. The piece brings to the fore some of the issues language
teachers undergo when they engage with practitioner research, one of which is indeed what was
mentioned earlier: the practitioner’s struggle to put practice and lived experience narratively at thecentre of their enquiry. However, this aspect is addressed from the perspective of the mentor andtheir reflexivity, which might give readers further insights into the journey of a practitioner researcher.
Assia: In terms of surprises, it’s actually me, as an editor, who was surprised to see my thinking
change about the LDJ writing processes which I first thought were a bit involved and impractical tosustain given the number of editors, reviewers and also contributors required. But, I soon realisedthat it is this LDJ structure that produces the multivocality needed in terms of a variety of ideas andfeedback that benefits the authors. The ethos behind these processes is based on everybody’s
friendly and respectful ways of producing supportive feedback in a safe and inclusive environment.
The feedback is very much helped by the journal criteria that emphasize the provision of necessary
but meaningful feedback that is relevant to the author’s context. This process helps the author’s
growth in confidence and self-belief. With hindsight, I think that using such a system in my own
project would have heightened multivocality and may even have attracted more practitioners to joinin publishing for PR.
Tim: Well, I am very glad that the LDJ is giving you the space and opportunity to develop your ideas
around practitioner research. It is great to hear about your experiences so far in steering the LDJ8
project. It is interesting to learn how a focus on something as apparently humdrum as materials has
led you to develop your own thinking about teacher and learner autonomy over the years and how
you are continuing to work through your ideas on materials production, practitioner research andwriting about practitioner research as you collaborate with the LDJ8 contributors. Thank you verymuch indeed for your hard work on this interview. I wish you and the contributors every success withthe project and look forward to reading LDJ8 when it appears towards the end of next year.

REFERENCES

Slimani-Rolls, A., & Kiely, R. (2019). Exploratory practice for continuing professional development: An
innovative approach for language teachers. Palgrave Macmillan.
Zhang, R. (2004). Using the principles of exploratory practice to guide group work in an extensive
reading class in China. Language Teaching Research 8(2), 225-239.

72

SIG MATTERS

SIG Matters

インフォメーション

Learner Development SIG Financial Report April 2023 to August 2023

Patrick Kiernan
LD SIG Treasurer
jalt.ldsig.treasurer@gmail.com
I concluded the last LL report on the note that we would probably be applying for a JALT Development Fund
grant to help finance the LD30 Conference. We ultimately received a ¥100,000 Development Grant for the
conference and obtained further sponsorship from the Teacher Development SIG (TD-SIG) (¥50,000) andGlobal Issues in Language Education SIG (GILE-SIG) (¥25,000) who are now co-hosting the conferencewith us. Other good news financially is that Kanda University of International Studies (KUIS) have agreed to
pay for conference plenary speaker Prof. Phil Benson’s flight, and Gakushuin University have allowed someconference rooms to be used for free and promised a separate financial contribution (¥100,000 TBC). With
speaker and venue expenses high, we are nevertheless depending on payment of participant conference
fees to enable us to break even and hopefully make a modest profit to stabilize finances.
One practical development since April is that I opened an LD-SIG Post Office account to transfer money outof PayPal. Although PayPal transaction fees are quite high, Edzil.la in conjunction with PayPal and the PO isproving a convenient and easy way to register participants and collect fees for LD30. Those without PayPal
accounts can also pay directly into the SIG account. Please contact me for details if you need to do this. I
aim to send out receipts for advance payments within a week and there will be a record of all pre-registeredparticipants on the door.
Revenues: April 2023 – August 2023 / 収入：2023 年4月〜2023年8月
Events（PanSIG income）/ イベント(PanSIG 収入)

160,000

JCO Grant / JCO 年間補助金

65,250LD30 grants and Early Bird / LD30 補助金及び早割支払い
Total revenue / 収入合計

Expenses: April 2023 – August 2023 / 支出：2023 年4月〜2023年8月
Events (JALT expenses) / イベント
（JALT費用）

188,000
413,250
1,350

Conference Grants / 学会補助金賞

80,000Total Expenses / 支出合計

82,402

Balance in bank account / 銀行口座残高

452,760

PayPal + PO account / ペイパル及びゆうちょ銀行アカウント

38,134

Admin. Expenses / 管理費

1,052

SIG fund balance: August 31, 2023 / SIG資金残高：2023年8月31日
Reserve liabilities / JALT本部預け金
Cash in hand / 現金
Balance / 合計

200,000
6,350

697,244

With the account buoyed by our grants, and expenses yet to be paid, finances look good now.
However, the success of LD30 is vital (financially and psychologically), so please come along tosupport us on October 21-22 at Gakushuin University in Meijiro, Tokyo for what promises to be a
fantastic event!

73

LEARNING LEARNING『学習の学習』30(2)Writing for Learning Learning

Submit your contribution to
Learning Learning 31(1) by『学習の学習』応募規定

FEB

12

Learning Learning is the Learner Development SIG newsletter and is published online bi-annually,in the Spring and Autumn. It has a specific ISSN number (ISSN 1882-1103), and features cuttingedge articles in various formats that relate to people’s ideas, reflections, experiences, andinterests to do with learner development, learner autonomy, and teacher autonomy. Manydifferent SIG members contribute to each issue of Learning Learning, and, by doing so, create asense of shared community and learning together. Please feel free to contribute too and makeconnections within the SIG and beyond. Contact the editorial team at lleditor30.2@gmail.com.

『学習の学習』はLD SIGのニュースレターで、年に２回（春と秋）オンライン出版されています（ISSN 1882-1103）。
学習者の成長、学習者と教員の自律に関するアイディア、省察、経験や興味に関連したさまざま形式の原稿を収録しています。
SIGの多くのメンバーが『学習の学習』に寄稿し、共同体の意識を築き共に学習しています。
どうぞ奮ってご投稿され、SIG内でのまたそれを超えた繋がりを築いてください。

CONTRIBUTIONS
寄稿

We encourage new writing and new writers and are happy to work with you in developing yourwriting. We would be delighted to hear from you about your ideas, reflections, experiences, andinterests to do with learner development, learner autonomy, and teacher autonomy.

これまでにない形式のもの、また新しい方々からのご投稿をお待ちしております。
内容についてもぜひご相談ください。
みなさまのご意見やお考え、ご経験、そして学習者の成長、学習者と教師の自律性に関することなど、ぜひお聞かせください。

For more details about formats and lengths (形式と長さ) of writing suitable for Learning Learning,please see below. To upload your writing to the editorial team of Learning Learning, please use
this link. Many thanks.
We welcome contributions for the Spring issue of 2024, with the pre-publication deadline ofFebruary 12, 2024 for Learning Learning 31(1). Ideally, we would like to hear from you well before
the deadline, but in reality, the door is always open, so feel free to contact one of the editors when
you are ready.

FORMATS AND LENGTHS
形式と長さ

Learning Learning is your space for continuing to make the connections that interest you. You
are warmly invited and encouraged to contribute to the next issue of Learning Learning in either
English and/or Japanese. In order to provide access and opportunities for Learner Development
SIG members to take part in the SIG’s activities, we welcome writing in different formats andlengths about issues connected with learner and teacher development, such as:『学習の学習』は会員の皆様に興味ある繋がりを築きつづけるスペースです。
次号の『学習の学習』への日本語（
もしくは英語、及びニ言語で）の投稿を募集しています。
メンバーの皆様にSIGの活動にご参加いただきたく、形式や長さを問わず、学習者および教師の成長に関する以下のような原稿をお待ちしております。

MINI-PROFILES: SHARING YOUR LEARNER DEVELOPMENT INTERESTS

ミニプロフィール：学習者ディベロップメントについての関心の共有

Here SIG members introduce themselves briefly (just 50 to 100 words or more), and write about
what interests, puzzles, intrigues them about learner development, and/or about a particular74

SIG MATTERS

approach or project, or research that they are doing or plan to do, or simply share a short reflection,
to do with learner development (about 100 words or more)

ここでは、SIGメンバーの学習者ディベロップメント研究に取り組む原動力となる関心や課題とともに短い（200から400字程度）自己紹介をお届けします。
特別なアプローチやプロジェクト、現在進行中の研究やその計画、さらには学習者ディベロップメントの取り組みに関する内省など、それぞれの思いや考えが寄せられています (約200-400字程度以上)

SHORT ARTICLES ON ISSUES TO DO WITH LEARNER/TEACHER DEVELOPMENT
AND AUTONOMY
学習者と教師の成長・自律に関する小論#1: short individual articles (1,200 – 2,500 words)
小論（単著）(約3,600-7,500字)#2: short group-written articles (1,200 – 4,000 words)
小論（共著）(約3,600-12,000字)

REFLECTIVE WRITING ABOUT LEARNING FOR LEARNER/TEACHER DEVELOPMENT
AND AUTONOMY
学習に関する省察 ー 学習者と教師の成長・自律を目指して#1: particular puzzles that you and/or your learners have about their learning, practices,development, autonomy, and so on, and inviting other Learning Learning readers to respond (1,000
words or more)

ご自身や学習者の悩み（学習、実践、成長、自律など）に関して、LL読者と一緒に考えましょう。
(約4,000字)#2: dialogue with (an)other SIG member(s) (1,000 to 2,000 words)
SIGメンバー同士の対話 (約4,000字-8,000字）

stories of learners becoming autonomous (about 500 to 1,000 words)
自律・成長する学習者に関する話 (約2,000字-4,000字)#3: stories of your learning and teaching practices: success and failure (about 500 to 1,000 words)
学習・教育実践の成功談・失敗談 (約2,000字-4,000字)

MEMBERS’ VOICES

メンバーの声#1: a short personal profile of yourself as a learner and teacher and your interest in learnerdevelopment (about 500 to 1,000 words)
学習者・教員としての自身のプロフィールと学習者の成長に関する興味 (約2,000字-4,000字)#2: a story of your ongoing interest in, and engagement with, particular learner development (and/or learner autonomy) issues (about 500 to 1,000 words)
学習者の成長や学習者の自律に関する興味や取り組み (約2,000字-4,000字）#3: a short profile of your learner development research interests and how you hope to develop
your research (about 500 to 1,000 words)
学習者の成長に関する研究内容と今後の研究の展望 (約2,000字-4,000字）#4: a short profile of your working context and the focus on learner development/learner autonomy
that a particular institution takes and/or is trying to develop in a particular curriculum (about 500 to
1,000 words)

教育環境の紹介、所属機関やカリキュラムにおける学習者の成長や自律に関する取り組み (約2,000字-4,000字）

75

LEARNING LEARNING『学習の学習』30(2)LEARNERS’ VOICES
学習者の声

Learners share stories of their learning, reflections on their practices of learning, or report on a
project or research that they are doing or plan to do related to learner development (about 300 to
500 words)

学習者が自分の学習経験、学習の実践についての考察、
または学習者の成長に関連して行っている、もしくは計画しているプロジェクトや研究について報告します。(約1200-2000字程度以上)

RESEARCH & REVIEWS
研究 & レビュー#1: summaries and accounts of new graduate research (1,200 – 2,500 words)
大学院での研究内容の要約やその振り返り (約2,400字-5,000字）#2: proposals for a joint project/joint research (about 500 to 1,000 words)
協働プロジェクト・リサーチの提案 (約2,000字-4,000字)#3: reports (of a conference presentation, research project, particular pedagogic practice, and soon, to do with learner development) (about 500 to 1,000 words)

レポート（学習者の成長に関する学会発表、研究プロジェクト、教育実践など）(約2,000-4,000字)#4: reports of research in progress (about 500 to 1,000 words)
研究中間報告(約2,000字-4,000字)#5: book, website, article reviews (about 750 to 1,500 words)：書籍、
ウェブサイト、論文の批評(約3,000字-6,000字)

FREE SPACE

フリー・スペース#1: photographs, drawings, and/or other visual materials about learner development, and/or related
to learner autonomy
学習者の成長や自律に関する写真、絵、視覚資料#2: activities and tips for learner development/autonomy (about 500 to 1,000 words)
学習者の成長・自律を促す活動やヒントの紹介 (約1,000字-2,000字)#3: some other piece of writing that you would like to contribute and that is related to learnerdevelopment

その他の学習者の成長に関する執筆#4: poems… and much more
詩、その他。

Our publications door is always open, so feel free to contact one of the editorial team when you
are ready at lleditor30.2@gmail.com. Many thanks!

76THE LEARNING LEARNING EDITORIAL TEAMTim Ashwell: tashwell AT MARK komazawa-u dot ac dot jp (editor, LD get-together)Ken Ikeda: lleditor30 dot 2 AT MARK gmail dot com (editor, members’ voices, grant awardee
essays)Mike Kuziw: mike dot kuziw AT MARK gmail dot com (editor, members’ voices, research andreviews)
Ivan Lombardi: ivanlombardi dot w AT MARK gmail dot com (editor, layout)
Hugh Nicoll: hnicoll AT MARK gmail dot com (editor, grant awardee essays, webmaster)
Jamie Thomas: jaebez dot thomas AT MARK gmail dot com (editor)
Megumi Uemi: megumiuemi AT MARK gmail dot com (editor, translator)

Those working on Learning Learning share a commitment to working together in small
teams. We aim to learn together about writing, editing, responding, and/or translating, for
our shared personal and professional development. Some areas where we would like toencourage SIG members to take part and work together on Learning Learning include:• Layout and Design: working on the formatting and preparation of finalised content for
online publication• Members’ Voices (co-)coordinating: contacting news members of the SIG and working
with them to develop their writing in a variety of formats and lengths as a first step totaking part in the SIG’s publication activities;• Looking Back (co-)coordinating: working with contributors writing on events related tolearner development (conferences, forums, get-togethers, workshops, both face-to-faceand online) for publication in Learning Learning;• Research and Reviews (co-)coordinating: encouraging potential contributors to sendin summaries and accounts of research, as well as reviews (of books, journal articles,
materials, or web resources relating to learner development), and working with them todevelop their writing for publication in Learning Learning.
If you are interested in any of these areas of working together (and/or you have other areasof interest) and would like to discuss your interest and ideas, please email the Learning
Learning editorial team: lleditor30.2@gmail.com.
Many thanks.
Learning Learning editorial team