Learning Learning 『学習の学習』 29(2): MEMBERS’ VOICESMEMBERS’ VOICES | メンバーの声
Developing Student
Autonomy through SelfAccess Learning Centres andTeacher Practice - A New
Endeavour
Isobel Hook, Konan Women’s University
Email: isobel@isobelhook.com
From Teaching to Advising
I have worked as an English Language instructor inmany different capacities over the last 10 years, inSouth Korea, Australia, and now Japan. While I
thought this would be a fairly straightforward
career path, at the end of 2021 I was offered afull-time position at a university’s Self-Access
Learning Centre (SALC). Having previously taught
part-time at the university, I jumped at theopportunity to work within a department I knew to
be passionate, innovative, and generally a joy towork with. However, my only prior knowledge ofSALCs was a second-hand account describing themas spaces that hosted conversation-practicegroups. While I asked many questions about what
the day-to-day work would look like I did not think
to ask about the deeper purpose of a SALC, what
learners would or wouldn’t need from me, andhow learner autonomy would reshape my conceptof language learning as a whole.
The SALC was set up several years before,
with generous funding and under the guidance of afew dedicated staff members. Learners currently
have access to several thousand English graded
readers, nearly 900 English-audio movies,
computers and iPads, study resource books,
English print media, advice and communitybuilding displays, and study spaces. A small groupof paid student-staff man the counter and host the“English Café”, where learners join forconversation over lunch or English-based boardgames. Additional events are held regularly, withthe advisors presenting about foreign cultural

topics or running workshops while the studentstaff present their own topics of interest related
to English study. Lastly, learners can book 1:1
sessions with advisors for free conversation time orseek study advice.
Teaching How to Think about Learning
As well as being an advisor in the SALC, theposition includes a bi-weekly Tutoring class whichis compulsory for all first-year students. This classpartially aims to familiarise the students with theSALC with participation in programs being a graded
component. The main goal of the Tutoring class,however, is to help them become more self-awareof their studies, use of English, goals, andprogress. Classes ask them to be more aware of
how they have studied English in the past and how
it was or wasn’t successful. They practice setting
long-term goals and breaking them down into
achievable targets and habits. The students areexposed to new study methods and opportunities
and are asked to evaluate the relevance of thesemethods to their goals. Class time is also given todiscussing failures and successes in their progressin an effort to build community and support
networks.
For example, the fall semester is largely
based around students developing an elected skill
meaningful to their goals. Students are asked tochoose an area they wish to work on throughout
the semester such as reading, vocabulary, TOEIC,or speaking. They then discuss this goal 1:1 withme. The student reflects on why they want toachieve this goal and how they can break the goal
down to more easily definable targets with regularaccountability and self-evaluation. A student whowishes to improve their speaking may express thatthey are scared of joining a study abroad program
because they won’t be able to talk to peers whileoverseas. They identify three specific goals for thesemester: talking to peers in casual settings,
confidence, and everyday vocabulary. The student

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Learning Learning 『学習の学習』 29(2): MEMBERS’ VOICES
decides that they will build a vocabulary listaround their hobbies, daily life, weekend
activities, and other topics they might share withpeers. Once prepared and confident with their
topics, they then attend the English Café once aweek. To improve accountability and reduce
shyness, the student will attend with a classmate
with similar goals. After the English Café session,
the student will write a self-reflection noting how
the conversation went, whether they used their
prepared vocabulary, and how they felt about
their participation. At the end of the semester,
students are to give a short presentation,reflecting on if and how they improved theirchosen skill, and whether they have the ability tocontinue to improve.
A successful student in this course is not
one who achieves the highest TOEIC test score or
reads the most number of books. Instead, students
are taught to think about their wants and needs inlanguage learning, understand and implement
processes to achieve their goals, and reflect on
their progress in a way that develops long-term,
sustainable growth. It is hoped that these skills
will stick with the students not just through theirfirst year learning English at university but
throughout their lives in various contexts.
Learning What, Learning How, and Beyond
As a language teacher, I often encouraged mylearners to use the language covered in class increative and personalised ways and gave them asmuch time as possible to practice the target
language through a variety of output methods.
However, the underlying premise was that thetarget language, usually prescribed by a textbook
or syllabus, would be necessary for the learner andtherefore important and valuable to them. In this
scenario, the goal was either to pass the class or
achieve some vague, ill-defined promise of future
fluency. In return, I often talk with learners who
describe wanting to “study more vocabulary” or“get grammar correct” in order to “be fluent”.
This sets in mind that the goal itself is the study
and the end result is something not easily
definable. In my previous classrooms, I wished to

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support learners’ goals so provided more words tolearn. While I modelled and practiced various
memorisation activities, learners were not given
the freedom to choose how and what to learn. Thispassive learning model is one the MEXT has been
attempting to reverse. However, many Japanese
students are reaching university and are stillunaccustomed to the premise of active learningand learner autonomy.
My teaching methodology described above
still relied on the idea that understanding manywords and grammar structures would get learners
where they wished to be. When asking learners tovisualise themselves as “fluent” (in their words) in
English, they describe scenes such as chatting withfriends from around the world in English, travellinginternationally with confidence, and enjoying
English media without the use of translations.
What they are describing, of course, is notlearning a language but using a language. This is
why the Tutoring class has a compulsory element
connected to participating in events and activities
in the SALC. The SALC does not score the students’performance in activities or tell them their
response is incorrect. Rather it is an opportunity
and a way to meet the learners at whatever levelof accuracy, fluency, or motivation they display.
Through my work in the SALC so far, myunderstanding of learner autonomy has developed
from an obscure notion to a guiding principle in
how I see myself as an educator. There is an urge
to provide the right answers for students, provide
as much support as possible, and predict theirneeds. However, this reduces students' abilities toact autonomously in their own learning anddevelop the vital skills needed not just to use thelanguage but also to seek out what they want tolearn. By attempting to guide learners toward
what I perceive to be their goals, I am
inadvertently telling them that they lack theability to improve.
Without a sense of ownership andresponsibility over their learning and without aclear understanding of where they want to be in
their language learning journey, how are learners
meant to achieve their lofty goals? Goals need to9

Learning Learning 『学習の学習』 29(2): MEMBERS’ VOICES
be discussed and broken down into smaller,achievable targets. Meta-awareness needs to be
developed regarding language skills and learning
processes. Habits need to be built andaccountability systems need to be put in place sothat when there is a fumble it does not become afailure. Opportunities need to be provided so that
there is time and space to use the language andexplore it further. And confidence needs to befostered so that learners believe in their ability tolearn.
My first semester working in a SALC andteaching the Tutoring class has been eye-opening
and inspiring. I do not believe I can return toEnglish teaching with the same approach I wasusing for the decade prior. I now understand thatthe language itself is just one tool learners willneed to employ on their journey and so teachers,
in return, need to offer so much more.

Call for for Contributions to Members’ Voices /メンバーの声: send to
lleditorialteam@gmail.com byFebruary 29th, 2023

#1: a short personal profile of yourself as alearner 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, andengagement with, particular learnerdevelopment (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 andthe 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）

Deadline for Contributions: February 29th,2023

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