Prof. David Little
Trinity College Dublin, IrelandLanguaje Learner Autonomy: What, Why and How
PresentationJune 30th, 2020
Languaje Learner Autonomy: What, Why and How
PresentationTheories of second language acquisition differ from one another in various ways, but they all assign a central role to spontaneous use of the target language. My presentation will argue that in formal educational contexts proficiency will develop most effectively if learners use the target language – collaboratively as well as individually – to plan, implement, monitor and evaluate their own learning. I shall explore the pedagogical implications of this argument with reference to lower secondary students, adult immigrants and university students, and I shall conclude with some brief observations on the challenges my argument poses for distance language learning.
David Little is a Fellow Emeritus of Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. His principal research interests are the theory and practice of learner autonomy in language education, the management of linguistic diversity in schools and classrooms, and the application of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages to the design of second language curricula, teaching and assessment. Language Learner Autonomy: Theory, Practice and Research, by David Little, Leni Dam and Lienhard Legenhausen, was published by Multilingual Matters in 2017; Engaging with Linguistic Diversity: A Study of Educational Inclusion in an Irish Primary School, by David Little and Déirdre Kirwan, was published by Bloomsbury Academic in 2019.
A technophobe’s journey in times of Corona
PresentationIn my short presentation, I will report on how I was thrown into totally uncharted waters when our university was shut down from one moment to the other. Without any official support, I very quickly learned to swim, so to speak. After teaching with a videoconferencing tool for almost three months, I can say that I am extremely grateful that such a tool exists; nevertheless, my attitude towards the use of technology in the classroom has not changed in any fundamental way.
Anja Burkert is a teacher of English (and French) at the University of Graz, Austria. She holds a Ph.D. in language teaching methodology and is especially interested in the promotion of learner autonomy among her students and the use of English for academic purposes. She obtained a teaching award from her university in 2010. In 2008, she joined the committee of the LASIG (Learner Autonomy Special Interest Group) of IATEFL and is currently serving as LASIG day organiser and local events organiser.
For this panel discussion, I will be talking about the ways in which we have accompanied our teachers during this contingency, the work we have done as a community.
The work our coordination team does with the group of teachers in our language programmes relies heavily on the Ignatian concept (we are a Jesuit University) of “accompanying others” as we face challenges together. This contingency in particular has given us the opportunity to explore these ideas further and learn from and with each other.
This is a posture that supports teacher autonomy to support student autonomy and it does so by putting a focus on doing with others through collaboration and developing discerning skills through dialogue.
Adelina is a social psychologist, holds an MA in ELT and is completing her Pd.D. in Education with a focus on Learner and Teacher Autonomy from the University of Nottingham. She is an academic coordinator for the Programa Certificado de Inglés at the Language Department, head of the Self-Access Language Hub, and main tutor for the Diplomado in Asesoría para el aprendizaje autónomo at ITESO, the Jesuit University in Guadalajara.
Autonomy in times of Covid: accompanying teachers
Presentation21st Skills, The importance of getting ready for uncertainty
PresentationUnexpectedly, with next-to-no notice, we were forced to make decisions about the way we approach remote teaching and learning in the context of COVID-19. This included rethinking the increasingly complex challenges of distance learning. This includes not only identifying learning profiles and objectives but also using, proving, adapting or discarding strategies, materials and resources. Our learners are challenged to self-regulate even more than before and to develop abilities to learn under the effects of fear, distress, anxiety and uncertainty. 21st century skills - including empathy, creativity, solidarity, resilience, flexibility, collaboration, autonomy - have to be adapted and cultivated by our students to keep on learning confidently, autonomously and with certainty. For these reasons, it is important to explore ways in which we can guide students through the process of learning to learn while dealing with a world in crisis, at the no-school, at the self-access hopefully, and certainly, to the distance.
Completed the Teacher Training Course and the Online Diploma Course for Self-Access Center Advisors at the School of Language, Linguistics and Translation (ENALLT) of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). She also holds a Master in Virtual Learning Environments from the University of Panama. At present she is a teacher at the English Department and advisor in the Mediateca (SALC) ENALLT and at CCH Sur (UNAM High School). In addition, she is in charge of the Online Diploma Course for Self-Access Center Advisors and a distance tutor in the Advising Module.
With classes being conducted entirely online, many students at Kanda University of International Studies (KUIS) have been thrown into uncharted waters. Unfamiliarity with the technology needed to make online language learning happen, and a sense of disconnection from their peers is making it difficult for learners to stay afloat. As a learning advisor, it is my job to help them learn how to swim (so to speak). However, advising sessions are highly collaborative with each learner bringing their own set of problems, ideal solutions, and differing reactions to the advising process. In my talk, I will break down how collaborative dialogues can help learners to face the difficulties posed by distance learning.
Amelia Yarwood is a Learning Advisor at Kanda University of International Studies, Japan. She has worked as an educator in both Australian and Japanese contexts. Her research interests include learner identity, emotions in language learning, autonomy, and curriculum design.
“Talk me through it”: Helping learners tackle their own online learning concerns
Presentation