On 21st November 2015, 4 JASAL members joined the SAC tour and discussion at the Foreign Language Study Support Center (FLSSC) at Tokoha University, Shizuoka, hosted by JASAL member Satomi Shibata and her colleague Hitomi Yumoto. We were also joined by 3 students who work in and use the FLSSC: Saemi, Kunpei and Takeki.
The FLSSC is notable for having over 100 users per day, despite being a very small centre with a small budget. Satomi has worked hard to create a community of students around extensive reading, which is a course she teaches.
The students and staff gave short presentations about aspects of the FLSSC, and we had lots of discussion about issues such as extensive reading, copyright and making materials, and how to get university administrations to understand the value of self-access facilities. It was great to hear from the students how much they get out of using and working in FLSSC, and all the things they do to make it an attractive and fun place for other students.
More details about FLSSC can be found in this document, that Satomi prepared for participants.
It was inspiring to see all that Satomi and Hitomi are doing at Tokoha, and for us all to have a chance to discuss common issues.
If your institution would like to host a JASAL SAC tour, please send an email to jasalorg@gmail.com. They usually attract a small group (less than 10) of members and take minimal preparation, but can be very productive in terms of sharing ideas and getting inspiration.
The Japan Association for Self-Access Learning 