Post-conference page
Thank you to everyone who participated in JASAL 2018x SUTLF 5. We’d like to thank everyone involved in making this conference such a big success! We had over 110 people join from all over Japan and abroad. It was a wonderful opportunity to share ideas and make connections. Below are photos, abstracts, and links to the presentation slides for those presenters who generously agreed to share with the JASAL community.
Presentations 1~4
WHAT CAN LANGUAGE CENTERS AND SACS OFFER EACH OTHER?
Betsy LAVOLETTE
SACs and language centers (LCs) differ in their practices but share much in terms of goals and contexts. Thus, it is surprising that their bodies of literature have remained largely separate. I believe that both bodies of literature would benefit from cross-pollination and that the two types of centers have much to learn from each other. Therefore, I will present an introduction to US-style LCs, including their stakeholders, characteristics, and activities, based on the most recent IALLT Survey. My intention is to begin forging connections between LCs and SACs, laying the foundation for a mutually beneficial exchange of ideas.
CONNECTING STUDENTS AND TEACHERS THROUGH A STUDENT
AMBASSADOR EXCHANGE PROGRAM
Lucius VON JOO, Robert WERNER, Teruya OIKAWA
This presentation will discuss student and teacher perspectives of a student ambassador exchange program in which five students from Southern Oregon University visit our school for two weeks each spring. Student volunteers serve as ambassadors who make new connections and friendships with the American students. The teachers fill various roles in organizing activities and supporting students from both countries. First, we will give a brief overview of the program. Then, we will share our perspectives, demonstrating the program’s impact on increasing interest in English. Finally, we will discuss ways to follow up in the fall and maintain students’ motivation.
Find the slides here.
COLOR CODING WRITING SYSTEMS FOR SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION
Kevin Reay WROBETZ
This research explores how color coding systems mapped to the phonetic structures of foreign writing systems positively affect a host of processes related to second language acquisition such as accent acquisition, vocabulary retention, and general literacy. Moreover, this research explores how these phonetic color coding systems improve learner autonomy by providing accurate phonetic instruction without the need of direct instruction. The results of two studies mapped to both the English Latin alphabet and the Japanese syllabary are analyzed revealing that phonetic color coding systems
improve accuracy scores across a series of examinations testing pronunciation, vocabulary, and general literacy.
CEFR BASED FEEDBACK AND THE SALC: WHAT YOU CAN DO!
Richard SUGG
This presentation will explain the development and implementation of a means of giving positive and motivating CEFR based / descriptive feedback to students across all four skills. The presenter will also outline how, by linking this feedback to the content of materials in the Bunkyo English Communication Centre’s Self Access Learning Centre, students can use it to further their own studies and independent learner development.
BLENDED LEARNING – THEORY AND CASE STUDY
Robert REMMERSWAAL
The term blended learning has no widely accepted definition and no core set of literature, methodologies, or frameworks (Bonk & Graham, 2012). This presentation looks at blended learning from the perspective of mixing face-to-face learning with online learning in order to increase student engagement and give greater flexibility to both students and teachers in English learning environments. A review of theoretical best practices used to create blended English classes is provided. This is followed
by analysis of specific cases of technology being blended into English classrooms both in Japan and abroad.
Get the slides here.
CONNECTION OVER A CUP OF TEA: HOW TO ENHANCE AUTHENTIC COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Mikiko FUKUTOME
This presentation will report on tools that students gained and developed for self-study as a result of culturally-based events organized at a small liberal arts college in Japan where English is the medium of instruction for all degree-seeking students. Events such as tea ceremony, Japanese traditional games, and origami were organized to help connect English language learners with more proficient users of English. These events helped students to enhance their verbal communication skills, motivation for self-study, self-esteem and confidence, as well as their interpersonal relationships with other students.
L2 WRITING AND SOCIOCULTURAL THEORY: TOWARDS A RESEARCH AGENDA
Richard S. LAVIN
This paper concerns itself with second-language (L2) writing conducted within a sociocultural-theoretic (SCT; Lantolf & Thorne, 2006) framework. After a brief introduction explaining the ZPD, imitation, and other key SCT concepts and their use in second-language research, I give an overview of seminal papers featuring writing research conducted within this framework and identify the perspectives found therein. I then examine the links between theory and teaching practice actually found in those papers and potential links that are as yet underexplored, leading to a possible research agenda for classroom writing instruction, as well as self-access advising for L2 writers.
THE DIFFERENCE OF TENDENCIES BETWEEN SUCCESSFUL STUDENTS AND UNSUCCESSFUL STUDENTS IN STUDYING ENGLISH AT THE SELF-ACCESS LEARNING CENTER
Misato SAUNDERS & Hanako BENSON
At the Self-Access Learning Center (SALC) at APU, language advisors (LAs) have an important role to guide students to successful English study so that they can achieve their goals. However, some students are very successful, others are not. In this session, the details about successful learners versus the ones that struggle will be reported from several case studies. Moreover, we will examine what LAs can do to help out the students who have been unsuccessful in their language learning objectives.
PERCEPTIONS OF STUDENT WORKERS ABOUT ALL ROOMS AND ENGLISH
Yo HAMADA, Nanako TOYOSHIMA, & Mikoto CHIBA
This research aims to explore the perceptions about learning English and roles of student’s staff working for a self-access center of Akita University. We conducted a questionnaire survey to 9 student staff workers. The results show that they all recognize English as a tool for communication; they believe that staff should be a role model for other students in terms of English proficiency and as a person. In the presentation, we will reveal each section more, referring to staff training too. Also, the audience can hear opinions directly from the managing teacher and student workers.
See the slides here.
TEACHER TALK IN THE ELEMENTARY ENGLISH CLASSROOM: MAKING CONNECTIONS
Rob HIRSCHEL & Jon ROWBERRY
Elementary school teachers throughout Japan are increasingly being asked to teach English to learners from younger ages. A serious issue, however, is that many teachers report insufficient confidence or ability in using simple English as set by the MEXT curriculum. The presenters have thus decided to try to bridge the gap between MEXT objectives and the current reality in schools through development of a free self-access app that provides examples of classroom English teacher talk in context. This presentation will explain the objective of the project and discuss challenges in connecting it to the community of elementary school teachers.
AUTONOMOUS LEARNING GUIDED LEARNING: THEORY VERSUS PRACTICE IN JAPANESE SALCS
Joshua Lee SOLOMON
“Autonomous learning” is the reigning paradigm in self-access learning theory and a guiding principle for many SALC coordinators. However, teaching philosophy and pedagogical theories do not necessarily reflect reality. The purpose of this presentation is to argue, based on the presenter’s recent nationwide survey of Japanese SALCs, that (1) the reality of many Japanese self-access centers is skewed to some extent more toward “guided” than “autonomous” learning experiences, and (2) that a graduated conception of autonomous and guided learning may be more realistic, and possibly more advantageous, for SALC practitioners.
MAKING PEER-SUPPORT A PART OF THE SAC EXPERIENCE
Abidemi BANKOLE
One of the best resources available to a SAC is peer support offered by students, but unfortunately this is largely underused at many institutions. This presentation will examine a Japanese university where peer support is being used successfully at its SAC. International undergraduate university students with advanced English ability are hired as peer advisors (PAs) to work as English language tutors to Japanese students. Specifically, this talk will focus on the recruitment, training, and roles of the PAs. It is hoped that this will encourage other institutions to explore making peer support a part of their SAC activities.
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STUDENTS’ ENGLISH LEVELS AND THEIR GOALS: A CASE REPORT OF SELF-ACCESS LEARNING CENTER USERS
Hanako BENSON & Misato SAUNDERS
This session aims to reveal a relationship between students’ current English levels and their goals at a Self-Access Learning Center in Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University. Their English levels and their goals were converted into GSE (Global Scale of English) scores and the difference was calculated. Then, the following questions were examined by analysing the case study: How much differences are there between the students’ current English levels and their goals? What are the differences between students who achieve their goals and students who do not? The presenters examine the tendencies of those students and share some findings.
AOL AND SAC – CREATING A CLEAR MISSION STATEMENT
Lindsay MACK
As universities in Japan begin to create formal Assurance of Learning (AOL) frameworks, the question remains, where will the SAC fit in this process? One way to connect the SAC with stakeholders of the university, is to create a clear mission statement and objectives in line with the university’s mission. The purpose of this workshop is to help participants begin to craft a clear mission statement and objectives. The presenter will conclude with suggesting ways that SAC administrators can develop formal processes for evaluating how well the SAC is meeting its mission as well as reporting the results internally.
EXPLORING THE ROLES OF THE SELF-ACCESS LEARNING CENTER IN A MULTI-LANGUAGE ENVIRONMENT
Tetsushi OHARA & Nicholas MEDLEY
This presentation is exploring the roles of Self-Access Learning Center (SALC) at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU). APU promotes linguistic and cultural diversity as half of the students are Japanese and the other half are international students from more than 80 countries. Due to the expansion of supporting languages in the SALC over the years, we need to re-organize the physical spaces and the conceptual framework to utilize the multi-language environment and connect diverse people. This presentation will outline a number of challenges to articulate the roles of SALC and discuss how the SALC has been re-organized in a multi-language environment in the past year.
アプリやSNSを活用した自律的な日本語学習
中井 好男 (Yoshio NAKAI) & 脇坂 真彩子 (Masako WAKISAKA)
本発表では、ITの普及によってもたらされた、アプリやSNSを活用した日本語学習に目を向ける。まず、日本語学習に使用されるアプリやウェブサイトを分類する。次に、それらを日本語学習に使用した３つのケースについて報告する。３つのケースで学習者が使用したアプリやウェブサイトは、それぞれの学習目的や学習環境、学習スタイル、ツールの利便性などにあわせて選ばれ、生活世界に根付いたものであった。
Plenary Session: Tomomi Kumai
ACCESS YOURSELF:
RAISING INTERCULTURAL AWARENESS FOR LANGUAGE TEACHERS AND LEARNERS
Language education takes place in the context of culture. Language educators do not only support the learners to achieve linguistic competence in the target language but also intercultural competence to communicate effectively and appropriately in a different cultural context. This plenary session will raise intercultural awareness of language educators who work in a multi-cultural environment by introducing cultural dimensions, intercultural communication theories and models. Through interactive discussions, the audience will explore how different cultural values influence their own and the learners’ perception and practice of self-access learning. At the end of the session, the participants will be more aware of their cultural influences in their instructions and communication styles, which will enable them to further support their learners to become more conscious of their own cultural patterns and be able to apply and interpret that knowledge as they begin to learn independently.
Session 5
EVALUATING THE SALC- VOICES FROM THE STUDENTS
Lindsay MACK & Tomoko ETO
In order for a Self-Access Learning Center (SALC) to improve its services it is important to evaluate its effectiveness as well as analyze the needs of the students who regularly and could potentially use the SALC. To address these issues, a survey was conducted, with 825 participants, in the English Language program at a small private Japanese university. Some of the interesting results included students’ differing perceptions and expectations of the SALC’s services, resources and layout. Based on data from this survey, the presentation will conclude with suggestions for improving a SALC and introducing a similar survey at other institutions.
LARGE-SCALE ONLINE SALC PLATFORMS: DESIGN, DEPLOYMENT, AND ASSESSMENT
Michael SHAWBACK
In April of 2018, Ritsumeikan University opened SALCs on each its three main campuses. This presentation focuses on the mutual website that supports these Beyond Borders Plazas. Specifically, attendees will be taken through the processes of determining, creating, culling, and ultimately deploying features such as portfolios, self-graded materials, correspondence, information dissemination and collection, and facilitator-based assessment. Additionally, site usage data will be compared amongst our three plazas to determine the types of services that appeal to students on each campus. Finally, areas of concern from the school, the administrative users, the facilitators, and the students when creating a large-scale site will be discussed.
SPONSORED, INDEPENDENT, OR HYBRID? EXPLORING ONE SAC MANAGER’S VIEW OF HIS PROFESSIONALISM
Stuart WARRINGTON
As professionalism is something that ‘can be characterized and defined differently in different times and different places by professional and/or political authorities’ (Leung, 2009, p.49), a SAC manager can, at times, find it quite difficult to connect with their specific role. This can be especially true when faced with competing and opposing definitions of professionalism existing within the same workplace. With these points in mind, this presentation will examine a case study undertaken at a Japanese university which specifically explored one SAC manager’s view of his professionalism, the connections he made, and what these ultimately mean for him moving forward.
MAKING MORE THAN CONVERSATION: THE DEVELOPMENT OF ENGLISH CAFÉ
Elizabeth SCHLINGMAN
This presentation will explore the development of a student-facilitated English conversation program, “English Cafe”, in a university self-access learning center. The most beneficial of recent changes to English Cafe include a new approach to recruiting staff, the development of a staff training program, requiring staff to regularly reflect on their experiences, and more frequent dialogue between staff and an advisor. With interpersonal relationships strengthened, English Cafe offers not only the chance to practice speaking skills, but a sense of community that can motivate student participants and staff alike. Suggestions and significant factors to consider will also be discussed.
Poster Sessions
A TRULY GLOBAL ENGLISH PLAZA AT TOKYO INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY
Brandon BIGELOW
Tokyo International University’s SALC (English Plaza) is a multifaceted center of English and academic resources. TIU faculty members play a prominent and manifold role in the English Plaza, speaking with students in the conversation lounge, and providing homework and English support during academic advising sessions. The regular interaction that takes place in the SALC between faculty and learners from around the world allows for more genuine and dynamic connections. This poster presentation will feature the diversity and breadth of the TIU English Plaza as well as the richness of intercultural connection and opportunities for growth through the lens of faculty.
ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT FOR STUDENT INVOLVEMENT IN THE SALC
Kayo NAMAIZAWA & Nao NOGUCHI
This poster presentation focuses on administrative support services provided at a self-access centre at a university in Japan. The presenters showcase administrative support for student involvement in the SALC by introducing three different types of student involvement. These are (1) paid student staff, (2) groups of students who share common academic goals and /or interests and, (3) language exchange volunteer students from overseas. The presenters explain why it is important to have administrative support for student involvement and how the supporting systems were developed. They also give an example of some challenges and benefits for a SALC.
AN EXPLORATION INTO USING SELF-DETERMINATION THEORY TO EVALUATE A SALC
Amelia YARWOOD, Andria LORENTZEN, Isra WONGSARNPIGOON,
Jo MYNARD, Scott SHELTON-STRONG, & Yuri IMAMURA
This presentation will communicate initial findings from a research project designed to evaluate the extent to which our self-access learning centre (SALC) and its environment is autonomy-supportive and meets our learner’s expressed needs. This evaluation is based on a qualitative analysis of 108 interviews, 280 survey responses and other SALC statistical data, to determine to what extent the three Basic Psychological Needs of autonomy, relatedness and competence formulated in Self-Determination Theory (Deci and Ryan, 1985) are afforded. The researchers share insight into ways in which the SALC environment addresses these needs and supports our learners to develop and exercise autonomy.
CREATING A BLOG-BASED NOVEL FOR LEARNERS OF ENGLISH
Nicholas DRISCOLL
A lot of the reading materials made for English language learners are simplified versions of famous books with limited original content. Also, graded readers usually do not have multimedia features, such as voice recordings. This poster presentation will highlight one teacher’s efforts to create an original serialized novel with English learners in mind that addresses these concerns. The original novel will be published as a blog with artwork, simple chapter summaries, explanations of difficult expressions, and audio/visual recordings to provide listening and shadowing practice. This project is a work-in-progress.
DMC IN SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNING FOR JAPANESE STUDENTS
Natsuki NAGAI
There is an abundance of research on language learners’ motivation. A Directed Motivational Current (DMC) is an intensification of motivational drive which sustains one’s long-term actions. It is a relatively new idea proposed by Zoltán Dörnyei (2013). It is important for teachers to understand the structure of L2 learners’ long-term motivation; however, there are very few studies about DMC with Japanese students learning English as a second language. In this paper, I explain the importance of DMC for second-language acquisition. Also, I suggest some ideas applying the features of DMC for language learning of Japanese students.
ENCOURAGING OUT-OF-CLASS L2 INTERACTIONS THROUGH IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES
Bethan KUSHIDA & Phoebe LYON
Many self-access centers provide opportunities for students to practice speaking the target language. However, many students are either reluctant to try these services or encounter difficulties there which discourage them from returning. Drawing on data from two studies, one of a social learning space and another of a one-to-one conversation practice center, this presentation will highlight some of the reasons students have given for not using the services offered by a self-access center. It will then introduce some activities that teachers can implement in the classroom to encourage and support their students in the use of out-of-class L2 practice facilities.
HOW NOT TO SET-UP AN INTERNATIONAL ONLINE EXCHANGE ON MOODLE
Chris TEMPEST
This small-scale project had a primary focus of facilitating communications and exchanges between a university in Japan and a university in the U.K. The participants consisted of 32 students, 20 from Japan and 12 from the U.K. This presentation aims to highlight some of the problems encountered when setting up and executing an online exchange between Japanese learners of English and English learners of Japanese. Issues such as activity appropriateness, timing, student participation and teacher communications will be outlined. Possible solutions for future iterations will also be discussed.
IMPROVING SELF-CHECKING IN CLASSES THROUGH SCAFFOLDING
Yukari NAKANO
I share my activity to improve students’ self-checking skill based on Devrim’s topology of feedback within metalanguage (2013). It should be possible for teachers to select from these four types, depending on their diagnosis of students’ ZPDs. I focus on support aimed at improving high school students’ self-checking skill for writing in the class through error correction. I focus on five common mistakes that students often make: tense, subject–verb agreement, word order, prepositions and collocation. The error correction activities planned all revolve around mistakes of these five types. I describe the classroom procedures, and report on the effects on students’ writing.
IPAD等の電子端末の語学学習における活用法
枝尾 健太 & 加古 ともき (Kenta EDAO & Tomoki KAKO)
我々の多くが日々使用しているスマートフォンやタブレットといった電子機器は、近年語学教育の現場で用いられる機会も多くなっている。昔と今のライフスタイルを変化させたそのような媒体は、語学教育の分野においても強い影響力を持つはずである。MI理論やCALLに触れながら、電子機器の今後の語学教育における可能性を分析していきたい。
LEARNING TOGETHER AND WORKING TOGETHER – ASPECTS OF TEACHER COLLABORATION
Larry XETHAKIS & Rachel BARINGTON
This presentation explores the collaborative experience of two groups of teachers working collaboratively to revise and implement their university’s English curriculum. Two surveys comprised of questionnaires that elicited teachers’ perceptions related to all collaborative activities that took place within the teams were conducted over the course of the year. Special attention given to the question of to what degree did these curriculum groups exhibit the characteristics of a teacher community, with the results showing the spontaneous emergence of elements of a community of practice occurring within these curriculum teams.
MAKING A SELF-ACCESS CENTER MORE ACCESSIBLE
Yukari RUTSON-GRIFFITHS, Yaeko WATASE, Norika YATABE, Akiko ISHIMOTO,
Serika TANAKA, & Poemu WATANABE
This study presents the results of an investigation into why students do and do not use a self-access learning center (SALC). A survey was created based on existing SALC usage data and hypotheses proposed in a student staff workshop and carried out among students of all years and departments to examine the reasons behind their usage. Results of the survey will be presented and the status and problems of the SALC that were revealed will be discussed, as well as possible improvements and future projects to provide a more accessible learning environment.
PROMOTING LEARNING BEYOND THE CLASSROOM AT YOUR INSTITUTION
Clair TAYLOR
To be successful language learners, students need to engage in Learning Beyond the Classroom (LBC). This requires active promotion of services, facilities, and activities. However, promotion is a subject which is neglected in teacher training, in faculty development, and in language education research. Drawing on accounts from professionals involved with promoting forms of LBC, on the presenter’s own experience promoting activities and a SAC, and also from literature on promotion (especially in the non-profit sector), this presentation sets out to explore considerations and frameworks which may help strengthen promotional plans and practices, along with some simple practical tips.
Poster here.
SALCS AND THE INSTITUTIONALITY OF LEARNER AUTONOMY
Dominic EDSALL
SALCs can play a pivotal role in fostering learner autonomy, but how a SALC is positioned within the parent institution and the connections it has with the departments and faculties of that institution may encourage or hinder student and teacher attempts to link learner autonomy with their study goals at university. Using two case studies, legitimation coding theory, and a social realist perspective on learner autonomy, this poster presentation will discuss how learner autonomy may be encouraged or discourage by institutional connections, structures and policies.
THE POSSIBILITY OF THE INNER SPEECH IN ENGLISH CLASS
Ryosuke OMI
Many researchers have studied the inner speech for many years. For example, Vygotsky, who is the most famous Russian researcher of the inner speech, argues that it is a speech for oneself and takes place inside one’s own mind and often takes place in “pure word meanings” rather than in words or sentences. Then, I found that it had a sense of the possibility that the Japanese learners improve their English skills. In this paper, I researched many studies about it and the pedagogy, analyzed it, and suggested some instructional approaches with the inner speech for the Japanese learners.
TWO SUGGESTIONS FOR SELF-ACCESS LEARNING: VIDEO-WATCHING ACTIVITY & PLAYING MMORPG
Yurika SUZUKI & Yuuki KADOOKA
Self-access learning may be underused if there are no student-led activities. In this paper, we propose two activities designed by students (the co-authors of this paper). The first is a series of video-watching exercises for the purpose of learning collocations. This activity especially aims to improve learners’ speaking ability. The second is playing MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games) to immerse the learners in an all-English environment. This study will try to offer suggestions for how a commercial MMORPG can be used as a language learning material. The purpose of these activities is to develop learners’ autonomy and help them improve their language skills.
USAGE OF MI THEORY IN LANGUAGE EDUCATION
Kenta EDAO, Tomoki KAKO, & Momoka IWASHITA
Presentation Sessions 6 and 7
A CASE STUDY OF ENHANCING LEARNER AUTONOMY IN IMPROVING UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ ENGLISH PRONUNCIATION
Maria CHAN
This research compared the effectiveness of communicative language teaching (CLT) and computer-assisted pronunciation teaching (CAPT) in improving university students’ English pronunciation and sought to find out if CAPT, which was believed to promote learner autonomy by giving students more control over their pace and level of study, could complement CLT. Pre-test and post-test results of students’ intelligibility test showed no big difference in the two groups of students using these two approaches, but post-class survey showed that the students using CLT enjoyed the lessons more than the students using CAPT and they were more motivated and confident in English pronunciation after they finished the training.
LISTENING TO STUDENTS’ VOICES
Yui FUKUSHIMA & Yukino WATANABE
Our challenge last year was creating a community in our SALC, e-space. Students started to help each other in e-space, for example by solving workbooks together, sharing information about study abroad and talking about their personal problems. This year, we are focusing on “listening to students’ voices”. Through last year’s challenge, we realized students’ ideas are necessary to make e-space more attractive. This presentation will introduce two new activities we started as student committee members to listen to students’ voices. We will explain how we have been effectively reflecting their voices in events and displays in e-space.
THE ENGLISH PLAZA AT TOKYO INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY: CONNECTING THE UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY THROUGH ENGLISH
George HAYS & Kevin MUELLER
Providing Japanese university students with opportunities to engage outside of the classroom in English is a challenge that university educators face. Students are given tasks and practice in classes, and often interaction with English as a living language with non-Japanese English speakers is limited. Students at Tokyo International University (TIU), in particular, those in the School of Language Communication, are offered numerous venues in which to employ English. This presentation will focus on the management and plans for the future of the English Plaza through the lens of faculty administrators.
BRIDGING THE CLASSROOM/SALC GAP: SELF-ACCESS ESP LISTENING MATERIALS FOR SCIENCE STUDENTS BY SCIENCE STUDENTS
Thomas PALS & Michael SHAWBACK
This presentation will demonstrate how university instructors are teaching science and engineering students to create leading-edge science related ESP listening materials for self-access. This ongoing project has been successful by breaking down each task necessary to create such materials. This technique utilizes the primary language skills of intensive listening, summarizing, vocabulary development, question writing, and discussion skills. Secondary skills include writing, computer, and research skills. Besides language acquisition, students interested in teaching science as a profession profit from the educational experience of materials development. Results have been positive with students fully utilizing the online listening materials they have created.
HOW ARE LEARNING ADVISORS AND ADVISING SESSIONS PERCEIVED BY THE LEARNERS WHO ATTEND THEM?
Scott SHELTON-STRONG
Understanding our learners’ experiences when attending advising sessions is central to the professional development of Learning Advisors (LAs). From a research perspective, such an understanding enables us to reflect on our practice, and evaluate its effectiveness. This presentation examines the results of a survey of learners who had experienced at least one advising session in our self-access centre in the current year. The analysis will focus on how this experience was expressed, and the extent to which it reflects our goals as LAs to develop self-directed and autonomous learners with reference to relevant psychological theories.
CHALLENGES AND SUCCESSES OF STUDY GROUP AND THE ROLE OF THE SELF-ACCESS LEARNING CENTER
Tomoya SHIRAKAWA
The focus of this research was a student-led learning community called “Study Group” which engaged in language learning in the Self-Access Learning Center (SALC) at a Japanese university. The researcher aimed to reveal its benefits and challenges employing a qualitative research approach utilizing semi-structured interviews with its members. Furthermore, the researcher investigated whether and how the SALC can address problems students experienced. The researcher will suggest approaches to successful self-directed group study and a beneficial relationship between such a community and the SALC for the future.
USING IXL TO SUPPLEMENT ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING
Josh NORMAN
IXL.com is a worldwide online website for learning academic subjects such as English, math, science, etc. In this workshop, the presenter will first discuss the benefits and drawbacks to the website and how it enabled his 7-year-old son to essentially teach himself how to read English before entering elementary school. Then the presenter will explain how IXL was incorporated into his mandatory English grammar classes for 1st-year students at his university, including a thorough demonstration of the website. A discussion among participants regarding good online resources will be conducted if time allows.
INCREASING ENGLISH USE AND BUILDING CONFIDENCE OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM: HOW ACTIVE LEARNING SIMULATORS WITH INSTRUCTIONAL SCAFFOLDING IMPROVED THE ENGLISH PROFICIENCY LEVEL OF JAPANESE STUDENTS
Shahab SABAHI & Malcolm FALL
The English level of Japanese is ranked 37th out of 80 countries (the EF EP Index 2017). Before entering university, students study English for 787 hours, far below needed 5,000 hours studying English on average for native language speakers to become fluent in a second language. In this presentation, we shall discuss (1) theories and statistics: the success of 107 MYSOL’s students who used our Online Practice Simulators, E-library and automated assessment machines in improving English proficiency levels, and (2) the importance of SALC (Self Access Learning Centre) with automated interpretation machines in exposing students to an English-speaking environment out of the classroom.
Download the slideshow here (file only works on a Windows machine)
Closing remarks
Awards
This year JASAL was able to offer grants to newcomers and students. SUTLF also contributed, so we were able to award grants to one newcomer and four students.
Newcomer
Students
The Japan Association for Self-Access Learning 
