Congratulations to all authors and thanks to the editors: Eduardo Castro, Christine Pemberton, Ewen MacDonald, and Emily Marzin, and all reviewers involved in getting JASAL Journal Issue 4.2 ready for publication! You can read it here.
JASAL2023 at Gifu Shotoku Gakuen University
Links to presentation videos, slides, and posters
Videos
Plenary – Fixing Issues Under the Radar: Student agency and leadership in self-access learning communities
Daniel Hooper PhD., Tokyo Kasei University
Social Connections in International Language Spaces
Dr. Besty LAVOLETTE, Kyoto Sangyo University
Slides
Students’ Perceptions on SALL – an Activity Theory Analysis
Viorel RISTEA, Prefectural University of Kumamoto
Analyzing Self-access AnxietyThrough the Eyes of Students
Koshun SUZUKI & Daniel HOOPER, Hakuoh University
Party Time
Christopher CLADIS, Jeremy EADES, & Misato TACHIBANA, University/Association
Collaborating to Adapt Student Staff Training for New Needs
Isra WONGSARINPIGOON, Miru OKI, & Haruka UBUKATA, Kanda University of International Studies
Posters
Mind the Gap: Student-Developed Resources for Mediating Transitions into Self-Access Learning
Daniel HOOPER, Tokyo Kasei University
Creating Conditions for Successful Self-Access Telecollaboration
Katherine THORTON Otemon Gakuin University & Dr. Levi Durbrige, University of the Sunshine Coast
Mainting Language Learning Habits Together
Clair TAYLOR & Alexandra ORNSTON, Gifu Shoto Gakuen University
7th JASAL Student Conference (online)
Greetings to all students involved in self-access language learning centers, their advisors, and teachers!
- Are you currently working or volunteering for a self-access center at your university?
- Are you interested in sharing your self-access-related experiences with students from other universities?
- Do you want to meet and hear the stories of other students with similar experiences?
Then please join us for the 7th JASAL Student Conference and share your stories and listen to the stories of others!
Date: Saturday, December 9th
Time: 13:00-17:00
Format: Online (Zoom meeting)
Register here to participate by Monday, December 04, 2023.
Learn more about the student conference here
JASAL Forum at JALT2023
Thank you to presenters Yaya Yao and Agnes Maria Francis as well as all who joined the JASAL Forum at the JALT conference in Tsukuba, Ibaraki on Saturday, November 25th, from 12:45 – 14:15. Both presentations sparked an introspective dialogue among all in attendance.
Abstracts
Yaya Yao, Kyushyu University
This presentation discusses the potential of translingual arts-based pedagogy in reconceptualizing self-access language learning by sharing preliminary findings of an ongoing study through a university self-access learning center. This approach invites creative, metacognitive exploration drawing on one’s entire linguistic repertoire. As such, translingual arts-based pedagogy has the potential to facilitate a paradigm shift in self-access learning that regards all stakeholders as language learners, challenging native speakerism and building linguistic justice.
Agnes Maria Francis, Konan Women’s University
One key aspect of advising is that every advising session is different. Students who seek advising have various purposes, and unlike teaching classes, there is limited opportunity for prior preparation before each session. Drawing from my experience as an advisor at my previous institution, I noticed that students voluntarily approached advising sessions with clear objectives, and our conversations were centered around specific topics. However, in my current institution, students attend the sessions without a specific purpose in mind although advising is mandatory. As an advisor, it is my responsibility to guide the flow of the advising sessions. In this presentation, I will share the challenges I have encountered, the advising skills that have helped me conduct these sessions effectively, and how this new experience has deepened my understanding of advising.
Meet & Greet Students from Self Access Centers all around Japan (Post-Event Report)
The 2023 JASAL Student Forum was held online on Saturday, June 10th and it was
attended by 13 students and 10 teachers/advisors/members of staff from 9
different universities.
We had very interesting discussions about the following questions:
- Why did you decide to participate in today’s event? What is your goal today?
- How do you study English? What kind of things do you recommend as a SALC
staff? - How do you recruit new students to your SALC?
- What kind of projects are you working on at the moment in your SALC? Any
problems you are dealing with? Any solutions you have found so far? - What did you learn today? What do you want to try in your self-access learning
center?
Student participants brought their unique experiences and insights into these
pleasant and meaningful discussions. Organizers of the forum were
really happy to see the students’ commitment to making their self-access learning
centers better. We, organizers of the event, hope that all the participants were
able to make some new acquaintances, strengthen their previous connections,
gain new insights, and become more motivated to continue the excellent
work they are doing in the field of self-access language learning in Japan.
Umida Ashurova, Student Events Co-coordinator
Hisako Yamashita, Student Events Co-coordinator
Call for Student Forum Participants: Meet & Greet Students from Self Access Centers all around Japan
Greetings to all students involved in self-access language learning centers, their advisors, and teachers!
- Are you currently working or volunteering for a self-access center at your university?
- Are you interested in sharing your self-access-related experiences with students from other universities?
- Do you want to meet and hear the stories of other students with similar experiences?
- Are your students working on some amazing self-access projects?
- Or are they new to self-access and want to hear how other universities are doing?
Then please join us for an online casual discussion over Zoom and share your stories and listen to the stories of others! Teachers, please encourage your students to join the online discussion with students from different universities around Japan. Get some wonderful ideas and make your self-access better and more successful!
Date & Time: 10:00-12:00 Saturday, June 10th, 2023
Format: Online, Zoom meeting
Note: NO NEED to prepare a presentation: just be ready to talk about your center!
Sign up for this event here by June 7th, 2023.
Contact us at jasalorg@gmail.com with any questions about this event.
Umida Ashurova, Student Events Co-cordinator
Hisako Yamashita, Student Events Co-cordinator
JASAL SAC Tour at Beyond Borders Plaza (BBP) Ritsumeikan University, Kinugasa Campus, 12th May 2023
Will you be in Kyoto for JALT PanSIG on 12th-14th May 2023? If so, why not join on the Friday afternoon for a SAC tour at Beyond Borders Plaza (BBP) Ritsumeikan University, Kinugasa Campus? This is our first SAC tour since before the pandemic hit, and we look forward to being able to meet and discuss all things self-access in the stimulating environment of a self-access centre. Join us for this casual event which is free to all.
The tour will take place between 3:30pm and 5:30pm.
Sign up here by Monday, 8th May.
Details about BBP Kinugasa can be found here.
JASAL 2023 National Conference at Gifu Shotoku Gakuen University
We would like to announce that Gifu Shotoku Gakuen University will be the location of the JASAL 2023 National conference.
More information coming soon!
JASAL2022 at AIU
Links to presentation videos, slides, and posters
Presentations
Videos
E-CO Stories: The Experiences of SAC Student Staff
Christopher PHELPS, Otemon Gakuin University
Linguistic Diversity in Self-Access Spaces
Katherine THORNTON, Otemon Gakuin University
Slides
Written Advising Supporting Freshmen by Seniors
Misako Kawasaki & Ryo Moriya, Waseda University
Link to slides (PDF)
Alternative Gateway to SALL for Beginner Learners
Viorel Ristea, Prefectural University of Kumamoto
Link to slides (PDF)
Posters
Evaluating SALC Inclusiveness: How Are We Doing?
Jo Mynard, Isra Wongsarnpigoon, Christine Pemberton, & Emily Marzin, Kanda University of International Studies
Link to poster (PDF) // Link to video file
Advising With Progress-Tracking Applications
Alexandra Ornston, Clair Taylor, & Jason Walters, Gifu Shotoku Gakuen University
JASAL Forum at JALT2022
If you are attending the JALT conference in Fukuoka this year (or from the comfort of your home) please join us for the online JASAL Forum this year!
Sunday, November 13, 10:45-12:15 (online)
Motivation in self-access learning: listening to student experiences
Staying motivated is one of the most difficult aspects of learning a language beyond the classroom. In this year’s JASAL forum, we will explore issues related to learner motivation through two presentations and discussion. Gerardine McCrohan will share results of a study of regular self-access centre users, while Etsuko Yamada will report on a project which investigated the impact on students of hearing international students’ stories of their language learning experiences. The presentations will be followed by discussion.
The presentations will be prerecorded videos, but we have plenty of time for fruitful discussion and networking too! If you couldn’t make it for JASAL2022 or are already missing your JASAL fix, come and join us!
(Contrary to the abstract in the JALT Program, both presentations will be in English.)
The Japan Association for Self-Access Learning 