Discipline Workshop & Seminar Series, 2011-2012 University of Hull

1. Facilitating language learning through social networking sites: Integrating advising into online teaching Discipline Workshop & Seminar Series, 2011-2012 University of Hull

2. Outline The rationale for advising - autonomy Focus on the learner; his / her needs Needs Analysis Strategies – Task The adviser- skills required? How can advising be incorporated into your teaching online? References

3. Learner AUTONOMY 1979 - The Council of Europe –viewed autonomy as central to learning (and participation in a democratic society) the “ability to take charge of one’s own learning” (Holec , 1981, p.3 ) “have […] the responsibility for all the decisions concerning all aspects of this learning” (Holec 1981, p.3). Ability - Inborn or acquired?

4. A further definition of autonomy ‘a set of conditional freedoms which, in a given learning context, make it possible for individuals: • to determine their objectives, • to define the content and process of their own learning, • to select their methods and techniques, • to monitor and evaluate their progress and achievements’ (Little,1991)

5. Developing Autonomy The Adviser The LEARNER Self-awareness (learning styles, motivation, attitudes, time...) Language learning needs – NEEDS ANALYSIS Planning Monitoring Reflecting Evaluating (metacognitive skills) Learner Training

6. The teacher / adviser Why conduct a needs analysis?(adapted from Gardner and Miller (1999)) The learner to become more aware of needs and wants to distinguish between needs and wants to reflect on strengths and weaknesses, styles to set learning targets to prioritise targets to create a study plan (planning for learning) to involve the learners to raise learners’ awareness of needs and wants to discover more about individual learners and the group to aid in meeting the needs of learners (planning for teaching)

7. Added value of a needs analysis questionnaire? “work[-ing] through the questionnaire together ... gives the adviser [or teacher] a first direct insight into the aspirations and learning strategies (or lack of them) of the individual student” (Jamieson, 2001) Building a rapport? ( continuity of concern)

8. Task Work in groups of 3, with teachers from otherinstitutions if possible ( You may well need to move!) Study the 4 different needs analysis forms / questionnaires which each group will be given Compare and contrast them – using the ‘considerations’ adapted from Dickinson (1987) (see handout) What conclusions might you draw?

9. Focus on peer support A needs analysis can help to establish peer support Needs analysis discovery of common backgrounds common interests common goals common concerns

10. Social networks and on-line media Following a needs analysis being conducted: Blogs for sharing reflections, concerns (e.g. time-management, lack of strategies), successes Have been used with language students and teachers alike and are said to promote reflection, self-expression and to aid student writing skills (Murray and Hourigan 2006; Dippold, 2009). Creation of “study-buddies” (Skype for role-plays, wikis for writing practice e.g. shared editing, VLEs for suggesting resources, strategies, Livemocha.com for a range of activities)

11. with support ... The LEARNER Increasing autonomy and “ ... a more democratic relationship between teacher and taught [develops]” ( Lamy and Goodfellow, 2010)

12. NA: Strategies for language learning Strategies are… “…specific actions taken by the learner to make learning easier, faster, more enjoyable, more self-directed, moreeffective, and more transferable to new situations.” (Oxford,1990, p.8) For example, strategies for remembering… Task

13. The words pen write read listen learn said red blue sky (weather) whether / weather wiki web blog computer (apple) apple banana this is the end

14. Some strategies for remembering Group words according to a topic Group words according to sound – initial or final Find associations between the words Break up a long list into shorter lists Create a sentence Make up a story to link words together Work with others!

15. Adviser-learner dialogue Some skills required – “person-centred” approach empathy unconditional attention respect (Rogers,1951) action planning goal setting reviewing (Egan,1990)

16. micro-skills The skills of language advising (Kelly, 1996) macro-skills initiating goal setting guiding modelling supporting giving feedback evaluating linking concluding ACTIVE attending restating paraphrasing summarising questioning interpreting reflecting feelings empathising confronting LISTENING

17. Advising and teaching online Some suggestions: Needs analysis! Incorporate questions regarding strategies Create interaction between students regarding strategies Provide opportunities for students to ask questions about metacognitive, cognitive and affective strategies When? How? “...podcasts can be....for use outside of class to extend and amplify autonomous learning.” (Warschauer & Liaw, 2011) Skype sessions, wikis, blogs... Portfolios (Eurpean Language Portfolio) / learner diaries for reflection + ????

18. References and further reading Dickinson, L. (1987) Self -instruction in Language Learning. Cambridge: CUP Dippold, D. (2009). "Peer feedback through blogs: Student and teacher perceptions in an advanced German class." ReCALL 21(1): 18-36. Egan, G. (1990) The Skilled Helper. A systematic approach to effective helping. Pacific Grove: Brooks/Cole Gardner and Miller (1999) Establishing Self-Access from theory to practice. Cambridge: CUP Holec, H. (1981) Autonomy and Foreign Language Learning. Oxford: Pergamon (First published 1979, Strasbourg: Council of Europe) Jamieson, A. (2001). The adviser at work. In Mozzon-McPherson, M. And Vismans, R. (eds.) Beyond Language Teaching towards Language Advising. London: CILT Kelly, R. (1996) Language counselling for learner autonomy : The skilled helper in self-access language learning .In Pemberton, R. , Li, E.S.L. , Or, W.W.F. and Pierson, H.D. (eds.) Taking Control: Autonomy in Language Learning. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press Lamy, M.-N. and Goodfellow, R. (2010) Telecollaboration and learning 2.0 p.23 in Guth, S. and Helm,F. (eds.) (2010) Telecollaboration 2.0 : language, literacies and intercultural learning in the 21st century Bern ; Oxford: Peter Lang Little, D. (1991) ‘Learner Autonomy 1: Definitions, Issues and Problems’. Dublin: Authentik. Murray, L. and T. Hourigan (2006). Using micropublishing to facilitate writing in the foreign language. In L. Ducate and N. Arnold Calling on CALL: From Theory and Research to New Directions in Foreign Language Teaching. San Marcos, CALICO. Oxford, R. (1990) Language Learning Strategies; what every teacher should know. Boston.MA: Heinle & Heinle Rogers, C.R. (1951) Client Centred Therapy : Its Current Practice, Implications and Theory: London: Constable Warschauer, M., & Liaw, M. (2011). Emerging technologies for autonomous language learning. Studies in Self-Access Learning Journal, 2(3), 107-118 [online] Accessed: 9/11/11 Further Reading Everhard, C. , J. Mynard and R. Smith (October 2011), Autonomy in Language Learning: Opening a Can of Worms [e-book], IATEFL ISBN 978-1-901095-32-6 Reinders, H. 2008. ‘The what, why, and how of language advising’ In: MexTESOL, 32(2), 13-22. Reinders, H. (2006). Supporting self-directed learning through an electronic learning environment. In T. Lamb & H. Reinders Supporting Self-Directed Language Learning,. Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang, 219-238. Rubin, J. (2007) Counselling in Language Learning Settings, Special Issue of System Vol. 35, no. 1, ISSN: 0346-251X