Despite progress in recent years, Japanese classrooms continue to present challenges for educators seeking to promote language learner autonomy. Adopting an action research/case study design, the present study explored how, in a 5-week student-led project, an intact group of learners could contribute to the development of their own autonomy. Data…

Considerable resources are expended on the development of learner autonomy (LA), and in particular on the provision of self-access facilities as one of the most common ways in which institutions have tried to foster autonomy. Whether the intended outcomes are achieved depends in large part on teachers' agreement with and understanding of the…

A Personal Learning Environment (PLE) it is a combination of tools (usually digital) and resources chosen by the learner to support different aspects of the learning process, from goal setting to materials selection to assessment. The importance of PLEs for teachers lies in their ability to help students develop autonomy and prepare them for…

In recent years there has been a growing recognition of the importance of learner autonomy and the role of individual learners in directing their own learning process, both inside and outside the classroom (Alford & Pachler, 2007; Benson, 2000; Breen, 2001; Conacher & Kelly-Holmes, 2007). However, in practice it is not always clear how to support…

Self-access centers are a popular type of language support offered by an increasing number of schools and universities around the world. Assessment of the learning that takes place in such centers is seen as both crucial and problematic. Many barriers to successful assessment appear to exist, but these have not been comprehensively documented,…

Self-access and language advising are relatively recent and increasingly common types of language support offered in schools and tertiary institutions around the world. There is a great deal of anecdotal support for the positive contribution of such support to student learning. Self-access and language advising hold strong potential as…

Self-access centres are sometimes portrayed as being at the forefront of pedagogical innovation. They are also said to be technology-rich language learning environments. In practice, however, the application of technology in a self-access environment has proven to be a challenge. This article focuses on 10 self-access centres that were found to be…

Self-access centres (SACs) are playing an increasingly pivotal role in supporting the (self-) study of languages. Selecting suitable resources thus becomes more and more important. At the selection stage, identifying problems with available resources is not an easy task, and is made more difficult by a lack of published guidelines. Linked with…

This research paper presents a learners' perspective on (the promotion of) learner autonomy and Self-Access Language Learning in an English Proficiency Program. It provides an evaluation of the success of these course elements as well as an interpretation of students' understanding of the related concepts. Finally, it identifies factors that…

This book is about strategies learners can use to make their language learning and practice more successful and enjoyable. It is also about how teachers can help their learners develop those strategies. By making strategies part of their courses, teachers can help prepare their learners for their future study. This practical guide gives examples…