Satoko Kato, Kanda University of International Studies, Japan
Walkyria Magno e Silva, Federal University of Pará, Brazil
Jo Mynard, Kanda University of International Studies, Japan
Deirdre Ní Loingsigh, University of Limerick, Ireland
Scott J. Shelton-Strong, Kanda University of International Studies, Japan
Maria Giovanna Tassinari, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany
Maria Clara Vianna Sá e Matos, Federal University of Pará, Brazil
Abstract
This paper is a summary of the presentations held at the Advising in Language Learning symposium at the 5th Psychology of Language Learning Conference (PLL5) in Madrid. Advising in language learning (ALL) is a personalised approach that fosters learner autonomy through reflective dialogue. Presentations from researchers in Japan, Germany, Brazil, and Ireland highlighted ALL’s role in promoting holistic language learning and addressing learners’ psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. The symposium emphasised the transformative potential of ALL in diverse cultural and educational contexts, showcasing its impact on learner confidence and well-being. It called for further research and international collaboration to expand advisor education and explore ALL’s global impact.
Keywords: Advising in language learning, psychology of language learning,
advisor education, learner autonomy, well-being
The 5th Psychology of Language Learning Conference (PLL5) was held at the National Distance Education University in Madrid and organised by the International Association for the Psychology of Language Learning (IAPLL) from May 16th to 18th, 2024. This paper is a summary of the Advising in Language Learning: Preparing Learners and Educators for a Personalised Approach to Language Education symposium held on Friday, May 16th. Advising in Language Learning (ALL) is a personalised approach where educators support learners through reflective dialogue, helping them become more autonomous and effective in their language learning. This approach is deeply rooted in psychological processes and aims to enhance learner self-awareness and ownership of their learning journey. The symposium explored the concept of ALL and showcased its applications across different countries. This paper was collaboratively written by the seven contributing researchers, five of whom attended the symposium in person.
The first presentation, Examining shifts in teacher beliefs and practices through advisor education, was delivered by Satoko Kato from Kanda University of International Studies, Japan (the paper was co-authored with Jo Mynard also from Kanda University of International Studies, who unfortunately could not attend in person). The advisor education programme has been offered for more than ten years, and courses are designed to equip teachers with advising skills that promote learner autonomy. The researchers shared insights into research into participants’ shifts in beliefs after taking the online courses that started in 2020. Data collected during the past three years (e.g., diaries, surveys, and interviews) highlight how teachers’ educational practices became more holistic, with a stronger focus on emotions and well-being alongside traditional language outcomes. The researchers observed significant shifts in participants’ beliefs and practices from taking the courses.
Following this, Scott Shelton-Strong from Kanda University of International Studies, Japan, and Maria Giovanna Tassinari from Freie Universität Berlin, Germany, presented Supporting learners’ basic psychological needs in advising sessions: A self-determination theory perspective. Drawing on self-determination theory (Ryan & Deci, 2017) and examples of advising dialogue, the presenters discussed ways in which advising can be understood as a practice supportive of learners’ basic psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. The presentation illustrated how reflective dialogue in advising can support autonomous motivation and well-being, drawing on both quantitative and qualitative findings from two studies in progress. These findings included examples of how language learners’ perceptions of their involvement in advising sessions were experienced as supportive of learners’ basic psychological needs and how reflective dialogue in advising can be instrumental in facilitating an autonomy-supportive learning climate. The findings were illustrated with examples of advising dialogues with students in Germany, which were connected to specific advisor practices, drawing on a classification of advising behaviours supportive of basic psychological needs, which the authors had previously developed (Shelton-Strong & Tassinari, 2022). In the Japanese context, drawing on student’s self-reports as well as questionnaire data, preliminary results from the study in progress highlighted how advising was experienced as highly autonomy-supportive, with students’ relationships with advisors being perceived as supportive of their basic psychological needs––with this becoming stronger over repeated advising sessions.
The third presentation, Advising in language learning at a northern brazilian university, was delivered by Walkyria Magno e Silva from the Federal University of Pará, Brazil (also representing Maria Clara Vianna Sá e Matos from the same institution, who unfortunately could not be present in person). The researchers detailed the development and impact of an advising programme initiated in 2011 at their university. This programme aimed to enhance learner autonomy and motivation, showing positive outcomes such as improved language learning and increased student confidence. They also discussed future plans to expand advising practices and research within Brazil.
Deirdre Ní Loingsigh from the University of Limerick, Ireland, concluded the symposium with her presentation Visualising the big picture: Advising as a language support intervention in ireland. Ní Loingsigh shared insights from a module on learner autonomy for adult learners of Irish. Here, vision boards and future self-exercises were discussed in one-to-one and group language advising consultations. The impact of advising on learners’ linguistic confidence was highlighted. Their connection to the Irish language community and their individual and collective desire to make a contribution to the vibrancy of Irish in their daily lives was also evident in the oral and visual narratives of the adult learners. These findings have prompted the researcher to advocate for the use of ALL as a language support intervention in Ireland, where Irish is a minority language. With this in mind, Ní Loingsigh shared her broad vision for the development of the professional practice of language advising to meet the support requirements of learners of Irish beyond the classroom, in the workplace and community. A specific reference was made to the recent launch of a professional development programme called Language Coaching in the Workplace at her university. The need for further research on contextualising ALL and language advising behaviours in the organisational, adult learning, and community contexts was put forward in the conclusion of the presentation.
The symposium underscored the importance of advising in language learning, demonstrating its effectiveness in various cultural and educational contexts. Collectively, the presenters highlighted the need for advisor education programmes, the critical role of advising in supporting learners’ psychological needs, and the positive outcomes of advising interventions. The discussions provided valuable insights into the potential for advising to transform language education, fostering learner autonomy and well-being.
In conclusion, the presenters emphasised the future of advising in language learning, including expanding advisor education opportunities, offering courses in multiple languages, and conducting follow-up studies to explore the impact of advising further. The researchers called for ongoing research and collaboration to enhance advising practices and support learners worldwide, ensuring that advising continues to play a transformative role in language education.
Notes on the Contributors
Satoko Kato is an associate professor at the Research Institute for Learner Autonomy Education at Kanda University of International Studies (KUIS) in Japan. She is also a lecturer at the Graduate School at KUIS (MA TESOL program). She holds a PhD in Education from Hiroshima University and a Master’s in TESOL from Teachers College, Columbia University, NY.
Walkyria Magno e Silva is a professor of Applied Linguistics at the Federal University of Pará, Brazil, where she teaches doctoral and masters students in the graduate program and also undergraduate TEFL students. Her research interests include autonomy, motivation, and language advising in foreign language learning. In the last few years, she has analyzed these themes under the complexity systems paradigm. She has published in journals and books in her country and abroad.
Jo Mynard is a professor in the Faculty of Global Liberal Arts, Director of the Self-Access Learning Center, and Director of the Research Institute for Learner Autonomy Education at Kanda University of International Studies in Chiba, Japan. She holds an M.Phil in Applied Linguistics (Trinity College Dublin, Ireland) and an Ed.D. in TEFL (University of Exeter, UK). Her research interests include advising in language learning, the psychology of language learning, and learning beyond the classroom.
Deirdre Ní Loingsigh is the Director of Aonad na Gaeilge, the Irish Language Centre, at the University of Limerick. She is Course Director of the Diploma in Applied Irish programme for adult learners and the MicroCredential programme Language Coaching in the Workplace. She lectures on Language Pedagogy on the Professional Master of Education (Languages) programme. Her research interests include the psychology of language learning, advising in language learning; language and wellbeing, and Community-Based Participatory Research.
Scott Shelton-Strong is a Senior Learning Advisor at Kanda University of International Studies, Japan. His research interests include advising in language learning, self-determination theory, reflection as autonomy support, emotions in language learning, and developing an understanding of the connections which interlink these to learner flourishing and well-being both within and beyond the classroom. He has co/authored book chapters, journal articles, and a co-edited volume related to these interests.
Maria Giovanna Tassinari is the Director of the Centre for Independent Language Learning at the Language Centre of the Freie Universität Berlin, Germany. Her research interests are learner autonomy, language advising, and affect in language learning. She is the co-editor of several books and the author of articles and chapters in German, English, and French.
Maria Clara Vianna Sá e Matos is a professor at the Federal University of Pará, Brazil, where she teaches undergraduate students in the TEFL program. In her doctoral studies, she focused on motivation connected to language learning advising, and both are seen under the complexity paradigm. She has published in national journals.
References
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2017). Self-determination theory: Basic psychological needs in motivation, development, and wellness. The Guilford Press. https://doi.org/10.1521/978.14625/28806
Shelton-Strong, S. J., & Tassinari, M. J. (2022). Facilitating an autonomy-supportive learning climate: Advising in language learning and basic psychological needs. In J. Mynard & S. J. Shelton-Strong (Eds.), Autonomy support beyond the language learning classroom: A self-determination theory perspective (pp. 185–205). Multilingual Matters.