Fergal Bradley, University of Helsinki
Kie Yamamoto, Wayo Women’s University
Bradley, F., & Yamamoto, K. (2020). Reflective practice column introduction September 2020. Relay Journal, 3(2), 229-230. https://doi.org/10.37237/relay/030208
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Welcome to Relay’s sixth Reflective Practice column, where teachers and researchers share deep insights from their practice and explore how autonomy is and can be developed in their local contexts. In the previous issue, papers by Hatice Karaaslan and Mizuki Shibata, Chihiro Hayashi and Yuri Imamura presented reflections from a variety of view points: learners, administrative staff and advisors. In addition, Albert Wong reflected on his use of strategies in an advising session. In the current issue, we continue these themes with three papers which reflect on the use of strategies in advising sessions. The papers demonstrate variety within the advisor perspective, showing advisor roles colliding and combining with other identities, such as researcher, teacher or learner.
In the first paper, “Simple Questions and Positivity: Analysis and Reflection of a Formative Advising Session”, Brian Buschner combines a reflective approach with discourse analysis to examine an advising session. Moving between the positions of advisor and applied linguistic researcher, he focuses on positivity and the use of questions in the session, and finds avenues for future professional development and academic interest in both.
The second paper in the column, Daniel Hooper’s “Knowing (them) is half the battle: Binding learning and life through linking and metaphor in language advising”, brings selves and identities into the advising session. Drawing on both his own and the advisee’s ‘experiential profiles’ (Miyahara, 2015, p. 26) in the advising session, he reflects on his use of metaphor and metaview/linking strategies. This powerfully shows how rapport and can be support and develop autonomy.
The final paper in the column sees Ross Sampson trying on the the role of advisor and reflecting on his use of summarizing, metaphor and powerful questions in an advising session. In “Trying on a new hat: From teacher to advisor”, the extracts and reflection on them shed light on the advisor’s action in supporting and developing autonomy during the session.
The Reflective practice column welcomes reflective papers from teaching professionals and advisors, sharing deep insights from practice and exploring how autonomy is being developed in diverse contexts. New ideas and suggestions are also always welcome. Please contact Kie Yamamoto (yamamoto-ki@kanda.kuis.ac.jp) or Fergal Bradley (fergal.bradley@helsinki.fi) for further information.
References
Miyahara, M. (2015). Emerging self-identities and emotions in foreign language learning: A narrative oriented approach. Multilingual Matters.