Course 4

Advising in Language Learning 4: Transformation (Becoming an Advisor Educator)

Next course: November 16, 23, 30, 2025 [Registration opens October 2025]

  • This course is only open to participants who have successfully completed Course 1.
  1. Course description, objectives, structure and schedule (scroll down)
  2. Online coursebook (password protected)
  3. Communication tools and protocol
  4. Eligibility, fees and application procedure
  5. Equipment, textbooks and assessment

Instructors

Teaching assistants

Zeynep Pamuk, Gamze Güven Yalçın, Hatice Karaaslan, Pınar Üstündağ Algın, Arzu Kıratlı, Müge Akgedik-Akoğlanoğlu, and Viorel Ristea

Course description

This is the fourth course in the online Advising Certificate Program offered by RILAE, which consists of six courses. In Courses 1 to 3, we explored theoretical and practical considerations necessary for the development of advising skills and knowledge. The courses draw on the concept of transformational advising (Kato & Mynard, 2016), where an advisor supports a learner in going beyond improving language proficiency in order to make a fundamental change in the nature of learning. By paying attention to the intentional reflective dialogue (IRD) participants learned how to guide learners into a deeper level of awareness, and at the same time, guiding course participants to develop further as professional advisors. We also introduced the research methodologies for conducting research in advising. In Course 4, we introduce the importance of ongoing professional development for learning advisors. Participants in this course will develop the skills and knowledge needed to train and mentor others.

Course objectives

√ Explore the meanings of transformation
√ Learn how to introduce self-advising in advising sessions
√ Learn how to engage learners in an overall reflection to have them gain more confidence
√ Participate in a mentoring program as a mentee.
√ Learn how to be a mentor and become a mentor to other advisors.

Course structure

  • This course consists of online live, real-time lectures each week (for three weeks) and some recorded lectures.
  • Class duration will be shorter than usual as everyone will participate in 1-1 mentoring sessions with a mentor (one of the instructors or another senior colleague)
  • After your 1-1 mentoring session, you should post a reflection.
  • Students are asked to watch two short videos before attending the first online class and also post a comment on the online forum.
  • The online live lectures are designed to be interactive and intentionally facilitate different kinds of interactions.
  • Participants are expected to view recorded lectures and/or read some materials each week as part of the course requirements.
  • Students are also required to participate in online text discussions via the online forum in order to discuss ideas related to the issues raised in the class and in the recorded/written materials.
  • Practice and reflection activities will also form part of the weekly assignments.

Draft Schedule (subject to change)

Pre-course assignment

  1. Re-read your assignment from Course 3 and be ready to discuss it.
  2. Watch the introduction video
  3. Post a response to the introductory discussion question on the online forum
  4. Sign up for a mentoring session

Week 1 (Lead instructor: Amelia)

  • Review of Courses 1-3
  • Overview of Course 4
  • The importance of ongoing PD for learning advisors
  • The roles of a mentor
  • Mentoring & Advising: How similar? How different?
  • Being a mentee, becoming a mentor

Week 2 (Instructors: Jo and Vola)

  • Reviewing post-class assignment
  • Activities for training new learning advisors
  • What makes successful mentoring relationships?

Week 3 (Lead instructor: Amelia)

  • Reviewing post-class assignment
  • Positive psychology
  • Scientific research in advising and related fields
  • Reviewing the courses
  • Reflecting on the mentoring program
  • Feeling the sense of achievement (Open the ‘letter to yourself’)

Week 4. Final assignment (The Zoom room will be available for informal/optional discussions by participants)

Conduct a session with a colleague to help your colleague reflect on him/herself as an educator and reflect on the session.

  • Record the session (with permission)
  • Reflect on the session
  • Analyse a portion of the session
  • Write a 1,500-word paper including some excerpts from the session