Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：Kanda University of International Studies  

This study is an evaluation of the professional development (PD) programme for learning advisors employed in the self-access centre at Kanda University of International Studies in Japan. The research issue investigated was whether the PD activities of advisors allow them to provide appropriate support to students at the University. The implementation of policies, the people and the setting were all considered in building an understanding of what may make the programme work. The framework used to understand this programme is realist evaluation (Pawson & Tilley, 1997), in which theories related to the initial research issue were refined and developed to offer new perspectives. Results suggest that initial training aids advisors in supporting students, but that future implementation decisions are needed for the mentoring element of the programme and on whether more peer observation should take place. The implication that informal discussion among the workgroup and the freedom to choose personal PD journeys are fundamental drivers of effective practice is a finding that may be applied to other teacher and advisor education settings.

File： 3.RJ 2(2) On Advisor Education.pdf

DOI： 10.37237/relay/020203

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Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：Kanda University of International Studies  

DOI： 10.37237/relay020110

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Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

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Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

DOI： 10.24071/llt.2016.190203

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Language：English   Publisher：Japan Association for Language Teaching  

File： JALT Journal 38.1 Review.pdf

CiNii Article

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Language：English  

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Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

DOI： 10.37237/050307

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Language：English   Presentation type：Symposium, workshop panel (public)  

Student bodies at universities in Japan are becoming increasingly cosmopolitan and diverse, but I argue that more needs to be done to make university life more welcoming for students from overseas. With a declining birth rate, Japan’s higher education sector has had a decreasing intake of local high school graduates year on year. One option to make up for this shortfall is to recruit students from neighbouring countries, and presently the majority of student visa holders come from China (Coates, 2015), but the extent to which these students are included is disputable.
In this presentation, I explore the identity development of students from China who major in English at a university in Japan and postulate on how their inclusion might be maximised. I draw upon Bourdieu’s notion of divided habitus and Bhabha’s concept of third space to investigate how these students fit into the wider analysis of people negotiating their identity outside the community they grew up in.
Looking forward, I advocate a shift in attitude from language educators to ensure that non-traditional students such as those from China are valued and seen to enrich the English learning environment they find themselves in. I also discuss the future of this work in progress and, through discussion with other participants and audience members, plan to detail the next stage of this research project.

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Language：English   Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

I argue that the needs of these students, and the knowledge they bring, are not always valued in English-learning settings at their universities. I recommend that steps need to be taken to ensure students migrating within Asia are seen as being in a position of strength, with a global outlook that can enrich the local environment.

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Language：English   Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

This paper uses Nancy Fraser framework of participatory parity to explore issues surrounding non-adherence to language policy in a self-access learning centre (SALC) at a university in Japan, in order to ensure any policy reshape is just, and meets the needs of “all subjected”. The SALC has been part of campus life for a number of years and was an English-only space until being moved to a new building recently. The rationale behind this move was to create a more inclusive space that would be welcoming for students majoring in subjects other than English. Following student and staff focus groups and student surveys, a policy was formulated whereby the first floor of the new building is multilingual and the second floor an English space. However, since the new centre opened, while visitor numbers have increased significantly, participation in terms of compliance with this policy has been limited. In spite of this, I contend that rigidly enforcing an English-only policy is inappropriate because, as Fraser has suggested, obtaining justice means ensuring everyone the opportunity to participate as peers; language policy is a political, rather than a technical matter. I discuss results of surveys that asked students their needs from the SALC pre- and post-move and usage data from the two buildings, and juxtapose these against participatory parity theory, to determine the previously misunderstood connections between language policy and equity. The implication is that interaction between students in the SALC as equals is of greater importance than reforming and reinforcing language policy.

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Language：English   Presentation type：Symposium, workshop panel (public)  

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Language：English   Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

This presentation uses Nancy Fraser’s framework of participatory parity to explore issues surrounding non-adherence to language policy in a self-access learning center (SALC) at a university in Japan, in order to ensure any policy reshape meets the needs of students, the university and wider society. The SALC has been an established part of campus life for a number of years and was an English-only space until being moved to a new building this year. The rationale behind this move was to create a more inclusive space that would be welcoming for students majoring in subjects other than English. Following student and staff focus groups and student surveys, a policy was formulated whereby the first floor of the new building is multilingual and the second floor an English space. However, since the new center opened, participation in terms of compliance with this policy has been limited, while the number of students in the SALC has increased significantly. Fraser has suggested that obtaining justice means allowing everyone to participate as peers, so I contend that rigidly enforcing an English-only policy is inappropriate. I discuss results of surveys that asked students their needs from the SALC pre- and post-move, usage data from the two buildings and observations on how learners use the space, and juxtapose these against participatory parity theory, to determine the previously misunderstood connections between language policy and equity. The implications are that if adopting a policy is worthwhile, development of the policy in educational settings should be democratic and dialogic.

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Language：English   Presentation type：Poster presentation  

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Language：English   Presentation type：Poster presentation  

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Language：English   Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

In a self-access centre at a university in Japan, language learners create and implement individual learning plans. This presentation will show how reflective dialogue (Kato & Mynard, 2016) is used to encourage these learners to pursue their language goals and become increasingly less reliant on direction from the teacher.
Firstly I will clarify what I mean by autonomy and briefly introduce the setting, giving an overview of the self-access centre and outlining the ways learners use it. Next, I will show some examples of learners at different stages on their journey to autonomy. Finally, I will explain why guiding learners through dialogue is an appropriate way to challenge meanings and raise consciousness, and move learners towards managing their own language learning.

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Language：English   Presentation type：Poster presentation  

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Language：English   Presentation type：Poster presentation  

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Event date： 21 11 2014 - 25 11 2014

Language：English   Presentation type：Symposium, workshop panel (public)  

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Language：English   Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

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Language：Japanese   Presentation type：Public lecture, seminar, tutorial, course, or other speech  

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Language：English   Presentation type：Poster presentation  

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Event date： 25 10 2013 - 28 10 2013

Language：English   Presentation type：Symposium, workshop panel (public)  

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