scholarly journals Positive Psychology and Mastery of the L2 Academic Self

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 86-94
Author(s):  
Aleks Palanac
Keyword(s):  
Positive Psychology ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Subject Matter ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Writing Process ◽  
Learner Autonomy ◽  
Academic Discourse ◽  
English For Academic Purposes ◽  
Discourse Community ◽  
Additional Language Learning

In order to determine how best to prepare students for university and to participate meaningfully in the activities of their intended academic discourse community (ADC), the influential model proposed by Anne Beaufort in 2007 suggests that this can only occur once a learner has mastered the domains of knowledge pertaining to the target ADC, including those of subject matter, genre, rhetorical techniques and the writing process. However, this article will argue that mastery of a domain and entry into an ADC involves more than this; both of these things can occur only once a student has been able to ‘master’ him/herself. In order to address the question of the nature of ‘self-mastery’ and how to guide students towards achieving it, this article draws upon theories from the emerging field of positive psychology, showing how notions such as self-efficacy, mindfulness and flow can be interwoven with concepts more commonly associated with English for Academic Purposes or ‘EAP’ (e.g. learner autonomy, motivation and noticing) to provide insights into how mastery of the second/additional language learning (L2) academic self can be facilitated. The application of these proposed strategies in the classroom is intended to give students the tools to not only to enter their chosen ADC but also to leave their mark on it.

An Interview with Sarah Mercer on Language Learner and Teacher Well-Being

Relay Journal ◽  
2019 ◽  
pp. 459-463
Author(s):  
Sam Morris ◽  
Sarah Mercer
Keyword(s):  
Positive Psychology ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Learner Autonomy ◽  
Foreign Language Teaching ◽  
Language Learner ◽  
Language Teacher ◽  
New Directions ◽  
The University

In our June 2019 LAB session on Teacher/Advisor Education for Learner Autonomy, our featured interview was conducted with Sarah Mercer, Professor of Foreign Language Teaching and Head of ELT at the University of Graz, Austria. Sarah has published a wealth of papers in the field of language and teacher psychology, and co-edited many books including, most recently, New Directions in Language Learning Psychology (2016), Positive Psychology in SLA (2016), and Language Teacher Psychology (2018). Sarah was awarded the 2018 Robert C. Gardner Award for Outstanding Research in Bilingualism in recognition of her work. We were delighted that she was able to share her knowledge on the topic of language learner and teacher well-being with us during the session.

Measuring language learner autonomy in higher education: The Self-Efficacy Questionnaire of Language Learning Strategies

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 371-393
Author(s):  
Elke Ruelens
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Learner Autonomy ◽  
Language Learner ◽  
The Self ◽  
Strategy Training ◽  
Language Learning Strategies

Abstract Students in higher education are expected to be autonomous and to become co-owners of their learning. In practice, they need support to advance their autonomy, and formal education is assigned an important role in this development. In order to optimally support the advancement of learner autonomy, educators should be able to define, identify and measure autonomy. Many models and approaches for measuring learner autonomy have been proposed, but as they were mainly developed for research purposes, they are not well suited for implementation in everyday teaching. This study aimed to design a tool to measure language learner autonomy in higher education that is easy to administer and interpret. The Self-Efficacy Questionnaire of Language Learning Strategies (SEQueLLS) blends the constructs of self-efficacy and learner autonomy. This article clarifies the intersection of both concepts, before outlining the development and preliminary validation of the questionnaire. Data collected during a pilot study in the Department of Linguistics and Literature at the University of Antwerp were used to perform a reliability analysis. The article will proceed with a discussion of the ways in which the questionnaire can inform teaching practice: on the basis of two case reports, teaching strategies for supporting students’ autonomy and sense of self-efficacy will be considered. To conclude, a framework suggesting an approach for developing strategy training based on students’ perceived efficacy beliefs for the use of learning strategies is proposed.

British Council’s English for Academic Purposes (EAP) Students’ Manual: A Critical Analysis of the Coursebook Taught at Pakistani Universities for Academic Purposes (EAP) Students’ Manual: A Critical Analysis of the Coursebook Taught at Pakistani Universities

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Critical Analysis ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
English For Academic Purposes ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Teaching Principles

English for Academic Purposes course focusing on the academic language needs of students is a subfield of English for Specific Purposes (ESP). It is a type of specialized course to integrate specific subject matter, language content, and material based on learners’ needs. The study aims to evaluate the British Council’s English for Academic Purposes (EAP) coursebook in terms of content, sequencing, learners’ autonomy, motivation, feedback and focus on language skills. Furthermore, the study tries to provide a general perception of the usefulness and effectiveness of the coursebook for undergraduate students. The EAP Students’ Manual coursebook is used as a primary source for the data collection. The researcher has chosen Nation & Macalister (2010) model of language teaching principles to analyze and discuss the data. The study found the coursebook a useful, effective and an appropriate source of English language learning in terms of the investigated aspects of the book. The findings report that the coursebook provides practice and practical usage in all domains of the academically required English language skills. It helps the students to build language competency and to be more independent learners. In addition, it provides an opportunity to the learners to think in the target language, use the language more practically and learn it in a natural type of environment. The study concludes and suggests that the content needs to be supplemented with English language audios and videos presenting the students relevant documentaries and helping material in order to make the coursebook and the learning process more useful, effective, interesting and motivating. Furthermore, the study recommends that while choosing /designing a coursebook for a certain course, it needs to be evaluated following the various criteria and language-teaching-principles suggested by different language researchers.

British Council’s English for Academic Purposes (EAP) Students’ Manual: A Critical Analysis of the Coursebook Taught at Pakistani Universities

2019 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
English For Academic Purposes ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Teaching Principles ◽  
Language Needs

English for Academic Purposes course focusing on the academic language needs of students is a subfield of English for Specific Purposes (ESP). It is a type of specialized course to integrate specific subject matter, language content, and material based on learners’ needs. The study aims to evaluate the British Council’s English for Academic Purposes (EAP) coursebook in terms of content, sequencing, learners’ autonomy, motivation, feedback and focus on language skills. Furthermore, the study tries to provide a general perception of the usefulness and effectiveness of the coursebook for undergraduate students. The EAP Students’ Manual coursebook is used as a primary source for the data collection. The researcher has chosen Nation & Macalister (2010) model of language teaching principles to analyze and discuss the data. The study found the coursebook a useful, effective and an appropriate source of English language learning in terms of the investigated aspects of the book. The findings report that the coursebook provides practice and practical usage in all domains of the academically required English language skills. It helps the students to build language competency and to be more independent learners. In addition, it provides an opportunity to the learners to think in the target language, use the language more practically and learn it in a natural type of environment. The study concludes and suggests that the content needs to be supplemented with English language audios and videos presenting the students relevant documentaries and helping material in order to make the coursebook and the learning process more useful, effective, interesting and motivating. Furthermore, the study recommends that while choosing /designing a coursebook for a certain course, it needs to be evaluated following the various criteria and language-teaching-principles suggested by different language researchers.

THE ADVANTAGES OF PROMOTING LEARNERS’ AUTONOMY IN EFL CONTEXT

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hapsari Dwi Kartika
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Learner Autonomy ◽  
Language Learner ◽  
Autonomous Learning ◽  
English Teaching ◽  
Efl Context ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Students Success

This paper explains why learner autonomy is taken into account in language learning where English is a foreign language for the learners particularly in Indonesia. The definition of learner autonomy and its advantages to language learner in EFL contexts will be described within this paper. Many scholars from psychological education and English teaching and learning had proved that language learning can be improved by certain strategy. They revealed the correlation between the autonomous learning with students’ success in learning with different aspect. The definition of autonomy is similar to many different words such as self-regulated and self-determined. Finally, the writer suggests how teacher can promote the autonomous learning atmosphere in the classroom.Keywords: strategy, promoting autonomy, EFL context, Indonesia

A Sociocultural Approach to Learner Autonomy in the Language Classroom

Relay Journal ◽  
2019 ◽  
pp. 17-26
Author(s):  
Tetsushi Ohara
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Interpersonal Relationships ◽  
Sociocultural Theory ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Learner Autonomy ◽  
The Social ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Sociocultural Approach ◽  
Mediational Means ◽  
Social Views

Approaches to understanding learner autonomy in language learning often contain dichotomous views: those that emphasize individual attributes and those that emphasize social influence. In order to articulate our understanding of learner autonomy, it is necessary to find approaches, which view a dialectic unity between the individualistic views and the social views. Sociocultural theory based on the concept of mediation is an approach, which has potential to offer a unique way to analyze learner autonomy. While using sociocultural theory as the main theoretical framework, this article attempts to understand how students take charge of their learning in the language classroom. Qualitative data indicate that interpersonal relationships between students work as mediational means for students to engage in their learning in the classroom. From this finding, it is argued that by understanding mediational means that students employ and are appropriate in the classroom, we are better able to track the students’ ability to take charge of their own learning.

The (Un)translatability of Well-Being

2020 ◽  
pp. 377-394
Author(s):  
Tim Lomas
Keyword(s):  
Positive Psychology ◽  
Subject Matter ◽  
Cultural Awareness ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Scientific Study ◽  
Ways Of Thinking ◽  
Mainstream Psychology

Positive psychology—the scientific study of well-being—has made considerable strides in understanding its subject matter since emerging in the late 1990s. However, like mainstream psychology more broadly, it can be deemed relatively Western-centric, with its concepts and priorities influenced by ways of thinking and understanding that are prominent in Western cultures. Consequently, the field would benefit from greater cross-cultural awareness, engagement, and understanding. One such means of doing so is through the study of “untranslatable” words (i.e., those lacking an exact equivalent in another language, in this case English). This chapter reflects on the nature of untranslatable words, considers their significance to positive psychology (and psychology more broadly), and offers suggestions for why and how the field should engage with them.

Tandem language learning via e-mail: from motivation to autonomy

ReCALL ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 121-128 ◽  
Author(s):  
EMA USHIODA
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Empirical Data ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Small Body ◽  
Affective Learning ◽  
Learner Autonomy ◽  
Pedagogical Issues ◽  
Affective Dimension ◽  
Tandem Learning ◽  
E Mail

This paper examines the affective dimension of tandem language learning via e-mail. It begins by highlighting some of the obstacles to this mode of learning, including organisational and pedagogical issues as well as the particular issues confronting learners. Drawing on a small body of empirical data, it explores the interactions between these issues and what learners perceive to be intrinsically motivating about tandem learning. It concludes by suggesting that affective learning experience has a potentially powerful role to play in fostering the development of learner autonomy through the reciprocity on which successful tandem learning is founded.

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