Introduction

Jo Mynard, Kanda University of International Studies, Chiba, Japan. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0363-6461

Mynard, J. (2023). Introduction. Studies in Self-Access Learning Journal, 14(2), 102–105. https://doi.org/10.37237/140201

Welcome to the June 2023 issue of SiSAL journal, which contains five full papers and one summary paper. Contributors are based in Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan and Turkey. The contents for this general issue range from practices of students who are learning languages beyond the classroom, learning strategies favoured by self-regulated learners, one-on-one coaching to help learners transition to self-access environments, engaging learners in a ‘7-Day Challenge’ to introduce them to self-directed learning, provisions for languages other than English in self-access centres in Japan, and facilitator reflections on a ‘Maker Conversation’ project in a SALC. The range of topics highlights the increasingly diverse areas of research related to self-access learning.

Full Papers

The first paper is by David Gardner and Ken Lau from the University of Hong Kong, Ming-i Lydia Tseng from Fu Jen Catholic University, Taiwan, Li-Tang Yu from National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan, and Yun-Pi Yuan fromFu Jen Catholic University, Taiwan. Using the framework of learning beyond the classroom (LBC), the authors report on a study investigating perceived obstacles to practising English outside the classroom. The authors analysed the written reflections of 173 students from a university in Taiwan and were able to identify learning affordances, successes, struggles, attitudes, and motivations.

The second paper is a systematic review by Şadıman Hunutlu from Atatürk University in Turkey. The author examines the findings of 24 studies published in the last five years related to self-regulation strategies and identifies 12 essential strategies and 15 key attributes. The findings provide important insights into how to best support learners in both face-to-face and online environments.

The third paper, by Colin Mitchell from Reitaku University in Japan, explores how learners can be supported as they transition from a teacher-centred educational context to a more learner-centred one, such as a self-access learning environment. One such intervention is one-on-one coaching, and the author examines learners’ perceptions of the main affordances and challenges.

The fourth paper is by Thomas Stones from Kwansei Gakuin University in Japan and focuses on how to develop learning habits. The author reports on an initial study of how students participated in a ‘7-Day Challenge,’ completing independent learning tasks over one week. Students generally perceived the experiment as positive, and the author provides suggestions for similar future projects.

The fifth paper by Katherine Thornton from Otemon Gakuin University in Japan explores foreign language provision in self-access learning centres in Japan. The author draws on data collected from coordinators of SALCs across Japan and investigates the degree to which SALCs in Japan focus on languages other than English (LOTE). The results show that despite an increasing focus on LOTE in some SALCs, other SALCs continue to focus mainly on balancing English and Japanese support.

Descriptions of Practice

Jamison Taube-Shibata and Andria Lorentzen from Kanda University of International Studies in Japan discuss the implementation of an initiative called ‘Maker Conversation’ in a self-access centre in Japan. The authors introduce the concept and rationale for the project and reflect on their experiences as facilitators. The project afforded valuable learning opportunities for students and is a worthwhile component of a SALC.

Acknowledgements

As always, sincere gratitude goes to the anonymous reviewers without whom this journal could not operate. Finally, I would like to thank everyone who has chosen to submit a paper to SiSAL Journal recently and thank them for their patience during the editorial and review process. We are receiving a much higher number of submissions than usual recently, and this will affect publication timings. We will try our best to give you some feedback on your submission within six months.

Notes on the Editor

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 has 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. She is on research leave in Italy until March 2024.