Introduction

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

Dominique Vola Ambinintsoa, Kanda University of International Studies, Chiba, Japan. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5987-3242 

Eduardo Castro, Kanda University of International Studies, Chiba, Japan. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8218-6205  

Mynard, J., Ambinintsoa, D. V., & Castro, E. (2025). Introduction. Studies in Self-Access Learning Journal, 16(1), 1–4. https://doi.org/10.37237/160101

Welcome to this issue of SiSAL Journal, which features nine papers in the main section and two papers in the Ethnographies of Self-Access section. This issue includes contributors from Hungary, Iran, Japan, Jordan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Scotland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, and Vietnam. The papers in the main collection address key themes in language education, including self-regulated learning, self-directed learning, collaborative learning, and advising in language learning and writing center support. The ethnographic papers offer practitioner-based reflections on the impact of generative AI and multilingualism in language education. 

Following this introductory paper, the Introduction section also includes a special article celebrating SiSAL Journal’s 60th issue. In this article, the authors, who are also the current editors, provide a retrospective view of the journal’s journey over the last 15 years, from its inception in June 2010 to the present issue, published in March 2025. 

We hope you enjoy this international issue and continue to support us as we continue our mission of publishing timely, scholarly articles related to self-access learning and outside-class support for language learners. As always, sincere thanks go to all of our reviewers, authors, and editorial team members.

Contents

Self-Regulated, Self-Directed, and Collaborative Learning

The first paper is by Ruba Fahmi Bataineh (Yarmouk University), Enas Naim Al-Ghoul (Ministry of Education), and Rula Fahmi Bataineh (Jordan University of Science and Technology), Jordan. In their paper, the authors describe a study on the impact of self-regulated learning through the use of Darsak, an online platform established by the Ministry of Education of Jordan during the pandemic, and the use of Facebook on ninth-grade students’ reading comprehension skills. Their findings suggest that the use of the two platforms, along with the self-regulated learning instructions, helped students improve their scanning and referencing skills.

The second paper is by Siti Zuhaida Hussein (Universiti Kebangsaan), Rosnita Hashim (Universiti Kebangsaan), Siti Suria Salim (Universiti Putra), and Maziah Ahmad Marzuki (Universiti Kebangsaan), Malaysia. In this study, the authors examine the relationship between undergraduate students’ learning styles, friendship quality, and self-directed learning. The findings reveal a significant relationship between learning styles and self-directed learning. The authors argue that embracing diverse learning styles and employing varied teaching methods can help students develop effective self-directed learning strategies.

In the third paper, Muhammed Özgür Yaşar (Eskişehir Osmangazi University, Turkey) introduces a video-based pedagogical framework to support the development of self-regulated learning. The author provides a step-by-step guide on how the proposed model can be implemented in the classroom through reflective practices, enabling learners to take an active role in their language development. The paper concludes with implications for language education and suggests ways to empirically test the framework, focusing on specific language skills.

The fourth paper is by Thi My Linh Tran from National Dong Hwa University (Taiwan) and Thuongmai University (Vietnam). In this study, the author explores teachers’ perspectives on learner autonomy in collaborative online learning environments. The findings reveal that the participating teachers hold different beliefs about autonomy and its implementation. The study highlights the long-term impact of autonomy on students, their perspectives in collaborative settings, and how institutions can better support autonomy in virtual classrooms.

The last paper about self-regulated learning in this issue is by Nima ZabihiAtergeleh, Mehrshad Ahmadian, and Shaban Najafi Karimi from Islamic Azad University, Iran. Using a structural equation model approach, the authors investigated the relationships between the L2 motivational self system (L2MSS) components, including the ideal L2 self, English learning experience, ought-to L2 self, and self-regulated language learning. The results of their study indicated that intrinsic motivation plays a key role in linking the ideal L2 self and English learning experience to the affective, (meta)cognitive, and behavioral aspects of self-regulated language learning.

Advising in Language Learning and Writing Center Support

The sixth paper by Danica Anna D. Guban-Caisido (University of the Philippines, Quezon City) reports on a two-phase, sequential advising case study in a foreign language department at a state university in the Philippines. In the initial phase, advising was a means of psychosocial intervention for first-time self-access learners during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. The second phase was implemented during the transition to in-person classes. The author discusses differences that emerged in the nature of advising, highlighting the flexible nature of advising and showing how it can be utilized in a variety of contexts and modalities.

The seventh paper is by Tatsuro Tahara and Masayuki Odora from Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan. The authors share a study that identifies the characteristics of repeat visitors to a university writing center in Japan. Drawing on reservation data, the authors provide statistical analysis on the number of writers and sessions of repeat and one-time visitors. The authors show differences between repeat and one-time visitors, indicating insights into writing center trends in Japan based on the frequency of visits.

The eighth paper is by Khilola Uralova from Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) in Budapest, Hungary. The author analyzes the discourse in online office-hour appointments between one professor and one PhD student as they collaborate on an academic paper. The author draws on the Initiation-Response-Feedback (IRF) model to examine advice acceptance and asymmetry during institutional talk using conversation analysis (CA). The author suggests that the application of the IRF model alone in online office-hour settings is not optimal as it fails to account for the dynamics of collaborative and interactive advising. The author instead advocates a more flexible model of advising in such scenarios. 

Lastly, the ninth paper in the main section is by Jing Yun and Sin Wang Chong from the University of St Andrews, Scotland. The authors draw on a language advising framework and conduct semi-structured interviews with nine student teachers to investigate their experiences with implementing learner autonomy through advising in international classroom contexts. Although the participants developed language learner autonomy in their teaching, most were not familiar with advising as a pedagogical approach. However, they expressed curiosity and a desire to develop advising skills. The authors suggest that language teachers could benefit from learning advising skill training that could be applied to their teaching contexts. 

Ethnographies of Self-Access Column

The first paper in this column is by Kiki Juli Anggoro from Walailak University, Thailand. In this reflection, Anggoro chronicles his experiences integrating Generative AI into EFL teaching. The author describes strategies for implementing this technology in the classroom, explores how it can promote learner autonomy and support teacher professional development, particularly within the Flipped Classroom approach, and reflects on the ethical challenges that may arise in its use in language education.

The second paper in this column is the fifth installment of Leoncio P. Olobia’s autoethnography from Leyte Normal University, Philippines. In this paper, the author reflects on the use of native languages in second-language communication, exploring from a first-person perspective how one’s native language can shape discourse, assert cultural identity, and reinforce national character. The paper concludes by advocating for a multilingual approach to language education.

Notes on the Editors

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, University of 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. 

Dominique Vola Ambinintsoa is a senior learning advisor and lecturer at Kanda University of International Studies in Japan. She holds a PhD in Applied Linguistics focusing on learner autonomy (Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand) and an Ed.M in TESOL (State University of New York at Buffalo, US). Her research interests include learner autonomy, self-regulated learning, the psychology of language learning, and advising in language learning. 

Eduardo Castro is a Learning Advisor and Lecturer at Kanda University of International Studies in Japan and a PhD candidate at the University of Jyväskylä in Finland. He holds an MSc in Applied Linguistics from the Federal University of Viçosa in Brazil. His research interests focus on the psychology of language learning and teaching, particularly the role of emotions in language education.