As most of you will receive this newsletter in electronic format, here is a guide to the contents to help you navigate your way around it:

Anita Wenden and Leslie Dickinson

In our first newsletter, we described the projects the SC would take on for the next three years. This newsletter will give you an update on each one and once again ask your participation. This time the newsletter is being sent e-mail as well as 'snail mail'. We hope that each of you who receives it will print it out and distribute it to interested colleagues in your area. WE NEED TO INFORM OTHER COLLEAGUES ABOUT OUR COMMISSION AND YOUR PARTICIPATION IS ESSENTIAL.

MEMBERSHIP

We are including the membership registration form once again. Even if you completed the survey distributed at

AILA, we are asking all of you--those who did not respond last year and those who are receiving the newsletter for the first time this year--to complete it and return it if you wish to remain on our mailing list for future newsletters and our mini publications.

JOINING THE INFORMATION HIGHWAY

In reviewing the suggestions provided on the AILA surveys, we note that networking and the sharing of information is a priority of the membership. An annual newsletter and the LAPI series (see below) are barely a

beginning. We need to take advantage of electronic communication. For example 'Lists', as many of you will know, can be created for educators and researchers interested in a particular topic. They allow participants to address theory/practice, research & experience in an open unmoderated forum. It is an opportunity to meet with others working in the same and/or related areas.

If you are familiar with setting up lists and other forms of electronic communication and/or would like to do research on how our SC members can use the information highway to network, please contact Anita or Leslie.

LEARNER AUTONOMY PROJECT INVENTORY (LAPI)

The idea of the inventory came from our Amsterdam meeting and the surveys you completed. Many voiced the need to establish a data base of the research and/or classroom implementation that is being done.

So far ten people have responded to the request for information. These project descriptions will be available for distribution in LAPI 1 some time in August. Lists of the project titles and objectives will also be available. If you are interested in receiving a copy electronically or by regular mail, order one from Anita Wenden. If you do not have e-mail, you will be asked to send $5US to cover the cost of printing and mailing since we do not have funds.

Those of you who have not yet responded to our call for projects are STRONGLY URGED to do so. We would like to make LAPI 1 the first of a series of LALL 'mini publications' and the beginning of our data bank. Use the categories below to write up your project: research, classroom learner training, evaluation...

LEARNER AUTONOMY PROJECT INVENTORY (LAPI)

PERSONAL DATA (name, mailing address, telephone, fax, e-mail)

PROJECT TITLE & TYPE (e.g. research, classroom materials...)

LEARNER GROUP (proficiency, language being learned, age group)

PROJECT OBJECTIVE(s) (list specific objectives & how these are related to autonomy, language skill involved and/or learner need as relevant)

PROJECT DESCRIPTION (If research, describe briefly, (1) how you collected your data and (2) what the outcomes were . If it is classroom implementation describe your materials, tasks, outcomes. Of course it's also possible to describe a work in progress.

SYSTEM SPECIAL ISSUE ON AUTONOMY

Thanks to all who submitted abstracts. We were sorry that we could not include all of them and invite those authors whose abstracts were not selected to contribute them to LAPI, the Learner Project Inventory. In this way it can be shared with our membership.

The issue on autonomy is due for publication May 1995, SYSTEM 23 (2). Here we include a brief description and a table of contents. Offprints of specific articles may be obtained from individual authors.

GENERAL OVERVIEW

The papers can be divided into three categories: four review relevant literature and/or analyse concepts central

to autonomy; two present the results of empirical research into aspects of learning relevant to autonomy, and two describe ways of developing autonomy through particular pedagogical approaches.

Gremmo/Riley provide us a retrospective view of the field. However, the themes that are the focus of discussion in one or more of the other papers chart NEW directions for future research and practice: the relationship between autonomy and enhanced learning (Dickinson, Little); the importance of metacognitive knowledge (Wenden, Cotterall, Victori/Lockart) and the role of learning setting (White, Ho/Crookall) and of the teacher (Little, White, Ho/Crookall).

CONTENTS

The AILA '96 congress will be held in Jyvaskyla, Finland, 4 - 9 August, 1996. The theme is Applied Linguistics across the Disciplines. If you have not received a copy of their second circular, write to AILA 96 Secretariat Ms Taru-Maija Heilala Jyvaskyla Congresses PO Box 35 FIN - 40351 JYVASKYLA, FINLAND. fAX: 358 41 603 621. E-mail: internet:heilala@jyu.fi OR sajavaar@tukki.jyu.fi

The structure of the '96 congress will be somewhat different from that of past congresses. The organizers are emphasizing participation and will structure the Congress according to the following categories of activities: an opening and closing plenary, symposia, open fora, special sessions and papers (to be presented in poster form) and paper-review sessions.

The organizing committee sent advance circulars to scientific Commissions last May, asking for proposals in line with their structure.

A tentative proposal, altering slightly the format outlined in our 94 newsletter, was submitted. We will know by November 1995 if it is to be accepted. We present it here for your feedback and with an invitation to participate.

THEME

The overall theme for the proposed activities is IMPLEMENTING AUTONOMY. The proposal requests (1) a plenary speaker, e.g. a cognitive psychologist whose task would be to outline the theoretical underpinnings that provide a basis for learner autonomy (2) a special session and (3) a symposium. These program activities intend to take into account the needs of both experienced and less experienced practitioners and researchers AND the importance of audience participation and participation of Commission and network members.

THE SPECIAL SESSION (3 hours)

The special session is conceived as an opportunity for experienced practitioners and researchers in the field of learner autonomy and learner strategies to share their experience and insights. The focus of the session would be the discussion of questions relating to issues/problems confronted in implementing autonomy. It would be coordinated by 'animateurs' whose task would be to facilitate the process. However, the insights to be derived from attending will be the outcome of the group exchange, and so a fair amount of time will be spent working in small

groups to come up with perspectives on the questions . The group outcomes will be presented in a panel and illustrated on a poster.

**Does this special session format appeal to you ? What questions should be the focus of the session ? Do get back to us with your feedback if you did not do so last year.

THE SYMPOSIUM (3 hours)

The theme of the symposium would also be 'implementing autonomy'. Papers would describe research, practice, theory, and cross disciplinary applications of learner autonomy . There could be as many but no more than 10 speakers; the session would be divided into two parts of 90 minutes each consisting of five papers. One hour would be allocated to the presentations and half an hour for questions, comments, discussion. The division would be determined by the topics of the various papers. In selecting presenters, the symposium organizers will seek to

give novice practitioners/researchers the opportunity to share their insights. Sara Cotterall and David Crabbe (Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand) have agreed to organize the symposium.

If you are interested in presenting a paper at the symposium, please submit an abstract of 200 - 400 words by August 31, 1995. The paper should focus on the implementation of autonomy: research, practice, and/or theory. Please send to the symposium organizers:

Sara Cotterall & David Crabbe, English Language Institute, University of Wellington, P.O. Box 600, Wellington, New Zealand. E-mail: Sara.Cotterall@vuw.ac.nz OR Crabbe@matai.vuw.ac.nz

.

"Give a man a fish and he eats for a day. Teach him how to fish and he eats for a lifetime."

MEMBERSHIP REGISTRATION FORM

If you would like to be a member of the Commission or of the Commission's network, please complete and return the enclosed form to Leslie Dickinson (13 Church Hill, Edinburgh, UK EH10 4BG) or Anita Wenden (97-37 63rd Road #15e Rego Park, NY 11374 USA) Members will receive the newsletter and notice of the SC's publications.

Back to Newsletters