by Jo Mynard Kanda University of International Studies (Chiba, Japan) Does ‘self-access’ still have life in it? Absolutely it does! However, I still maintain that it has to be done right. This will, to some degree, vary from institution to institution, but there are some fundamental things to get right when running an institutional […]
Month: June 2012
A Review of “Digitised Vocabulary Acquisition: Lexxica Word Engine”
by Stephen J. Hall Centre for English Language Studies, Sunway University (Bandar Sunway, Malaysia) Many learners of English as an additional language reach a plateau and then either remain in the communicative comfort zone or have the realisation that vocabulary acquisition is crucial to further development. The call of `I need to learn more […]
Listening strategy instruction (or extensive listening?): A response to Renandya (2012)
by Jeremy Cross Formerly of the British Council in Japan (Japan) I was interested to read Renandya’s (2012) piece ‘Five reasons why listening strategy instruction might not work with lower proficiency learners’ disputing the value of listening strategy instruction. As an L2 listening researcher (as opposed to a commentator), I agree it […]
The End of Self-Access?: From Walled Garden to Public Park
by Hayo Reinders Middlesex University (London, UK) I’ll admit the title is deliberately trying to provoke a reaction but it reflects a genuine concern I have had for some time. To my mind, self-access is in danger of slipping far away from the forefront of educational innovation it once occupied. In this short discussion […]