In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

7 Language counselling for learner autonomy: the skilled helper in self-access language learning Rena Kelly Introduction Self-access language learning (SALL) is widely acknowledged as a leading innovation in TESOL. Many tertiary institutions in Asia have establishe d self-access centres within the last five years (Miller 1992). Focusing on the needs o f th e individua l languag e learne r ca n be see n a s a n outcom e o f curriculum evolution that originated in the needs analysis protocols of early ESP (Munby 1978), and of a humanistic person-centred approach to course design an d classroom teaching (Nunan 1988) . SALL is also an expressio n of technologica l innovation , particularl y wit h regar d t o compute r applications to language learning. The underlying theory of SALL, to the extent that there is one, can be traced to humanistic concepts of autonomy and self-direction (Harding-Esch 1976; Holec 1981), and to theories of adult learning (Knowles 1975). The visible face of SALL is defined by the growing number of self-access centres: the layout, the materials, the technology. Self-access practitioner s tend to be preoccupied, at least initially, with the configuration of self-access resources, which i s perhaps a n expressio n o f th e demandin g technica l process of setting up a centre and copin g with budgetary decisions . The responsibility for 'getting it right' and making a self-access centre work is daunting a s there are few establishe d referenc e point s t o steer by i n th e domain of self-access learning . However, the secret to making a self-access centre succeed requires more than technology and the right configuration o f resources. Creating a selfaccess centr e doe s no t i n itsel f enabl e learner s t o become self-directed . 94 Ren a Kelly Learners nee d t o undergo a considerable transformatio n o f thei r belief s about language and their role as learners in order to be able to undertake independent learning effectively. This process of reorientation and personal discovery is directly or indirectly an outcome of learner training. To facilitate this process, the teachers who work in a self-access centre need to develop new ways of interacting with learners. This chapter propose s tha t th e competencies tha t self-acces s helper s need t o acquire deriv e fro m a counselling mode l o f one-to-one helping , and argues that language counselling is a valid application of counselling within education, as much as is career counselling, academic counsellin g and stud y counselling . Counsellin g i s essentially a form o f therapeuti c dialogue that enables an individual to manage a problem. It is particularly effective when personal choices have to be made, and when acquired beliefs about oneself and the world need to be changed. It is not difficult to conceptualize the transition to self-directed and selfmanaged language learning as a problem for the learner, requiring decisions that are based on a new understanding of self-responsibility and self-help . Language counselling is just one example of what Egan (1986: viii), a leading counsellor-trainer, call s a "problem-solvin g o r problem-managemen t approach to helping". The skills of language counselling In this chapter I propose a split-level classification of the skills of language counselling, into macro-skills and micro-skills. The macro-skills category describes particular strategies by a self-access helper that can facilitate learne r self-management o f a self-access project . Forms of language counselling include initiating, goal-setting, suggesting, supporting etc. , as liste d i n Tabl e 1 below. Som e o f thes e counsellin g strategies can come into play at any time during th e cycle of a learner' s project; others, such as concluding, are triggered by the learner's stage in the project process. The macro-skills relate to stages in the process of a SALL project, an d the top-to-bottom sequence in Table 1 below suggests a cycle, from initiating to concluding. However, an 'initiating' intervention by a helper could occur at any point during a SALL project when it becomes apparent, for example, that the learner needs to branch off and consolidate an aspect of grammar or text cohesion in order to improve his/her academic writing. Whereas the macro...

Share