Self-access learning centres (SALCs) are spaces in which learners are provided with access to resources that can assist them in achieving their goals. Within the SALC at Kanda University of International Studies, there is a wide range of resources available to students. However, a prior in-house study (Yarwood, Lorentzen, Wallingford, & Wongsarnpigoon, 2019) indicated that the resources were not being fully utilised by the students. The aim of our intervention study was to explore how targeted discussion topics could be used in classroom settings to assist non-English major students in feeling supported in their autonomous use of English within the SALC context. Data were collected in the form of a post-intervention survey, and focus group interviews. The data were then analysed using Basic Psychological Needs Theory (BPNT), a sub-theory within Self-Determination Theory (Ryan & Deci, 1987). Our findings suggest that the intervention fostered feelings of competence in both students’ English abilities, and their ability for self-reflection. Feelings of competence combined with support from peers motivated a portion of students to increase their use of English within the SALC. While many students felt that the intervention had helped them to increase their use of English in the SALC, the majority of students were uncertain about the effectiveness of the intervention. We will present several possible reasons for these findings.

Basic Psychological Needs Theory (BPNT) is one of several mini theories within Self-Determination Theory, a framework developed by Deci and Ryan’s (1985) to study human motivation. As part of a larger, on-going project, the three main components of BPNT, autonomy, relatedness and competence, are used as points of evaluation to determine the autonomy-supportiveness of a Japanese self-access learning center (SALC). Based on the analysis of 107 interviews, we will highlight how the SALC is structured to be an autonomy-supportive environment. Additionally, we will provide insight into the importance of relatedness to the learners of our SALC and explore the contractions between their desire to communicate in English and their reluctance to actualize their desires. Based on these findings, future interventions will be discussed to outline actions the SALC can take in order to further develop the autonomy-supportive nature of the self-access environment.

Since 2020, language learning environments have had to swiftly transition from traditional face-to-face learning to remote learning contexts. This chapter interrogates factors related to students' willingness to communicate (WTC) in online-mediated discussions in a Japanese university classroom. Using a self-determination theory framework to conduct a thematic analysis of data collected from focus group discussions and the written reflections of English L2 learners (N=19), three main factors were found to contribute to a lack of WTC. Two of the three are unique to online learning: disruptive environmental factors and a thwarting of relatedness between classmates. The third factor, a perceived lack of communicative ability, although not unique to online learning, was amplified by the online environment. In order to address these factors, which contribute to a lack of WTC, a number of teaching interventions aimed at fostering communicative online classrooms are introduced.

This article is a reflection on a course designed to introduce general advising skills and approaches to a mixed-year EFL class at a foreign language university in Japan. The authors of the article provide commentary on not only the course design but also how the course was perceived from both teacher and learner perspectives. This course was comprised of thirty 90-minute lessons covering three core topics which included (1) understanding what advising is in everyday contexts and the role of advisors, (2) using advising strategies and (3) understanding affect and how to deal with it during advising sessions. To ensure students had ample opportunities to practice the skills and strategies they had learned about, mock-advising sessions took place. Several benefits of these sessions from both the teacher’s and students’ perspectives are provided. Following a discussion of the issues encountered, suggestions for modifications are made. Additionally, an outline of how students were supported in developing their ability to analyse advising sessions for their own benefit is provided. The article concludes with a final reflection on the course as a whole from both teaching and learning perspectives.

Advisors acknowledge that their words are powerful. On the one hand, they potentially influence a learner’s action if he or she is not confident enough to make his or her own decision. Thus, the degree of directiveness is a concern that they pay attention to in advising dialogues. On the other hand, advisors often encounter the situation where they play crucial roles in empowering learners to take a step forward to changing a critical situation, especially when he or she faces a difficulty. As the challenge involves not only academic matters but also interpersonal as well as emotional ones, they also take initiatives to create a “secure space” in their advising dialogues so that the learner feels accepted and comfortable sharing the core of his or her problem. The two stories below illustrate how advisors supported their learners in rather directive ways, which eventually ignited learners’ willingness to take charge of their own learning and overcome the challenging situation.