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Over the years, I have come to appreciate the publication of each new Garold Murray book for obliging me to engage with innovative ideas in the field. Murray’s most recent collaboration with Terry Lamb is no exception. In this collection, the editors have trained their gaze on space and place – phenomena so very ordinary and ubiquitous that many of us may never have reflected on the role they play in learning. Each of the book’s 15 chapters explores, in very different ways, the processes by which spaces are transformed into places for language learning or teaching. According to Carter, Donald and Squires (1993, ix) – “place is a space to which meaning is ascribed”. Think of your favourite café, the spot in your home you go to when you want to read, or the area in the yoga room where you like to place your mat. According to Murray and Lamb, autonomy is a key element in the process of transforming a space into a place.

Social spaces for language learning: Stories from the L-café describes the background, evolution and impact of the L-café, a social language learning space (SLLS) at Okayama University, Japan. This book is a must-read for anyone considering creating a similar space.

Book review

Holec’s seminal definition of learner autonomy as the capacity to take charge of one’s own learning has guided my work as a language educator in both classrooms and self-access centres over the past 30 years. Implementing his model, I encouraged learners to take responsibility for all aspects of their learning from goal setting to assessment. However, my focus has gradually shifted from the individual learner working independently towards individual learners working collaboratively. I adopted a community of practice perspective to conceptualize to conceptualize the learning I saw happening through social interaction. Gradually, this frame of reference expanded to encompass ecology and complexity thinking. In this chapter I explore how adopting complex dynamic systems theory as a theoretical orientation has influenced how I view learner autonomy and Holec’s model. To illustrate my points, I draw on data from three studies carried out over an eight-year period in a social space for language learning at a Japanese university: an ethnography, a multiple-case study and a narrative inquiry. After describing the learning context, tracing the evolving theoretical orientation, and outlining the studies, I examine learner autonomy as an emergent phenomenon in relation to such themes as control, change, space and place, and imagination. Before concluding, I reflect on the implications for practice, further inquiry, and Holec’s model.

The central argument of this paper is that self-access centres transformed into social learning spaces have the potential to become self-enriching complex dynamic ecosocial systems. As such, they can support the emergence of a wide variety of affordances for language learning. While complex dynamic systems cannot be created and the process of emergence cannot be engineered, research suggests that both can be facilitated. To illustrate these points, I draw on the findings of three studies carried out in a social learning space at Okayama University in Japan: a five-year ethnography, a multiple-case study, and a narrative inquiry. I begin by describing the social learning space, outlining the studies and providing an overview of the theoretical orientations which guided the interpretation of the data. Informed by these bodies of theory and results from the studies, I then discuss why it is important to have a social learning space with the potential to become a complex dynamic ecosocial system. The paper concludes with an exploration of how educators might go about facilitating the emergence of self-enriching complex dynamic ecosocial systems.

In this era of globalization, Japanese universities will have to accommodate an increasing number of local students wishing to learn foreign languages and they will also have to welcome more international students to their campuses. While universities will undoubtedly take steps to ensure that both groups have positive educational and intercultural experiences, we contend that it is also incumbent upon them to implement measures designed to facilitate the adaptation of international students to Japanese society. In this article, we examine the role social learning spaces can play in helping universities respond to these challenges. We argue that these facilities can make an invaluable contribution by supporting language learning and cross-cultural acclimatization for both international and Japanese students. The term social learning spaces refers to places where students can come together in an informal or quasi-formal environment in order to learn from and with each other. To illustrate our points, we draw on the data from a five-year ethnographic inquiry carried out at one such facility on the campus of a large national university. After describing the social learning space, outlining the study, and tracing the theoretical orientation guiding the interpretation of the data, we focus on the benefits social learning spaces can afford international students wishing to improve their language skills and adapt to Japanese society. To conclude, we reflect on how social learning spaces can support the process of glocalization by making local universities more globalized places.

Over the past four decades, learner autonomy in language learning has been quietly moving across what might be viewed as three paradigms in applied linguistics. When learner autonomy was introduced in the late 1970s, language classrooms were largely teacher-dominated. At that time, learner autonomy offered a much-needed focus on learners as individuals capable of accepting responsibility for all aspects of their learning. Later, as Vygotsky’s (1978, 1986) neo-constructivist theories became known, learning came to be seen as being socially mediated; and the field of applied linguistics experienced ‘a social turn’. Now it is widely recognized that learner autonomy develops more through interdependence rather than independence. Currently in the field of applied linguistics, ecology and complexity thinking are becoming more widespread. This article explores the impact that this theoretical shift might have on the work being carried out in social learning spaces. By drawing on themes arising from an ethnography, a multiple case study, and a narrative inquiry investigating a social learning space, this article looks at how managers might facilitate the emergence of affordances for learning by fostering conditions for complex emergence. It begins by situating the research within the literature, and providing an overview of pertinent aspects of theories of complex dynamic systems and space and place. Then, illustrating the points with themes and anecdotes from the three studies, suggestions are made as to how learning space managers might support the emergence of affordances for learning through attention to distributed control, neighbour interactions, reciprocity, randomness, and physical design features of the learning space.

Learner autonomy is a construct in motion, unfolding in step with our academic imaginary. Over the past forty years, it has demonstrated its capacity to adapt to changing times. Introduced in the late 1970s during an era characterized by the teacher-dominated language classroom, learner autonomy provided a much-needed focus on learners as potentially independent individuals capable of taking charge of their learning. Later, as the so-called ‘social turn’ gained prominence in the field of applied linguistics, autonomy revealed itself to be a social construct developed through interdependence. Now, as applied linguists turn their attention to complexity science, what facets of learner autonomy can be revealed by examining the construct from the perspective of complex dynamic systems theory? This paper addresses this question by drawing on the findings of three studies – a five-year ethnography, a longitudinal multiple-case study and a narrative inquiry – all of which explored a social space for language learning located on the campus of a large national university in Japan. The aim of these studies was to explore the ways in which learners experienced the facility and how it supported their linguistic and personal development. Adopting an ecological approach enabled the author and fellow researchers to focus on the affordances that emerged through learners’ engagement with the environment. Gradually, as these studies were carried out over the past eight years, the thinking on how to view this space, the learners and their learning has expanded from a community of practice perspective to one embracing complex dynamic systems theory. This article will examine how this shift in theoretical focus has offered lessons on learner autonomy in this out-of-class context.

This chapter proposes a new research direction into autonomy in language learning: an exploration of its spatial dimension. Based on a longitudinal ethnographic inquiry into a social learning space in a language centre in a Japanese university, a key assumption of the study is that how people define a space transforms it into a place, determines what they do there and influences their autonomy. Drawing on data from this five-year investigation, the findings suggest that researchers might draw on ecological approaches, complexity approaches and mediated discourse analysis. The chapter concludes by reflecting on the potential benefits of pursuing research that incorporates space, place and autonomy.

This paper examines how learner autonomy and self-regulated learning might be related by comparing and contrasting the two constructs. After identifying the traits learner autonomy and self-regulated learning have in common, I argue that in order to understand how they differ we have to look beyond a discrete point comparison of their features. Given that both areas of inquiry have been broadening their focus on the individual learner to include greater recognition of the role of the social environment in the learning process, I expand the scope of my analysis to include their social dimensions. In the ensuing discussion, I explore the notion that their social dimensions encompass emotional, spatial and political dimensions. To illustrate my points, I draw on data from an ethnographic inquiry investigating the experiences of Japanese English foreign language learners participating in a social language learning space on the campus of a large national university. The paper concludes by examining the implications of this theoretical discussion for pedagogical practice and further inquiry.

This paper explores pedagogical practices which can support the role of imag- ination in foreign language learning. Over the past decade, work on self and identity in motivation research—most notably Norton’s (2001) imagined communities and Dörnyei’s (2009) L2 motivational self system—has suggested that teachers might foster students’ motivation by helping them imagine themselves as L2 speakers and envisage contexts or communities in which they might use the target language. If teachers are to help students create and sustain visions of L2 identities, they need to employ a pedagogy which incor- porates and facilitates the work of the imagination. In order to provide guide- lines for pedagogical practice, this paper examines the experiences of Japa- nese university students studying English as a foreign language in a self- directed learning course. Prior analysis of the data revealed several affordanc- es which supported the participants’ metacognitive development and the role of imagination in their learning. Using these affordances as a conceptual framework, this paper builds on previous work by identifying elements in the learning environment which appear to support the role of imagination in the students’ language learning. The paper concludes by suggesting guidelines for pedagogical practice and considering the implications for further inquiry.

This chapter presents a thematic content analysis of sixteen narratives by administrators, teachers and students in which they write about their experiences in a social space for language learning at a Japanese university. Drawing on complex dynamic systems theory as well as theories of space and place, the authors explore the affordances for language learning and personal development available in this environment, the theoretical implications for out-of-class learning and insights pertaining to the development and management of such facilities. The authors conclude by presenting a conceptual model for social learning spaces and suggesting directions for future research.

This chapter chronicles a narrative inquiry comprised of a collection of sixteen stories about how students, teachers and administrators experience the L-cafe, a social space for foreign language learning located on the campus of a large national university in Japan. Adopting a narrative style, this introductory chapter begins with a description of the L-cafe and a brief outline of its history, after which it tells the story of the five-year ethnographic study leading up to the current inquiry. It then provides an account of how the theoretical perspective informing the interpretation of the stories expanded from a focus on community of practice to encompass constructs from human geography, mediated discourse analysis and complex dynamic systems theory. It concludes with a synopsis of the participants’contributions.

Metacognitive knowledge – what students know about themselves, the tasks they complete and their learning strategies – is essential for successful self-directed learning. It follows that those who work in self-directed learning settings need to stimulate their students’ metacognitive development. Previous research in metacognition has defined its characteristics and contribution to language learning, but little has been written about how it develops or can be promoted. This paper seeks to fill that gap by reporting on a three-year study involving more than 400 Japanese students of English which investigated the development of their metacognitive knowledge. The paper will first discuss research in metacognitive knowledge as it relates to language learning. Then, it will describe the aims and nature of the learning opportunities provided in the study before describing the research methodology. Thirdly, the results of analysing quantitative and qualitative data gathered will be presented and discussed. The data provide evidence of change in the students’ beliefs about assuming control of their learning, and reflect increases in their ability to plan, monitor and evaluate their learning. It is argued that distinctive elements in the learning structure contributed to the growth of students’ metacognitive knowledge.

This paper reports on a life history research project which involves collecting the language learning stories of adult Japanese English foreign language (EFL) learners who have attained intermediate to advanced levels of fluency without having studied or lived overseas. In these stories the learners reveal what they did to learn the language outside of the classroom. An analysis of the stories provides insights into the prominent role pop culture plays in their language learning. The author uses these insights to illustrate the kind of knowledge that life history research can provide language educators and how this knowledge might inform pedagogical practice.

Paradoxical as it might seem, most of the authors contributing to this exploration of the social dimensions of autonomy in language learning began their chapter by referring to Holec’s seminal definition. He defined autonomy as ‘the ability to take charge of one’s own learning’ (Holec 1981: 3), and, in doing so, situated the construct squarely on the individual side of the individual-social dialectic in applied linguistics (for a discussion see Benson and Cooker 2013b). His definition and accompanying model grew out of early work to develop self-access language learning. In this institutional context, individuals were learning the target language by themselves through direct access to target language materials; hence, the term self-access. ‘To take charge of one’s own learning’ entailed setting goals, selecting materials, making decisions about activities and strategies, monitoring progress and assessing outcomes. This learning environment called for learners to work independently of a teacher, to take initiative, to plan, and to accept responsibility of all aspects of their learning. Furthermore, as Lewis (Chapter 3) points out, the emphasis on learner independence was necessary at a time when the notion that learners could successfully take on these responsibilities amounted to a revolutionary concept. Thirty years on, Holec’s remains the most commonly cited definition of learner autonomy (Benson 2007).

In a New York Times article commenting on the protest movements which unsettled the status quo from Tahrir Square in Cairo to Zuccotti Park in New York City, the author cautions that ‘we tend to underestimate the political power of physical places’ (Kimmelman 2011: SRI). In this chapter we argue that neither should we underestimate the power of place in relation to language education, nor its relevance for learner autonomy. Benson (2011: 58) defines autonomy as ‘the capacity to take control of one’s own learning’ and characterizes it as encompassing three dimensions: control over learning management (cf. Holec 1981), control over cognitive processing (cf. Little 1991), and control over content. We propose a fourth dimension: space. How learners imagine a space to be, perceive it, define it, and articulate their understandings transforms a space into a place, determines what they do there, and influences their autonomy.

This paper reports on an ethnographic inquiry into the linguistic and sociocultural affordances available to English and Japanese foreign language learners through their engagement in a social learning space at a Japanese university. By social learning space we refer to a facility in which students come together in order to learn with and from each other in a non-formal setting. To explore the social learning dynamic in this environment, we carried out a longitudinal ethnographic inquiry. Data came primarily from interviews with learners and administrators, supported by participant-observations. A thematic analysis of the data, informed by ecological and community of practice perspectives, pointed to the emergence of a community of learners and revealed how closely the affordances were connected with the emergent community. In this paper we report on the findings related to the affordances which gave rise to language learning opportunities, the relationship of these affordances to the conditions which supported the development of a community of learners, and the role of learner autonomy in regard to these two interrelated phenomena.

While much of the literature in the area of language education focuses on young people learning primarily in classroom settings, this chapter explores the topic of designing learning opportunities for older learners outside of the classroom context. Over the next two decades, the number of retired people will increase dramatically in nations around the world. Media reports constantly remind us that people are not only enjoying a longer life span than previous generations but are also staying healthier and more active. For any number of reasons, many will commence or renew foreign language study. Language educators and researchers will need to turn their attention to the matter of learning languages later in life and the challenges older learners face.

Questo articolo si propone di analizzare come l’apprendimento autonomo e tra pari delle lingue straniere possono essere coadiuvati da supporti digitali del Web 2.0 . In primo luogo, si delineano le teorie alla base di questi due tipologie d’apprendimento, e in seguito si analizzano le risorse e gli ambienti digitali del Web 2.0 che possono favorire l’apprendimento della lingua 2, nel caso specifico, l’inglese. L’ambiente digitale LearnWeb , sviluppato dal Centro di Ricerca L3S di Hannover, viene presentato come caso studio di ambiente in cui gli/le apprendenti possono sviluppare autonomia e modalita di apprendimento attraverso la collaborazione tra pari. DOI: 10.17456/SIMPLE-141 Bibligrafia Benson, Phil. 2001. Teaching and Researching Autonomy in Language Learning. London: Longman. Benson, Phil. 2011. What’s new in autonomy? The Language Teacher , 35, 4: 15-18. Boato, Ilaria. 2018. 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Peer review in higher education: Student perceptions before and after participation. Active Learning in Higher Education , 15, 2: 157-171. Murray, Garold. 2014. Exploring the Social Dimensions of Autonomy in Language Learning. Garold Murray eds. Social Dimensions of Autonomy in Language Learning . Basingstoke: Pal- grave Macmillan, Kindle Edition. Paramaxi, Antigoni & Panayiotis Zaphiris. 2017. Web 2.0 in Computer-Assisted Language Learning: a research synthesis and implications for instructional design and educational practice. Interactive Learning Environments , 25, 6: 704-716. Richards, Jack C. & Theodore S. Rodgers. 2014. Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching [3rd ed.]. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Rosell-Aguilar, Fernando. 2007. Top of the Pods - In Search of a Podcasting “Podagogy” for Language Learning. Computer Assisted Language Learning , 20, 5: 471-492. Salvador, Giorgia. 2018. 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1. Introduction: Exploring the Social Dimensions of Autonomy in Language Learning Garold Murray PART I: THE EMOTIONAL DIMENSION 2. Developing Autonomous Language Learners in HE: A Social Constructivist Perspective Christine O'Leary 3. Learner Autonomy and the Theory of Sociality Tim Lewis 4. Self-regulation and Autonomous Dependency Among Japanese Learners of English Tomoko Yashima PART II: THE SPATIAL DIMENSION 5. The Semiotics of Place: Autonomy and Space Garold Murray, Naomi Fujishima and Mariko Uzuka 6. 'Facebook me' within a Global Community of Learners of English: Technologizing Learner Autonomy Alice Chik and Stephan Breidbach 7. Autonomy, Social Interaction and Community: A Distant Language Learning Perspective Linda Murphy 8. Meeting the Autonomy Challenge in an Advanced Spanish Listening ClasS Diego Mideros and Beverly-Anne Carter PART III: THE POLITICAL DIMENSION 9. Autonomy, Complexity and Networks of Learning Liliane Sade 10. The Ecology of Learner Autonomy David Palfreyman 11. Social Class and Autonomy: Four Case Studies in a Mexican SAC Desiree Castillo Zaragoza 12. Local Engagements Enhancing Practitioner Action and Knowledge for Learner Development and Autonomy within a Collaborative Teachers' Network Andy Barfield Conclusion: Autonomy in Language Learning as a Social Construct Garold Murray

The JASAL (Japanese Association of Self-Access Learning) 10th Anniversary Conference was held on December 12th, 2015 at Kanda Institute of Foreign Languages (KIFL) in Tokyo. JASAL was established in 2005 by Garold Murray and Lucy Cooker to promote self-access learning in Japan. 2015 marked the first year that the event was held as a stand-alone conference; from 2006-2014 the JASAL Forum took place at the JALT (Japanese Association for Language Teaching) annual national conferences. More than 50 participants attended the 2015 JASAL conference, which began with a guided tour of KIFL’s self-access facilities. The conference featured 12 presentations on a variety of topics related to self-access learning. In this conference summary, the presentations are grouped into four sections: integrating self-access and curriculum; learning spaces; activities and events; and focus on individuals. At the end of the article, the author considers future directions for the JASAL Conference.

Welcome to the December 2018 issue (Volume 9, Issue 4). We are grateful to all of the authors who submitted contributions to this issue; many will be published in the coming months. Also, we would like to take this opportunity to thank the reviewers who have given helpful feedback on submissions this year: Phil Benson, Alice Chik, Neil Curry, Anthony DiGiulio, Robert Dykes, Andy Gao, Yuri Imamura, Satoko Kato, Paul Lyddon, Diego Mideros, Garold Murray, Jo Mynard, Yoshio Nakai, Erin Okamoto, Christine O’Leary, Wareesiri Singhasiri, Raswan Sockol, Vance Stevens, Clair Taylor, Katherine Thornton, Fukuyo Tomita, Andrew Tweed, Stacey Vye, Satoko Watkins, Atsumi Yamaguchi, Kie Yamamoto Hisako, Yamashita, and Toshinori Yasuda.

This article reports on the JASAL Forum held at the JALT Conference in Tsukuba, Ibaraki on Sunday November 23, 2014. Founded in 2005 by Lucy Cooker and Garold Murray, JASAL (the Japan Association of Self Access Learning) organizes an annual Forum devoted to self-access, language advising and learner autonomy at the national JALT conference, and members are invited to present their research and practices through presentations, posters and discussion. This year’s forum consisted of four presentations and a group discussion based on the theme of ‘Self-Access Conversations: Beyond Classroom Borders’. Presentations were made on the challenges of setting up a new self-access centre, tips for running a self-access centre smoothly, ways to attract users, and ways to evaluate self-access centres.

This article reports on the JASAL Forum held at the JALT Conference in Hamamatsu on October 13th, 2012. JASAL, the Japanese Association of Self Access Learning, was set up in 2005 by Garold Murray and Lucy Cooker to provide a support network for educators and administrators involved with self-access language learning centers (hereafter SACs) in Japan. It holds a forum annually at JALT (the Japan Association for Language Teaching) conference. It has been a great success and providing information and support to those who are involved with SACs in Japan. I am also blessed with all the information and support from the JASAL Forum as I work for a SAC as the director. The 2012 JASAL Forum consisted of a poster session, three paper presentations and an open forum discussion, with the theme of ‘Making a difference through Self Access.’ The presentations this year focused on how to foster autonomy, how to develop understanding of the value of self-access among faculty and administration, and how to integrate self-access with the curriculum. All the presentations provided a brighter vision for SACs in Japan.

JASAL (the Japanese Association of Self Access Learning) was set up in 2005 by Garold Murray and Lucy Cooker to provide a support network for educators and administrators involved in the growing field of self-access learning in Japan. It hosts a website with information related to self-access learning in Japan, a discussion listserve and holds an annual forum at the JALT national conference. To find out more or to join JASAL (it’s free!) please visit the JASAL website, http://jasalorg.wordpress.com/join-us/.