Stacey Vye Saitama University

Study without reflection is a waste of time. Reflection without study is dangerous. (Confucius BC)

What Benson says about it: “Although self-assessment has been linked to the idea of autonomy in language –testing field, greater emphasis has been placed on the reliability of summative self-assessments of language proficiency.” (p. 155) “…self-assessment includes reflection on goals, learning activities and appropriate assessment criteria.” (p. 155)

The front side of the badge is for the teacher to remember names !

Checking Information: ・ Could you explain that point? ・ Can you give us an example of..? ・ What exactly do you mean by...? Classroom English: ・ I’m sorry I’m late. ・ When is _______ due? ・ I won’t be here next week. What homework do I need to do? ・ Could I use the restroom please? ・ I have a question. ・ Could you explain this problem? ・ I’m not sure what to do. ・ What does ________ mean? ・ How do you spell _______? ・ How do you say ______ in English? ・ I’m sorry, I don’t understand.. Asking about Opinion: ・ What do you think about ……? ・ What’s your opinion? ・ How do you feel about this? ・ Do you agree with me that....? Giving an Opinion: ・ In my opinion, …………… ・ Personally, I think that ….. ・ It seems to me that ……… ・ I feel that …………… PHRASES to REMEMBER (the reverse side of the badge for students to view.)

Fifteen years ago, in my classes, the reverse side of the name badge was just a blank white piece of paper (see previous slide). The name badges were helpful for classroom support, but I was feeling what Leni Dam terms: The Octopus Syndrome – the feeling of being everywhere and nowhere at the same time in the classroom. - “We have struggled with the traditional, “efficient” teacher role in which the teacher is the one who knows best. We have tried hard to become better at listening to learners and respecting their right to make the “wrong” decisions.” (p. 77)

Reflection inspiring learners!  Giving learners a voice in their class  Providing a space for ongoing dialogues and syllabus negotiation  Consideration of the learning experience & how the language can be used in the future  More authentic communication with their peers and the teacher  Giving the teacher more opportunities for authentic interaction  Providing the teacher with more spaces for promoting learner autonomy  Considers that the teacher is more involved in the learners’ experiences  More opportunities for the class to run smoothly while a void /space needs to be filled (an emergency, technical glitch, hurt feelings, a teachable moment etc.) & even teachers too!

The learner detaches from the task and reflects on it, then the focus on the attention shifts to the learning itself (rather than route memorization), which provides “the crucial trigger to total self-organization in learning.” (p.21)

Not meaningful/useful enough information for me so I revised the profile for each class!

Name in English: ___________________________ Why do you join this class?: _________________ Name in kanji: ____________________________ Major: _____________ Favorite thing?: _______ Student ID Number:____ Club or Circle Activity: ____ (optional): ________ Home Town: ______ Previous English Class (es): _________________ How long does it take to get to Saidai?: _______ Previous English Teacher(s): ________________ Your future dream? ________________________

Whatever tool you might decide to construct to create more reflection and self- assessment in your classes, carefully looking at your own teaching contexts and design what will benefit your learners, yourself, and perhaps the other share holders. It goes without saying, but respect the privacy right of your learners with the information they provide you.

Benson, P. (2001). Teaching and researching autonomy in language learning. London: Longman. Dam, L. (1995). Learner Autonomy 3: From theory to classroom practice. Dublin: Authenik. Little, D. (1991). Learner autonomy 1: Definitions, issues and problems. Dublin: Authentik. Acknowledgements: Thanks to Leander Hughes for input on earlier versions of the design and content of the name badge/reflection sheet. " Clip art licensed from the Clip Art Gallery on DiscoverySchool.com" on slides 4, 5. and 15