Self-access Centres

Supporting learner autonomy - the rationale.

Make a rough inventory of the materials in the self access centre. Classify them according to level &/or skills involved e.g. elementary readers; advanced vocabulary books. How would you use the materials to give individual tasks to: an elementary group of Arabs, S. Americans and Japanese learners, a higher intermediate class of pre-university learners: oil company employees of mixed nationality?

What preparation and follow-up work do you think would be necessary in each case? Which study skills do you think could be practised here and at what stage would you introduce them?

Self Access Centres - the rationale?

1. freedom to select and organise
2. motivation assured - concentration much better
3. independently or in small groups
4. own pace
5. Teacher there to help
6. privacy (not so shy)
7. remedial work
8. help for special L1 backgrounds

Using Self Access Centres during lesson periods

• How often? Double period? Every day?
• Follow-up: report back to class e.g. tell others what they have been reading about or doing.
• Prepare formal presentation.
• Return regularly and often so they remember what they're doing.

For the teacher:

1. You learn more about students - hidden strengths.
2. Good rapport.
3. Often spot problems with listening & orthography.
4. Quick private chats about anything.

Record sheets. What they're doing and where they've got up to.