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Language Counselling: A Pathway to Success
Erin McDonald, Owner LASNS Ltd.
Amanda M Marshall, Labour Market Language Counsellor for ISIS
Copyright Erin McDonald and Amanda M Marshall 2011. This work is the intellectual property of the authors. Permission is granted for this material to be shared for non-commercial, educational purposes, provided that this copyright statement appears on the reproduced materials and notice is given that the copying is by permission of the authors. To disseminate otherwise or to republish requires written permission from the authors.
The mandate of Language Assessment Services of Nova Scotia (LASNS) is to deliver timely and accurate assessments, accessible and informative language counselling and a responsive referral process. The services encourage clients to find out what they “can do” in English and to build on their existing skills to meet their short and long term educational, career, and personal settlement goals.
ISIS is a leading community organization that welcomes immigrants.
Working in partnership, ISIS offers services and creates opportunities that enable immigrants to participate fully in Canadian life.
Warm-Up Activity
Canadian Language Benchmarks
What are the Canadian Language Benchmarks?
The Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLBs) is a 12-level system that is used to describe listening, speaking, reading and writing skills.
Both the CLBA and the CLBPT measure the learner’s ability to use English for the purposes of placement in language programs.
1998-2009
MISA & HILC
2009-2011
ISIS
2011
IS
IS
2011LA
SN
S
Enhanced Collaboration
Language Counselling History
Both organizations recognize the necessity of an inclusive and supportive approach that meets the diverse needs of learners.
We do this through:
• establishing a continuum of service
• adhering to adult learning principles
• having an awareness of settlement needs
• recognizing the role that autonomy plays in successful language learning
• using current research in the field
© Copyright Erin McDonald and Amanda M Marshall 2011.
Language Counselling History
2009 to Present
•Individual counselling sessions
•Multiple, daily individual meetings
•Tailored, client-centred with focus on goal setting
•Use a strength-based approach
•Focuses on CLBA results and on multiple program options
•Interpretation services available
Prior to 2009
•Group counselling sessions
•Group sessions 1-2 times/week
•Informational
•Used a strength-based approach
•Focused primarily on CLBA results and LINC program options
•Interpretation services not available
Autonomy: The (learned) ability to take responsibility for one’s learning
Client-centred approach: Strategy where learners are encouraged to be actively involved in their own learning, goal-setting and strategies
Strength-based approach: Strategy where individual strengths and skills are recognized, valued and supported
Metacognition: Higher order thinking which involves active control over the cognitive processes engaged in learning (Livingston, 1997)
Goal-setting: Metacognitive strategy that encourages autonomy as well as the act of identifying needs and achievable, desired outcomes
Motivation: The internal and external forces that affect learner interest, choices, direction, effort and commitment to learning
Self-efficacy: An individual’s belief in their abilities to achieve and succeed
LINC: Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada
CLBA/CLBPT/CLBLA: Canadian Language Benchmark Assessment / Placement Test / Literacy Assessment
SLA/ALA: Second Language Acquisition / Additional Language Acquisition
Key Terms and Acronyms
Language counselling is key in:
• Acknowledging the learner’s experience
• Promoting a strength-based approach for language learning
• Establishing relevance
• Collaboratively developing a learning pathway and timeline
• Beginning and maintaining individual goal-setting
• Engaging individual motivation
• Encouraging and fostering learner autonomy
© Copyright Erin McDonald and Amanda M Marshall 2011.
Why Language Counselling?
The Research
Autonomy, interest and goal-setting have been identified as key motivational variables that contribute to an individual’s success (Hidi and Harackiewicz, 2000).
Having an understanding of current theories in SLA and adult education principles and the settlement experience are key.
In addition to this, we looked at three areas of research:
1. The psychology of the individual learner2. Goal-setting theory3. Learner autonomy
Psychology
Knowledge of the general principles of SLA and the research outlining how language is acquired is important; however there is more to the equation.
Other factors include:
• Individual motivation• Aptitude • Multiple Intelligences (Gardner)• Temperament and personality• Education • Experience learning languages• Expectations• Gender roles/expectations• Immigration experiences• Special needs• Status
© Copyright Erin McDonald and Amanda M Marshall 2011.
Psychology
As adult educators, we can familiarize ourselves with the basic principles of personality theory and the multiple intelligences theory, for example, to better engage in a dialogue with learners.
Experience in psycho-analysis is not a criterion!
Goal-Setting Theory
“Goal setting theory asserts that human action is caused by purpose, and, for action to take place, goals have to be set and pursued by choice” (Dörnyei 2001).
• Higher outcomes are achieved when learners establish specific, measureable and challenging goals (Koda-Dallow and Hobbs, 2005).
• Goal-setting can be complex as each individual learner is likely to have short-term, long-term and varied goals.
• Because establishing specific, measureable and challenging goals is a complex process, goal-setting is considered a metacognitive strategy that, when engaged, encourages learner autonomy (Koda-Dallow and Hobbs, 2005).
Goal-Setting Theory & Autonomy
We acknowledge that learner autonomy is a learned skill. For this reason, we design language counselling to give learners an on-going opportunity to practice this skill.
We’re using goal-setting as a tool to promote learner autonomy and initiate autonomous learning.
Beginning with the language assessment, we encourage positive learner self-efficacy by focusing on what they “CAN DO” in English.
© Copyright Erin McDonald and Amanda M Marshall 2011.
Be SMART
Specific
Measureable
Attainable
Realistic
Timely
http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/smart-goals.html
Research Recap
• Acknowledge the learner’s experience and skills -- psychology and self-efficacy
• Promote a strength-based approach for language learning self-efficacy and set the direction for collaborative goal-setting
• Establish relevance -- awareness and autonomy
• Develop a learning pathway and timeline -- initial goal-setting
• Begin and maintain individual goal-setting -- short-term and long-term goals
• Engage individual motivation -- psychology and self-efficacy
• Encourage and foster learner autonomy
Activity
Activity: Language Counselling Video 1
Please consider the following questions:
1. What expectations did you have about language counselling?
2. What did you like about the language counselling session in video 1?
3. What do you think was missing from the session?
4. What would you add, if anything, if you were the language counsellor?
Language Counselling: Video 1
Please consider the following questions:
1. What was different about video 2?
2. What did you like about the language counselling session in video 2?
3. What would you add, if anything, if you were the language counsellor?
Activity: Language Counselling Video 2
Language Counselling: Video 2
Pathways for Success
Learners “may feel that they have to satisfy incongruent or even mutually exclusive goals” (Dornyei 2001).
• Having incongruent or mutually exclusive goals can have a dramatic effect on the language learning process.
• Language counselling can help to clarify the various influences
• Working together creates a continuum
© Copyright Erin McDonald and Amanda M Marshall 2011.
Pathways for Success
1
•CLBA/CLBPT/CLBLA Assessment
2•Explai
n language counselling
3
•Explain benchmarks and results
4
•Find out what the learner’s goals are (e.g. working, studying or both)
5
•Suggest next steps (e.g. short-term plan, alternative arrangements, LML Counselling)
Pathways for Success
The CLBs create a natural progression that informs the learner throughout his/her pathway:
• Initial placement• Ongoing assessment• End-point assessment• Reassessment if required
The benchmarks become goal posts that coincide with the individual’s own short-term and long-term goals, making them both specific and measureable.
Pathways for Success
In addition to fostering learner autonomy, motivation and promoting goal-setting, it is also critical to establish expectations for programs.
Language Learning Survey
© Copyright Erin McDonald and Amanda M Marshall 2011.
Pathways for Success
1
•Request the Language Learning Survey be completed before appointment
2
•Establish goals of the meeting and language counsellor’s role
3
•Ask learner to self-identify personal goals and needs
•Determine preferred learning styles
4
•Based on goals, needs, CLBs and eligibility discuss programming options
•Offer additional contact and meeting in future
5•Follow
-up with learner
Conclusion
Questions?
We would like to extend a special thank you to:
and to:
Margarita Fainshtein
© Copyright Erin McDonald and Amanda M Marshall 2011.
References
Pawlikowska-Smith, G. (2006). Canadian Language Benchmarks 2000: English as a Second Language for Adults. Canada: CCLB andMinister of Public Works and Services Canada.
Dörnyei, Z. (2001). Teaching and Researching Motivation. England: PearsonEducation Limited.
Dörnyei, Z. (2005). The Psychology of the Language Learner: Individual Differences in Second Language Acquisition. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc., Publishers.
Gardner, H. Multiple Intelligences: New Horizons in Theory and Practice. 2nd
edition. USA: Basic Books.
Good, T. L. and Brophy, J. E. (1994). Looking in classrooms. 6 th edition. NewYork: HarperCollins.
Hidi, S., & Harackiewicz, J. M. (2000). Motivating the academically unmotivated: A critical issue for the 21st Century. Review of Educational Research, 70, 151-179.
Koda-Dallow, T. & Hobbs, M. (2005). Personal Goal-setting and Autonomy in Language Learning. New Zealand: Independent Learning Association Conference Inaugural, 1-16.
Lightbrown, P., & Spada, N. (2010). How Languages are Learned. 3rd edition.Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Livingston, J. (1997). Metacognition: An Overview. Website last accessed: October 21, 2011.
http://gse.buffalo.edu/fas/shuell/CEP564/Metacog.htm
Russell, J. (2008). Promoting subjective well-being at work. Journal ofCareer Assessment, 16 (1), 117-131.
