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Hi! I’m Thomas Stringer, and this portal has empowering resources for learners, educational practitioners, and researchers on language learner autonomy.

JANUARY 2025 FEATURE POST: BEYOND THE ABSTRACTS

This series goes Beyond The Abstracts, featuring behind the scenes conversations with researchers and educational practitioners in language learner autonomy or related fields.

Beyond The Abstracts: Multilingual Advising – Martina Šindelářová Skupeňová (January 2025, Episode 14)

In this episode of Beyond the Abstracts I speak with Martina Šindelářová Skupeňová. Martina is an English lecturer at the Masaryk University Language Centre in Czechia. She is interested in promoting autonomy in various teaching and learning scenarios. Martina has contributed to the English Autonomously project from its beginning. Her Ph.D. research project investigates the influence of language advising on learner autonomy development.

And now, here is my conversation with Martina Šindelářová Skupeňová:

We begin by discussing Martina’s work at the Language Centre – a hub for learning support for the Masaryk University community. Martina first reflects on her own dual-language background, how the Language Centre has evolved, and ongoing shifts in the Czech educational landscape. We then turn to her 2024 article Fostering Students’ Self-Directed Language Learning: Approaches to Advising, published in Studies in Self-Access Learning (SiSAL) Journal. The article explores inclusive methods of language advising for learners of English and German as a second or third language. Martina highlights how the Language Centre caters to these learners’ varying levels of preparedness and motivation. She next explains her survey and case study findings. Martina reaffirms the importance of accommodating different levels of readiness for self-regulated learning, ability to engage in target language reflection, and needs for active guidance. Learners valued the support and reassurance provided by language advisors. Finally, Martina shares the Language Centre’s plans for expansion, including for learners of Czech as a foreign language. She also reveals details about her ongoing PhD research. This conversation will be of interest to those engaged in optimising learning advising in multilingual settings.

Martina’s articles (learner autonomy):

Fostering Students’ Self-Directed Language Learning: Approaches to Advising ŠINDELÁŘOVÁ SKUPEŇOVÁ, Martina a Radim HEROUT. Fostering Students’ Self-Directed Language Learning: Approaches to Advising. Studies in Self-Access Learning Journal. 2024, 15, 2, pp. 213-228. ISSN 2185-3762. Available at: https://dx.doi.org/10.37237/150206
A Stitch (of Self-regulated Learning) in Time Saves Nine ŠINDELÁŘOVÁ SKUPEŇOVÁ, Martina. A Stitch (of Self-regulated Learning) in Time Saves Nine. Humanising Language Teaching. Oxford: Pilgrims, 2023, 25, 1, pp. 25 – 29. ISSN 1755-9715
The story of becoming an autonomous learner: a case study of a student’s learning management ŠINDELÁŘOVÁ SKUPEŇOVÁ, Martina. The story of becoming an autonomous learner: a case study of a student’s learning management.Language Learning in Higher Education. Berlin: DE GRUYTER MOUTON, 2023, 13, 1, pp. 247-269. ISSN 2191-611X. Available at: https://dx.doi.org/10.1515/cercles-2023-2018
The more the merrier? Analysing self-assessment tool set use ŠINDELÁŘOVÁ SKUPEŇOVÁ, Martina. The more the merrier? Analysing self-assessment tool set use. Pedagogická orientace/Journal of the Czech Pedagogical Society. Brno: Masaryk University, 2022, 32, 4, pp. 484–498. ISSN 1211-4669. Available at: https://doi.org/10.5817/PedOr2022-4-484
Riding the Waves of Autonomy: Language Counsellors’ Reflections at Masaryk University Language Centre CHOVANCOVÁ, Barbora, Joseph LENNON, Anjuli PANDAVAR, Martina ŠINDELÁŘOVÁ SKUPEŇOVÁ, Eva RUDOLFOVÁ a Lenka ZOUHAR LUDVÍKOVÁ. Riding the Waves of Autonomy: Language Counsellors’ Reflections at Masaryk University Language Centre. Online. In Ludwig, C., Tassinari, M.G., Mynard, J. Navigating Foreign Language Learner Autonomy. Hong Kong: Candlin & Mynard ePublishing Limited, 2020, pp. 38-103. Autonomous Language Learning Series. ISBN 978-0-463-56990-0.Reflections of an Advisor : A Never-Ending Story ŠINDELÁŘOVÁ SKUPEŇOVÁ, Martina. Reflections of an Advisor : A Never-Ending Story. Mélanges CRAPEL. Nancy: Université Nancy, 2019, 40, 1, pp. 115-135,. ISSN 0077-2712.

Martina’s articles (other topics):

Yes, interesting. But who were they and what just happened?!”: Working with Disparate HE Groups via Videoconferencing.ŠINDELÁŘOVÁ SKUPEŇOVÁ, Martina a Jo EASTLAKE. “Yes, interesting. But who were they and what just happened?!”: Working with Disparate HE Groups via Videoconferencing. In Štěpánek, L., Sedláčková, K., Birne, N. Videoconferencing in University Language Education. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 2018, pp. 191-202. ISBN 978-80-210-9003-3. Available at: https://dx.doi.org/10.5817/CZ.MUNI.M210-9008-2018
Sculpting Students´ Skills ŠINDELÁŘOVÁ SKUPEŇOVÁ, Martina. Sculpting Students´ Skills. Humanising Language Teaching. Pilgrims, 2017, 19, August 2017, pp. 1-7. ISSN 1755-9715.
Visualizing literary texts in university language courses ŠINDELÁŘOVÁ SKUPEŇOVÁ, Martina. Visualizing literary texts in university language courses. CASALC Review. Česká a slovenská asociace učitelů jazyků na vysokých školách, 2017, 2016-2017, 3, pp. 82-97. ISSN 1804-9435.
5 Reasons to Use Literature in (English) Language Classes (of any Level) ŠINDELÁŘOVÁ SKUPEŇOVÁ, Martina. 5 Reasons to Use Literature in (English) Language Classes (of any Level). Humanising Language Teaching. Pilgrims, 2016, 18, April 2016, pp. 1-7. ISSN 1755-9715.