Establishing Peer Learning in an ESL Setting : Successes and Challenges
Helen Lavender
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Helen Lavender is a senior lecturer at the English Language Teaching Unit, The Chinese University of Hong Kong. She is currently involved in setting up peer-tutoring support for undergraduate and postgraduate students as part of an initiative to promote English Across the Curriculum. She has over 24 years' experience in ELT, teacher training and educational management and she previously set up and managed the self–access centre at the Hong Kong University of Education.
Ashley Hazell
The University of Hong Kong
Ashley Hazell is currently EAP lecturer and Self-Access Coordinator at the Centre for Applied English Studies, The University of Hong Kong. She has 23 years’ experience in ELT and previously worked at Sabanci University and Istanbul Technical University in Turkey. Ashley has an MEd TESOL and MA Museum Studies
Abstract
Peer learning has long been adopted as a support service in higher education to improve cognitive, metacognitive and affective learning. In the areas of developing academic writing peer learning has more recently been... [ view full abstract ]
Peer learning has long been adopted as a support service in higher education to improve cognitive, metacognitive and affective learning. In the areas of developing academic writing peer learning has more recently been employed as an effective strategy to promote writing across the curriculum through a model of either writing centre tutor schemes or by establishing links between faculty, courses and peer tutors. In these settings, where the tutors are recruited from across academic disciplines, peer learning can strengthen links between in and out-of-class learning, between the more expert and novice in writing and speaking and between faculty and students. However, little research has been conducted into how effective these initiatives are in settings where the learning is mediated through a second language. Drawing on the socio-cultural theories of Vygotsky (1978) and the situated learning theories of Lave & Wenger (1991), this presentation critically examines the successes and challenges of embedding peer learning at two Hong Kong universities, where the goals are to develop students’ ability to operate within a range of spoken and written texts in English and to promote independence in learning. Including data and reflections of tutors, tutees and the project investigators, the presentation also considers whether engagement in peer learning activity can contribute to the transition from higher education to the workplace for the tutors involved. Participants at this session will gain insights into the practicalities of setting up peer tutoring schemes for language development as well as the theories underpinning the pedagogy of peer learning.
Summary
This presentation describes how peer learning schemes with an aim of developing English language proficiency and independent learning capability were established at two Hong Kong universities. The pedagogy of peer learning,... [ view full abstract ]
This presentation describes how peer learning schemes with an aim of developing English language proficiency and independent learning capability were established at two Hong Kong universities. The pedagogy of peer learning, the successes and challenges of embedding the schemes and reflections from tutors, tutees and teaching staff will be discussed
Authors
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Helen Lavender
(The Chinese University of Hong Kong)
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Ashley Hazell
(The University of Hong Kong)
Topic Areas
Language Skills: Writing, Reading, Speaking, and Listening , Learner/ Teacher Autonomy
Session
OS-4C » Concurrent 4-C (13:45 - Saturday, 15th April, Albert Long Hall John Freely)
Presentation Files
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