Narrativas Finlândia

ALMS STORIES

Our students in ALMS (http://www.helsinki.fi/kksc/alms/index.html) have three face-to-face counselling sessions with their own counsellors during their programme. These sessions take place at the beginning, the middle and the end of the module. Before they come to their first counselling session, we ask them to reflect on their previous language learning experiences and histories. They can do this by writing a free text for which we give some guidelines (see below). Alternatively, they can go to the ALMS website and participate in the online Kaleidoscope “dialogue”. Kaleidoscope (http://www.uiah.fi/virtu/kaleidoskooppi/intro.php) obliges them to focus on specific areas (Needs, Skills, Motivation; Personality and Learning History), and then to write about each one, thereby building up their learner profile.

The counsellors read these texts or profiles and then the students’ plans for the programme are negotiated in the light of their histories, needs and expectations. The sharing of stories by learners and counsellors provides an opportunity for listening and co-telling and as such forms a good starting point in the process of reflection on learning that the students are expected to engage in during their programmes.

Instructions for a free text:

ALMS REFLECTION ALMS REFLECTION

Now that you have spent some time thinking about the process of language learning, it is time to sit back and REFLECT. You might find this useful when you plan your programme of work. Use this page to put down your thoughts about yourself as a language learner. Think and write about your experiences, your feelings and memories, your personal beliefs and views on yourself and your learning. Remember that it is your story!

Reflect and write about
YOUR LANGUAGE LEARNING HISTORY – for example, teachers and teaching; classrooms; methods used; testing and feedback; support and encouragement; easy/difficult aspects of learning; your personality and learning style; self-study, learning outside the classroom; successes and failures and how you felt about them.
YOUR WISHES AND EXPECTATIONS – for example, your main goal for the ALMS module; your expectations of yourself as a learner of English; your expectations of the programme.
FINALLY, YOUR CURRENT SKILLS. Begin the process of SELF-EVALUATION. Try using the self-assessment grid (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) to assess your English language skills. Read it carefully and decide where you fit into the levels.

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