SLA RESEARCH ON SELF-DIRECTION: THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL ISSUES

from six different universities. For the university authorities, and for myself, to be a host
institution was a big event. It was again led by Dr. Axbey. As far as I can remember, the
content was mainly administrative. Again, that does not mean this was the only content of
the course. But this is what I recall the best, issues about features and functions of staff and
other administrative procedures. However, my notes also show input on learner training and
the concept of 'pathways'. Nevertheless, there is an event that did survive in my memory.
Almost at the end of this course, one of the teachers from Oaxaca, openly, and somewhat
aggressively, asked what a self-access centre was. I was perplexed. It was not the question
itself but the moment and tone of it, which seemed to me completely out of place. It was not
until much later when I fully understood the meaning and intention of that question. I shall
address this point later (see section 3.3.4, p. 63).

Fig. 2. 4 Training courses for SAC staff in UABJO, Oaxaca.

The third course was held at the University of Chiapas in April, 1993. It was a very
significant event as Henri Holec taught it. By that time I was already very aware of the
importance of his work on self-direction in foreign language learning. He was the writer of a
good part of the seminal work in the field. As I saw it, he knew all about autonomy and had
all the experience I was lacking. Before going to Chiapas he visited the SAC in Oaxaca and

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