We Are All Leaders and Followers -
And Depend on Each Other
An Australian experience of facilitating study circles in Sweden
July 2009
Email interview with Dr Mark Brophy, Manager of the Australian Study Circles Network and Ms Corinna Ridley, Senior Educator - Teaching and Learning VU College, Victoria University and VALBEC Committee Member
Mark
When, why and what were you doing in Sweden?
Corinna
In 1982 I was still living in England - and had decided office work was not for me. I did a short course in Teaching English as a Foreign Language and before I knew it had been signed up for a year overseas working for Kursverksamheten in the Swedish town of Jonkoping.
There were a group of about 15 of us going over to work for Kursverksamheten which is a provider of adult education courses all over Sweden, but I was the only one going to Jonkoping, best known for its lake and as producers of safety matches.
My job was to be a combination of teaching English in industry - Husqvarna for example - and hobby courses. I was also going to be a study circle leader!
Mark
When you were first exposed to study circles - what did you see and hear? What stood out?
Corinna
Shortly after arriving in Sweden I was required to do a short study circle leader course - delivered totally in Swedish and involving from memory (it was 27 years ago!) being tied to other people for most of the day which was in some way supposed to remind us how we were all leaders and followers and dependent on each other - as in try going in one direction if the six people you are tied to don't want to come along!
Despite my new boss trying to translate some of what was going on to me I was becoming increasingly nervous about being a study circle leader, particularly in the context of teaching English. How were THEY going to be equal partners in MY study circle when I (capital I) was the TEACHER and knew how to teach them - thanks to my short course in Teaching English as a Foreign Language.
Please bear in mind that at 21. I was young enough and inexperienced enough to think I KNEW how to teach!
I learnt that study circles negotiated and agreed what was to be learnt and how the leaning activities would be organised. My role was to be a sort of expert advisor to the study circle or a resource person or perhaps a facilitator.
Mark
What was surprising - different - frustrating? What did you feel?
Corinna
This came as a bit of shock to someone who had just finished learning about a very particular approach to teaching English in which students would first listen to my presentation, then would practice what I had presented to them and would then have the opportunity to perform what they had learnt in a realistic context (the so called PPP approach).
There could be no variation to this approach, as we had been taught - this was THE BEST way to learn English.
I was alarmed!! Would my study circle participants know about the PPP approach? What if they didn't like it and suggested another approach? As the TEACHER wasn't I suppose to be in control of the classroom? I was scared this was going to go horribly wrong.
Mark
How did this approach 'fit in to' your current thinking / understandings at the time? What did you learn about yourself? What insights did you have?
Corinna
Teachers teach, students learn - simple! Words like facilitate, participate and negotiate had no place in my 'classroom'.
Fortunately the Swedish people who I worked with that year were very experienced study circle participants and they were very happy to induct me into how a study circle worked and shift some of that naïve and rigid thinking.
One of my first study circles was a group of older retired women who had had varied and interesting professional lives who had got together to discuss topics of interest and concern - but who had decided to do this in English to improve their command of the language - and I must stress they meant command - as their English was already exceptionally good.
I soon realised that being invited to participate in this study circle was nothing short of an honour and I had never learnt so much in life as I did from listening to these women discuss and debate a range of very diverse issues and topics.
They would pick a topic, we would discuss some finer points of vocabulary pertaining to the topic with me as the 'English expert' and they might ask for clarification on how to show degrees of support or otherwise for an opinion or I might search out something written on the subject to support their discussion, which in those pre-internet days was no minor task!
Another study circle I facilitated was a group who were interested in learning more about the UK as they intended to visit.
At the first meeting they came up with a list of subjects they wanted to know more about, some contexts they wanted to make sure they could cope with in English, and a request to practice with me correct English pronunciation as they were aware that the British were apt to find their ?sing song' accents hilarious!
I was stunned! How was I going to do my PPP approach with this lot?! My text book was out the window - and I had only the study circle group itself to replace it!
What I didn't know then was that I had just joined a group of motivated and committed participants who were prepared to contribute to their own learning in ways, that at that time, I could not imagine.
Mark
Did the experience change you in any way? How? Did you 'take away' anything?
Corinna
My year in Sweden had a lasting impact on my teaching in so many ways.
I realised there was not one way to teach anything and that teacher and learner were best considered as equal partners in the classroom, that learners could and should be self directed and empowered around what and how they learn and that teachers can be guides, advisors resources and facilitators.
We all learnt and would continue to learn from each other.
