Students’ Agency Towards New Pedagogical Horizons for Their Linguistic Journey

Language learning is a personal and empowering linguistic journey, where students are the drivers navigating through new territories of language acquisition. In my language classroom, I love using travel metaphors to engage students, inviting them to take control of their own high-speed train, cars or planes. This journey is self-directed, with students becoming more responsible for charting their course and gaining independence as they progress. Through varied metaphors—from (French) cars to airlines—I emphasize the autonomy and confidence gained as students pilot their own linguistic adventure through different terrains and learning environments. In this workshop, we will explore practical, user-friendly templates that provide both students and teachers with clear tools for navigating this journey, empowering learners with a strong sense of direction and independence. Key elements for the journey include: Tickets - Boarding passes as entry and exit tickets to monitor progress; Passport - Stamps and charts for tracking the stages of the journey; Upgrades - Differentiation tools represented as upgrades, catering to diverse learner needs; Maps - Mind maps to enhance metacognitive reflection and goal setting; Insurance - Formative and summative assessments safeguarding progress; Trip Advisor/Reviews - Feedback systems to ensure continuous improvement; Foreign Currency - Motivation points acting as the currency of engagement; Language learning mirrors the experience of navigating uncharted territories. Each step carves new neural pathways, leading to greater fluency and comprehension, just as each walk along a newly forged path makes it easier to traverse overt time. Neuroplasticity enables these pathways to strengthen with practice, much like how frequent travel makes a route more familiar and effortless. By engaging in this journey, students tap into prior knowledge, reinforce connections, and develop the cognitive flexibility that leads to fluid intelligence and language mastery. Let’s embark on this linguistic adventure together, prepared to navigate the thrilling twists and turns of the journey with confidence and curiosity!