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The Self-Access Learning Center (SALC) is one of APU’s most unique and supportive spaces for language learners. Whether you're studying English, Japanese, or one of the AP languages (Thai, Vietnamese, Spanish, Malay/Indonesian, Korean, Chinese), SALC offers personalized support to help you thrive.
SALC not only organizes personalized tutoring sessions with Peer Advisors (PAs) to offer students speaking practice, class reviews, and preparation for standardized tests such as IELTS or JLPT, it also aims to assist with autonomous learning through Language Advisor (LA) sessions, self-study zones, and individual listening booths.
Peer Advisors (PAs) are the ones wearing the orange vests in SALC. They are native or near-native speakers of the languages and will do their best to support students who come there. Students usually attend PA sessions for test preparation (IELTS, JLPT, HSK, TOPIK, etc.), daily conversation practice, and class tests. PAs tailor their 30-minute tutoring sessions based on requests from the students to address their problems and prioritize their practice and talking time as much as possible. Currently, SALC offers PA sessions for all eight languages, but the schedule for each differs throughout the week.
SALC's Orange vest
Language Advisors (LAs) are essentially language teachers within SALC who assist you in addressing issues with your study plan and methods. In addition to providing whatever the PAs do, they can also offer guidance, recommendations, and advice. However, LAs only provide support for English and Japanese.
SALC’s Walk-in Board on the greeter’s desk
SALC does not just have many open areas for group discussions and group work, it also hosts monthly language exchange, karaoke, and board game events where students can learn from their peers via interactive games and activities. If you prefer a more subtle way to learn, SALC has a Tomodachi event board with templates that you can fill in any time. After sticking the template with your own information on the board, you can find and match yourself with another student who can speak the language that you want to learn.
Tomodachi event board
SALC is filled with books in multiple languages, and hundreds of practice tests for standardized exams, from IELTS and TOEFL to JLPT and HSK. Feel free to use these books and bring them to your PA/LA sessions, too!
Being one of the most-liked corners in SALC, board games can be easily borrowed with the deposit of your Student ID. Try playing some Uno card games or charades in different languages and ask your international friends to join you!
Even just 30 minutes at the SALC can lead to valuable learning—whether it's a conversation with a PA, support from an LA, or joining one of the many engaging events.
2025 spring semester PAs
Hi guys! I'm Thanh (or Trish), a second-semester APS student from Vietnam. My love for Vietnamese poems and literature gave rise to my current passion for writing. Hope that through my articles, I can share with everyone the charms of APU and informative aspects of our university lives. Feel free to contact me, for both a chat and a cup of macchiato!
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