Language learning strategy was the focus of many studies during the last two decades. Because of definitional fuzziness and unreliable instrument, the concept of language learning strategy was replaced by self-regulation in educational psychology. Subsequently, this shift affected L2 research. The notion of self-regulation is used in some L2 studies today (Tseng, Dörnyei & Schmitt, 2006; Rose, 2011b, Banisaeid, 2013a, 2013b). Self-regulation is more process-oriented while language learning strategy is more product-oriented. Although it only encompasses the metacognitive strategy, the general domain of it is meaningfully wider than the strategic framework. It covers some aspects in the learning process as motivation, goals and self-efficacy.

The present study was conducted to compare the effect of memory and cognitive strategies training on vocabulary learning of intermediate proficiency group of Iranian learners of English as a foreign language. It is to check how memory and cognitive strategies training affect word learning of EFL intermediate learners (N=60) who were homogenized by the Nelson proficiency test (Nelson 250 B). They were divided into two experimental groups. For omitting the words learners know, pre test of vocabulary was taken. Also a questionnaire adapted by Rezaee et al (2004) based on Kudo' (1999) work with the reliability of 0.92 was taken to deduce not only their familiarity of strategies but also their knowledge of strategies uses. In the first experimental group, 30 students were trained to use memory strategies (keyword and semantic map) in word learning and in the other experimental group, the other 30 students were taught to learn the same new English words through cognitive training (flashcards and repetition). The course consisted of 11 sessions (two two-hour sessions per week). At the end the data was collected using a teacher made test as the post test (including 60 open ended items). The results of the independent t-test shown that there is no significant difference between the effect of cognitive and memory strategy training on intermediate EFL learners' word learning. In general, the finding suggests that memory strategies training and cognitive strategy training respectively enhance memory and cognitive strategy uses

Although self-regulation, derived from educational psychology, is a new topic in the second language learning field, language learning strategy was the main focus of many studies in the last two decades. Also, among the L2 individual differences, motivation plays an important role in achieving the educational goals. In this research, motivation is investigated from self-determination theory by which five types of motivation are presented. No study was found to investigate the role of motivation in both self-regulation and language learning strategy. For such a purpose, 49 Chinese EFL learners respond to SILL, MSLQ and LLOS_IEA respectively proposed by Oxford (1990), Pintrich et al (1991) and Noel et al (2000). The results running Pearson correlation showed that there is a significant relationship between motivation, self-regulation and language learning strategies. It is also revealed that Chinese EFL learners use memory, social and affective strategy more than the other ones. The most common motivational orientation is identified regulation. Among self-regulated learning strategies, effort regulation is highly used by them. At the end some implication is considered.