This article draws on work done in educational psychology to propose a new approach to generating a psychometrically-based measure of second language learners' strategic learning, operationalized as their self-regulatory capacity, as an alternative to the scales traditionally used to quantify language learning strategy use. The self-regulation instrument was developed through a three-phase process, focusing on the realm of vocabulary learning. The first phase involved the generation of an item pool, the second a pilot study in a sizeable sample, and the third an evaluation of the psychometric properties of the revised instrument, using confirmatory and exploratory factor analysis. The results show that the proposed instrument has satisfactory psychometric characteristics and that the hypothesized theoretical model had a good fit with the data. We argue that the results provide evidence for the validity of transferring the theoretical construct of self-regulation from educational psychology to the area of second language acquisition. We also propose that instruments targeting learner self-regulation in a similar way to the questionnaire presented in this study can provide a more psychometrically sound measure of strategic learning than traditional language learning strategy scales. INTRODUCTIONThe past twenty years have witnessed a large body of second language research targeting language learning strategies (e.g. Anderson 2003;Chamot et al. 1999;Cohen 1998Cohen , 2002Ehrman et al. 2003;Grenfell and Harris 1999;Lan and Oxford 2003;Macaro 2001;MacIntyre 1994;McDonough 1995McDonough , 1999Nunan 1997;O'Malley et al. 1985;O'Malley and Chamot 1990;Oxford 1990Oxford , 1996Purdie and Oliver 1999;Purpura 1999;Wenden 1991;Wenden and Rubin 1987;Yamamori et al. 2003). While some of this research has explicitly sought to push the theoretical understanding of language learning strategies forward, the majority of the work in the learning strategy literature had more practical goals, namely to explore ways of empowering language learners to become more self-directed and effective in their learning. In general, strategy specialists believe that learners with strategic knowledge of language learning, compared with those without, become more efficient, resourceful, and flexible, thus acquiring a language more easily. The suggestion is that if learners can develop, personalize, and use a repertoire of learning strategies, they will be able to achieve language proficiency in a much facilitated manner. Indeed, most researchers would agree with Macaro's (2001: 264) conclusion that 'One thing seems to be increasingly clear and that is that, across learning contexts, those learners who are pro-active in their pursuit of language learning appear to learn best.'While we consider this appealing notion about the importance of strategic learners to be true, research into language learning strategies has unfortunately suffered from a series of problems, which weaken the theoretical basis for such a conclusion. These problems stem partly from...

This study presents a structural model that integrates vocabulary knowledge and motivation with six latent variables: the initial appraisal of vocabulary learning experience, self-regulating capacity of vocabulary learning, strategic vocabulary learning involvement, mastery of vocabulary learning tactics, vocabulary knowledge, and postappraisal of the effectiveness of vocabulary learning tactics. The model suggests that motivated vocabulary learning follows a developmental mode and functions as a cyclic process. The model supports the importance of motivation in the vocabulary learning process and the division of strategic behavior into two components: one frequency-based and metacognitive in nature and the other focusing on the mastery of individual strategies (i.e., how well they are used).

This study presents the results of a meta‐analytic study about the effects of digital game‐based learning (DGBL) on vocabulary. The results of the study showed that the effects of DGBL on vocabulary learning may vary with game design features (Q = 5.857, df = 1, p = .016), but not with learners' age (Q = 0.906, df = 1, p = .341) or linguistic background (Q = 0.0001, df = 1, p = .994). In light of the research findings, Csikszentmihalyi's () Flow Theory was adopted to theorize the role of game design in DGBL. It is proposed that a hierarchy should exist on the “challenge” axis in the Flow Theory, with adventure‐oriented games above non‐adventure‐based games along the “challenge” axis. The theoretical underpinning is that the dynamic equilibrium between challenge and abilities can function independently of the effects of learners' age and linguistic background.

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Feedback is regarded as a way to foster students' motivation and to ensure linguistic accuracy. However, mixed findings are reported in the research on written corrective feedback because of its multifaceted nature and its correlations with learners' individual differences. It is necessary, therefore, to conduct further research on corrective feedback from the student's perspective and to examine how individual differences in terms of factors such as writing anxiety and motivation predict learners' self-evaluative judgments of both teacher-corrected and peer-corrected feedback. For this study, 158 Taiwanese college sophomores participated in a survey that comprised three questionnaires. Results demonstrated that intrinsic motivation and different types of writing anxiety predicted English as foreign language learners' evaluative judgments of teacher and peer feedback. The findings have implications for English-writing instruction.