A systematic review of language learner strategy research in the face of self-regulation

Abstract

Language learner strategy research has been dogged by criticisms in recent decades culminating in calls for the field to be replaced with the construct of selfregulation. This paper aims to evaluate how the field has responded to such critique, and to investigate how self-regulation has impacted strategy research in recent years. The study utilizes a systematic review methodology to examine key studies conducted and published from 2010 to 2016 to reveal current trends, and to elucidate best research practices. After initially searching more than 1,000 research papers, 46 of the most field-aware studies were selected for data extraction, of which 24 were included in a final systematic map for analysis. Results show strategy research is highly reliant on quantitative measures of data collection, but also reveal a number of context-situated qualitative methods which have produced valuable results. An in-depth review of the 15 most relevant studies revealed a number of innovations that have considerably advanced language learning strategy research in recent years. In a field awash with studies that are anchored to past methodologies, this paper showcases state-of-the-art work in the field, with an aim to inform future research.

Enhancing Second Language Writing Self-regulation Through Self-assessment and Peer-assessment: A Case of Iranian EFL Learners

“…With respect to this last issue, however, L2 writing self-regulation remains a topic unexamined in the area of alternative assessment of L2 writing knowledge and skills. Research on self-regulation in L2 writing is very rich at the present time (see Csizér and Tankó (2015) and Rose et al (2018) for reviews on the issue); yet, the concept of self-regulation in L2 writing have been less examined with respect to self-assessment and peer-assessment, particularly within the Iranian EFL context. To fill this research gap, this study was set to investigate the effects that self-assessment and peer-assessment in L2 writing sessions would exert on the development of L2 writing self-regulation among Iranian EFL learners.…”

Do Language Learning Strategies Need to Be Self‐Directed? Disentangling Strategies From Self‐Regulated Learning

“…This trend would later see Rebecca Oxford, a name synonymous with language learning strategies, introduce the Strategic Self‐regulation model (Oxford, ). The convergence of language learning strategies with other concepts has been given support (see Cohen & Macaro, ; Dörnyei, ; Gao, ; Gao & Zhang, ; Macaro, ; Rose, , ; Rose, Briggs, Boggs, Sergio, & Ivanova‐Slavianskaia, ; Tseng, Dörnyei, & Schmitt, ), but an agreed‐upon definition has yet to surface. Moreover, the reinterpretation of language learning strategies as part of the “second wind of strategy research” described by Dörnyei and Ryan (, p. 148) has done little to rectify the existing definitional issues.…”

Longitudinal Effects of Mediums of Word Explanation on L2 Vocabulary Learning Strategies Among Chinese Grade-7 Students

“…Empirical studies showed that effective VLS would enhance L2 language proficiency (Ajayi, 2015;Zhang and Lu, 2015;Susanto and binti Ab Halim, 2017), such as enlarging vocabulary size (e.g., Hamzah et al, 2009), and further determined second language context comprehension (Vedder and Benigno, 2016;Caro and Mendinueta, 2017). Understanding what kinds of VLS students adopt, and how students adopt them, is helpful for L2 educators to assist learners in internalizing meanings of target vocabulary, particularly receptive vocabulary knowledge (Wang, 2015;Rose et al, 2018). Schmitt (1997) developed a comprehensive inventory for VLS, which involves two dimensions: discovery and consolidation.…”