Investigating the relationship between self-regulated learning and language proficiency among EFL students in Vietnam

Abstract

Self-regulated learning strategies have received significant attention by researchers and become the topic of many empirical studies since they are believed to significantly influence the achievement levels in acquiring a foreign language. The current research investigated the self-regulated learning strategies most commonly employed by Vietnamese EFL students, as well as any potential correlation between these strategies and language proficiency levels. The study involved the random selection of 140 undergraduate students to participate. The participants had different levels of English proficiency and learning backgrounds. They completed a self-regulated learning (SRL) questionnaire including 50 items, which is comprised of two parts. The first part gathers participants' personal details, including age, major of study, duration of English learning, and English proficiency determined through international test outcomes, while the second part assesses the participants' utilization frequency of SRL strategies. Quantitative methods were utilized to collect data, and descriptive statistics, and correlation analysis were performed to investigate the correlation between self-regulated learning and the language proficiency of learners. Results indicated that the participants often employed a range of self-regulation strategies for language learning. The three strategies that were most frequently used by the participants were elaboration, help-seeking, and time and study environment management, while critical thinking and effort regulation were the least employed strategies. Furthermore, a notable positive association was observed between students’ self-regulated learning strategies and their language proficiency. It was clear that language proficiency and elaboration strategy correlated most significantly, while the lowest correlation existed between language proficiency and effort regulation.