Incorporating online writing resources into self‐regulated learning strategy‐based instruction: An intervention study

This article reports on a mixed method study that investigated the differences in Japanese EFL (English as a foreign language) learners’ satisfaction toward two different online teaching formats incorporated in universities during the COVID-19 situation: synchronous online courses (n = 324) and asynchronous on-demand courses (n = 323). Applying the items of the previously developed online satisfaction scale in the literature of online learning to EFL learning contexts, this study examined learner satisfaction from three main factors, engaged learning, agency, and assessment, as a quantitative inquiry. According to the Mann-Whitney U test, there were significantly higher results of engaged learning and assessment in synchronous online courses than in asynchronous ondemand courses, indicating a higher level of learner satisfaction in synchronous online courses. In addition, based on the qualitative textmining analysis of learner comments on their perceptions of the online courses they had taken, findings suggest that synchronous online courses accounted for higher percentages of positive comments compared to those in the asynchronous on-demand courses. This study shows that synchronous online teaching ensured higher satisfaction among Japanese EFL learners than asynchronous on-demand courses.

The present study explored different types of task value and their associations with the use of self-regulated learning (SRL) strategies across various English as a foreign language (EFL) learning scenarios. The application of SRL strategies is supported by motivational beliefs, including task value. Although prior research has demonstrated the importance of motivational beliefs in SRL, there remains a need for further clarification regarding the characteristics and role of task value, particularly the cost (i.e., a negative aspect of task value) in relation to SRL. Furthermore, given the context-dependent nature of SRL, both values and strategies should be adapted to specific learning environments. In this study, 12 Japanese EFL university students participated in two rounds of semi-structured interviews. The first session focused on their English learning experiences, expectations, and perceptions of the value and cost associated with learning English. In the second session, they roleplayed four scenarios — a homework assignment, an in-class task, preparation for an English certification exam, and learning for personal growth — while using a think-aloud protocol to express their thoughts and feelings. Follow-up interviews were conducted after each roleplay. Thematic analysis was used to identify the participants’ values and costs and to analyze their use of SRL strategies. The findings revealed that participants concurrently hold multiple types of task value, which were tied to and shaped by their past learning experiences. Several patterns were also identified for SRL strategies in each scenario, corresponding to task value.

This article reports on an empirical study investigating what makes Japanese learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) unwilling to speak English, regardless of their learning period, proficiency level, and location of the communication. The current study focuses on the self-perception of second language (L2) English abilities, anxiety, and interlocutors as possible causes of their unwillingness to speak L2 English, compared with first language (L1) Japanese. An online questionnaire was administered to 27 Japanese undergraduate students (age: 19–22) with non-English majors at a national university in Tokyo, Japan. The results show that the elements depressing the self-perception and willingness to speak are fundamental to managing human relationships in speaking situations, which have more impact on L2 English than L1 Japanese contexts. This is attributable to other-directedness, which has been discussed as being characteristic of Japanese and Chinese EFL learners. Furthermore, it appears plausible to assume that the other-directedness derives more from “considerations for others” than “face-saving.” Future work will further investigate what constitutes Japanese other-directedness, compared with Chinese EFL learners’.

Influences of process-based instruction on students’ use of self-regulated learning strategies in EFL writing

There is an increasing recognition that effective deployment of self-regulated learning (SRL) strategies is essential for the development of second/foreign language learners’ abilities to accomplish learning goals. Within models of SRL, a prerequisite for the active employment of SRL strategies is learners’ self-efficacy, which interacts with strategy use in all phases. In the domain of second language (L2) writing, previous research mainly adopted a variable-centred approach to investigate the relationship between SRL strategy use and self-efficacy whereas person-centred questions have largely been neglected. Performing latent profile analysis (LPA) with undergraduate students of English as a foreign language (EFL), we identified three SRL profiles that differed quantitatively concerning levels of self-efficacy. The efficacious self-regulators with the highest levels of cognitive, metacognitive, and motivational components of SRL reported the highest levels of self-efficacy, followed by the moderate strategists; EFL learners with the lowest levels on the main SRL components reported the lowest writing self-efficacy score. Learners of different profiles differed significantly in a writing performance test with the efficacious self-regulators outperforming the other two profiles. Implications for self-regulated language learning and L2 writing instruction are discussed.

This study investigates how distance-invoked difficulty, proficiency level and cross-linguistic similarity affect error occurrences by analysing 240 English compositions from Chinese and Japanese learners of English as a foreign language (EFL). Dependency distance was used as a metric to measure distance-invoked difficulty and four major types of dependency relations were investigated. The findings reveal that low- and middle-level Chinese and Japanese EFL learners have higher error rates with long-distance dependency relations, but high-level learners can overcome the distance-invoked difficulty and make fewer errors. Chinese and Japanese EFL learners make more errors in long-distance adverbial and relative clauses than in short-distance ones, which are L1-dissimilar dependency relations. They make fewer errors in L1-similar relations, i.e., long-distance subject-predicate dependency relations. Japanese EFL learners, however, showed no significant differences in error rates between long- and short-distance predicate-object dependency relations. The results indicate the complex interaction between the EFL learners’ cognition, proficiency and L1.

This study aimed to understand the relations between English as a foreign language (EFL) students’ classroom relationships, emotions, and self-regulated learning (SRL) strategy use. Data was collected via a questionnaire completed by 436 4-5th graders in Mainland China. Results of structural equation modelling (SEM) revealed that both teacher-student relationships and peer relationships contributed to students’ SRL strategy use. In addition, some of these associations were fully mediated by emotions, and some were not. Specifically, both teacher-student relationships and peer relationships were related to students’ emotions (i.e., enjoyment, hope, boredom, empathy, and gratitude) and in turn contributed to their use of SRL strategies (i.e., using prior knowledge and monitoring). However, both teacher-student relationships and peer relationships were directly related to students’ use of SRL strategies (i.e., contextual regulation and evaluation), without the mediation of emotions. Although it was found that the predictive power of teacher-student relationships was more substantial than peer relationships in emotions and SRL strategy use, both types of classroom relationships demonstrated unique and significant functions. Implications for constructing a caring and supportive classroom culture and enhancing EFL students' SRL strategy use are discussed.

While extensive research supported the facilitative role of motivation in general self-regulated learning (SRL) strategy use, its connection to writing-specific SRL strategy use remains underexplored. Furthermore, the exploration of the interplay between motivation and SRL strategy use in second or foreign (L2) writing was absent within the motivational-self system. Even less is known about the mechanism between motivational factors and SRL strategy use in L2 writing. This study aims to fill the gap by testing the mediating role of positive emotions (enjoyment, pride, and hope) between future L2 writing selves (ideal L2 self and ought-to L2 self) and SRL strategy use in the Chinese English as a foreign language (EFL) writing context with a mixed method design incorporating both quantitative and qualitative methods. Three hundred and sixty students enrolled in College English writing classes were recruited and they reported their responses to standardized measures. Results of structural equation modelling (SEM) showed that positive emotions partially mediated the link between ideal L2 writing selves and SRL but not between ought-to L2 writing selves and SRL. Semi-structured interviews about students’ in-depth perceptions of the three constructs complemented our quantitative results. Theoretical and pedagogical implications are also discussed.

This study attempts to compare aural and written vocabulary knowledge (size) of Japanese university EFL (English as a Foreign Language) learners and investigate their relationship to listening and reading abilities, and overall English proficiency. To this end, two types of vocabulary size tests were developed using a word list tailored to Japanese EFL learners, and they were administered to a total of 332 university students. The results indicated that the aural and written format of the tests produced a differing result, although the overall tendency was the same. Item analysis was then carried out to further investigate the differences. Analysis of correlation coefficients of proficiency measures and the two formats of the vocabulary size tests revealed that both the aural and written vocabulary size of the participants correlated strongly with the proficiency measures. Based on the findings, practical implications are discussed for the effective use of vocabulary size tests in educational settings.

This study investigated the relationships between struggling writers’ motivation (i.e., interest, self-efficacy, and growth mindset) and their use of self-regulated learning (SRL) strategies (i.e., planning, text-generating, self-monitoring, and collaborative learning) and writing competence in an English as a foreign language (EFL) context. Participants were 368 primary students in Hong Kong who scored 15 or less out of 48 marks in a writing test. They reported a generally moderate level of motivation and lower medium level of SRL strategy use. Especially, the participants reported a low level of interest. Results of structural equation modelling (SEM) suggested that growth mindset had the strongest positive correlations with the struggling EFL writers’ use of SRL strategies. Both self-efficacy and interest also had positive correlations with the students’ SRL strategy use, but only self-efficacy had significant and positive relations with their writing competence. Implications for English teachers to improve instruction for struggling EFL writers’ in order to promote their motivation and SRL strategy use are provided and suggestions for future research are also discussed.

Purpose This study aimed to investigate how different types of teachers’ support are associated with students’ self-regulated learning (SRL) strategy use in English as a second language (ESL) collaborative learning and the mediating role of motivation in these relationships. Design A cross-sectional survey design was adopted to examine the relationships among the variables. Using convenience sampling, the study involved 386 fourth- and fifth-grade students from Hong Kong primary schools. Questionnaires were administered to measure students’ perceived teachers’ support, SRL strategy use, and motivation in ESL collaborative learning. Structural equation modeling and bootstrapping analysis were employed to assess the total, direct and indirect associations between teachers’ support and SRL strategy use. Findings The model demonstrated a good fit to the data. Informational support was directly and indirectly associated with goal-setting and planning through self-efficacy. In contrast, instrumental support showed a negative association with goal-setting and planning. Emotional support was positively related to behavioral regulation and self-evaluation. Appraisal support was positively linked to goal-setting and planning, monitoring, behavioral regulation and self-evaluation, both directly and indirectly through self-efficacy and anxiety. Originality/Value The findings confirmed distinct associations of multifaceted teachers’ support with students’ SRL strategy use, with motivation as a mediator, providing insights for instructional optimization.

Emotional research in foreign language learning has bloomed recently, and yet there has been a call for attention to a broader spectrum of emotions experienced by learners of English as a foreign language (EFL). Whilst emotions and self-regulated learning (SRL) are both believed to play important roles in EFL learning, little is known about their interplay. To fill the void, the study intends to map out an overall status quo of Chinese university EFL students’ academic emotions and SRL strategy use and sophisticated interrelationships between them using structural equation modelling (SEM). Findings showed that the Chinese participants demonstrated a medium level of positive emotions, a low level of anger, a medium level of shame and anxiety, and a low to medium frequency use of SRL strategies in English learning. ANOVA results detected gender differences in SRL strategy use, with females outperforming males in using self-evaluation and persistence strategy types, together with grade level influences in anxiety level with seniors feeling less anxious than juniors and sophomores. Furthermore, SEM results suggested that enjoyment had positive relationships with SRL strategy use; anger and shame had negative relationships while anxiety had ambivalent relationships with SRL strategy use. Important implications are discussed.

Classroom interactional patterns depend on some contextual, cultural and local factors in addition to the methodologies employed in the classroom. In order to delineate such factors, the focus of classroom interaction research needs to shift from the observables to the unobservables like teachers' and learners' psychological states and cultural backgrounds. This article demonstrates how the attitudes of EFL (English as a Foreign Language) Japanese learners and teachers and other (unobservable) factors influence the classroom interactional patterns. One important factor is the Japanese EFL learners' attitudes towards the role of English within their society; since they do not feel any immediate needs for English use (as a language awareness attribute), they would rather direct their interactions toward `self-expression' and `personal growth' rather than authentic communication. The second factor is anxiety, which inhibits Japanese learners from initiating conversations, raising new topics, and challenging their teachers. The third factor is Japanese culture, which is characterized by valuing indirect speech, face saving, group conformity, reticence, competition avoidance, and preference for teacher dominated classrooms. The fourth factor pertains to Japanese English (JE) as a different form of English which imposes certain interactional patterns like quick turn-taking, more frequent use of repetitions, and backchanneling. The fifth factor is Japanese learners' motivation and disunity in their learning styles. The last factor is concerned with the idea of `willingness to communicate' (WTC) in L2 situations. It is supposed that cooperative learning and critical thinking can promote WTC. Based on these factors some pedagogical suggestions for Japanese EFL context are offered.

The concept of Willingness to Communicate (WTC) is essential for understanding Japanese learners’ engagement in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms. WTC, a complex construct that varies throughout interactions, is influenced by several factors, including corrective feedback. This study examines the situational WTC of four Japanese EFL learners, focusing specifically on its relationship with corrective feedback, an essential tool for teachers to help students recognize and correct their errors. The research involved low-intermediate and advanced speakers who participated in interactive communicative tasks with the researcher. Data were collected through recorded and transcribed spoken interactions, supplemented by participants' self-evaluations and a stimulated recall interview conducted after each activity. The analysis combined quantitative and qualitative methods to reveal fluctuations in WTC influenced by feedback type, timing, and delivery method. Findings offer valuable insights into effective feedback strategies, emphasizing their potential to enhance students’ WTC, engagement, and overall language proficiency in EFL contexts. This study underscores the dynamic nature of language learning and highlights the crucial role of well-timed, constructive feedback in fostering communicative competence and motivation among Japanese EFL learners.

In many Indonesian EFL classrooms, students still rely on teacher-directed, exam-oriented routines with limited explicit instruction on self-regulated learning. Self-Regulated Learning (SRL) strategies are critical for academic success, especially in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) contexts. In Indonesia, however, there remains limited research on the deep learning self-regulation strategies used by EFL learners and the impact of gender and academic grade level. This study explores the deep learning self-regulation strategies Indonesian higher education students use in learning English, focusing on gender and grade level differences. Using the Deep Learning Strategies Questionnaire (DLS-Q) and semi-structured interviews, the results show a moderate use of SRL strategies, with Basic Learning Strategies being the most frequent. These strategies involve task planning, goal setting, and self-monitoring. Summarizing and activating prior knowledge were more often utilized by male students through Basic Learning and Deep Information Processing Strategies compared to female students. On the other hand, females appeared to prefer Social Strategies such as group discussions and collaboration with peers. These, along with the lack of variation with grade level, were not significant from a statistical standpoint. This research proposes that employing Deep Learning Self-Regulated Learning (SRL) strategies, using visuals and reflective tools, may enhance student engagement during EFL instruction.