The use of self-regulation strategies by foreign language learners and its role in language achievement

Studies show that incorporating self-regulated learning (SRL) strategies into foreign language teaching encourages the development of autonomous learners. However, interviews with teachers ( n = 51) indicate that they mostly do not consider SRL in classroom practices. The present study attempts to highlight the significance of SRL in language teaching by exploring its impact on language achievement. It investigates learner reported use of SRL, focusing on its three main components – orientation, performance, and evaluation – and their power in predicting foreign language achievement. A total of 222 undergraduate foreign language learners at a state university participated in the study. Data was collected from two sources: a five-point Likert-type self-regulated language learning questionnaire, adapted from models and research instruments used in previous studies to investigate SRL and language learning strategies, and the university’s English achievement exam. Quantitative analyses indicated that although participants reported moderate to low levels of SRL use, it is a significant predictor of foreign language achievement and had significant correlations with language achievement. The results are meant to draw attention to the importance of SRL research within the foreign language teaching field as well as foster SRL implementation in language instruction.