Autonomous learning is extensively acknowledged as a desirable goal in undergraduate education as it is found to comply with learner-centered approaches and enable learners to pursue life-long learning. However, very few empirical researchers have closely examined the actual practices of autonomous learning in the Afghan context. Therefore, the…

In recent years, many studies have paid attention to servant leadership in different fields and occasions, yet few studies have paid attention to higher education in Afghanistan. The current explanatory study examined to what extent university teachers use the four principles of servant leadership (empathy, awareness, conceptualization and…

This study bridges a gap in the current research on motivation and demotivation learning a second language (L2). It is meant to provide an overview of students' goal setting when they start to learn an L2 at university level in Australia. Drawing on goal-setting and learning goal orientation constructs (cf. Miller, 2020), goal formation is…

Directed motivational currents (DMCs) are portrayed as highly intense and prolonged periods of motivation oriented to a much-desired goal of personal significance. While we have seen a recent growth in studies examining aspects of DMCs, evidence on the negative side-effects of DMCs remains inadequate to date. In response to repeated calls for…

This study examined the role of positive and negative feedback on goal commitment and energy investment among English as a foreign language learners who experienced directed motivational currents (DMCs). To this purpose, a systematic methodology was used to identify language learners with a DMC experience (six students, four females, two males,…

Directed Motivational Currents (DMCs) are highly intense goal-directed motivational experiences that are characterised by establishing new routines and having positive emotions. The present study aimed to identify the factors that triggered the launch of DMCs among EFL learners. An interview protocol designed based on the core dimensions of the…

Writing in an L2 presents particular challenges (e.g., acculturating into new conventions) but also opportunities (e.g., the Joseph Conrad phenomenon, Scovel, 1988). In general, writing plays diverse roles in social, professional, and academic contexts and can significantly influence a writer's life experiences. Neither L1 nor L2 writers…

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of foreign language anxiety or xenoglossophobia, for college students enrolled in foreign language courses at The Southern University. The topic was guided by Krashen's theory of second language acquisition, as it relates to many aspects of the actual…

The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into education has heralded new paradigms for language learning, with conversational AI chatbots emerging as potent tools for fostering learner autonomy. Therefore, this article explores how conversational AI chatbots support and reinforce Self-Regulated Learning (SRL) in language acquisition. It…

While extensive research has been conducted on L2 motivation in the Hungarian context, more studies need to be focused on international students beginning to learn Hungarian while studying in Hungary. This article offers an explanatory investigation into the motivational dispositions influencing the learning of Hungarian as a second language (L2)…

Since the end of the 20th century, autonomous learning has become a popular research topic in education and has received much attention from researchers. The acquisition of Chinese as a second language requires learners to practice autonomous learning and develop their language learning ability. The present study used the theory of autonomous…

This study examines Thai university students' perceptions of Interactive Response Systems (IRSs) in fully online English instruction, addressing the limited research on their use in virtual classrooms. A mixed-method approach, involving surveys and interviews with 289 participants, revealed generally positive perceptions of IRSs as tools that…

This study examined the differences in English learning goals and specific actions for goal achievement according to the degree of willingness to communicate (WTC) among Japanese English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners through qualitative analysis. This study aimed to ascertain: (1) the characteristics of English learning goals among learners…

Although fully online learning is now the 'new normal' in many parts of the world, its implementation is often beset by challenges such as the lack of student self-regulation, and the sense of isolation. In this paper, we explored the use of chatbots to support student goal setting (Study 1) and social presence (Study 2) in online activities. In…

L2 extensive reading (ER) research primarily studies intermediate and upper-intermediate learners, but few studies investigate beginners. This study addresses this gap by reporting on beginner Japanese as Foreign Language (JFL) learners' attempts to do ER according to Waring and McLean's (2015) ER principles. In this study, 13 second-semester…