Research has shown that English language proficiency (ELP) plays a crucial role in the psychological well-being of international students (e.g. Li et al., "Journal of International Students, "4(4), 301-313, 2014). However, few studies have reported positive correlations between their improved English skills and well-being. The present…

Self-Determination Theory (SDT) is a hot topic in the field of applied linguistics, and it is getting more and harder to downplay the significance of the so-called theory in the growth of second-language learners (Deci and Ryan, 1985, 2000, 2002). The current study tried to test the theory in the Iranian EFL setting by throwing light on the…

Self-Directed Language Learning (SDLL) which aims at developing learner autonomy, improves learner engagement since learners are able to use higher-level critical thinking. Thus, the present study was conducted in an English for Academic Purposes (EAP) classroom in Sri Lanka, in order to investigate how to incorporate Self-Directed Learning in the…

Given the recent attention to language-domain-specific grit in the field of SLA and the scarcity of research on the antecedents of L2 grit, we proposed a model that links L2 learners' basic psychological needs (BPN) (i.e. autonomy, competence, and relatedness), L2 grit (i.e. perseverance of effort (PE) and consistency of interest (CI)), and L2…

The shift from teacher-centered to student-centered instruction requires language teachers' roles to change from being lecturers and controllers to facilitators and advisors. This shift requires students to have a high degree of learner autonomy. However, some teachers hesitate to promote learner autonomy. If they remain uncertain about the…

Due to university students' poor English language proficiency in mainland China and the fact that many English educators ascribe this issue to learners' weak autonomy and learning motivation, this study attempted to explore the correlations among learning motivation, learner autonomy, and language proficiency in Chinese EFL context. To arrive at…

This paper seeks to examine Korean EFL learners' perceptions of parental involvement and how their attitudes toward parental involvement are associated with the success of parental involvement. Two hundred fifty four EFL children in South Korea participated in a survey asking the degree of their parent's involvement in seven involvement types and…

The shift from teacher-centered to student-centered instruction requires language teachers' role to change from being lecturers and controllers to facilitators and advisors. This shift requires students to have a high degree of learner autonomy. However, some teachers hesitate to promote learner autonomy. If they remain uncertain about the…

The road to second language competence is a long and arduous one, and much of its effort involves learning to recognize and use vocabulary. Fortunately, anytime-anywhere learning with smart phones and smart apps offer a means to lessen the burden and make vocabulary learning more efficient. Accordingly, this study investigated 134 students across…

This paper investigates the experiences of two international students with different linguistic backgrounds in a university in Hong Kong, with particular attention to the role of language in their identity negotiation during their transnational studies. Based on their contrasting narratives, the study revealed that the two students' identity…

The concept of learner autonomy is now playing an important role in the language learning field. An emphasis is put on the new form of learning which enables learners to direct their own learning. This study aimed to examine how undergraduate students believed about autonomous language learning in a university setting and to find out whether some…

This study investigated the interrelationships among EFL learners' self-efficacy, autonomy and listening comprehension ability. Ninety female learners of intermediate level participated in the study. They were between 16 and 24 years old. In order to obtain the required data on the three variables (i.e., self-efficacy, autonomy, and listening…

By using data from an online language learning beliefs survey (n?=?841), defining language learning experience in terms of participants' multilingualism, and using a domain-specific language learning locus of control (LLLOC) instrument, this article examines whether more experienced language learners can also be seen as more autonomous language…

The urgency of the examined issue is stipulated by inconsistency between social services commissioning to speak several foreign languages and inadequate implementation of these services in educational establishments of the country. The aim of the article is to justify the necessity to reconsider models of mastering the language and to alter…

This paper reports on how and why proficient learners of English in Hong Kong participated in popular culture, out-of-class activities, with an emphasis on their development of learner autonomy. Autonomy in language learning is defined as an individual's ability and responsibility to take charge of his or her own learning [1]. Out-of-class…