Self-regulation

The notion of self-regulation derived from educational psychology in the 1970s. The application of self-regulation to second language learning contexts has gained an interdisciplinary status in the past 20 years. This perspective prompted us to rethink how students can make progress in language learning. Self-regulation is important in second language acquisition because it is the "engine" that helps students manage their strategic learning. Although self-regulation has developed into a mature phase in educational psychology, it has not generated a profound influence in the field of SLA. This chapter aims to provide a theoretical basis for understanding self-regulation in second language learning by reviewing key models of self-regulation, examining conceptual and methodological issues of self-regulation, and summarizing research findings to determine the role of self-regulation in second language acquisition. Finally, this chapter discusses some challenges involved in developing a self-regulated capacity for second language learning.