The title of the paper is "Self-Regulation and Linguistic Competence in Language Learning: A Socio-Cultural Theoretic Perspective." The focus of the research is on examining the relationship between learners' self-regulation and linguistic competence during second language (L2) acquisition, specifically in the development of lexical knowledge. The study investigates how socio-cultural factors, particularly self-regulation, influence language learning and the extent to which learners use content and functional words in L2 speech production.
The purpose of the study is to explore whether sociocultural regulation, such as self-regulation, correlates with the learner's linguistic competence in L2 activities. The study specifically looks at how learners of English as a foreign language use their linguistic knowledge to self-regulate during L2 performance tasks. The scope includes analyzing the differences in the use of content and functional words between elementary and advanced learners.
The methodology involved a picture-description task given to 30 male university students in Saudi Arabia, divided into two groups based on their proficiency levels in English. The task aimed to elicit instances of using functional and content words during L2 productions. The responses were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed to determine the frequency and types of words used by each group.
Key findings reveal that elementary learners relied more on content words, indicating object-regulation, while advanced learners showed a balance between content and functional words, reflecting a higher level of self-regulation. The study found that regulation difficulty correlates with linguistic competence, as evidenced by the elementary learners' preference for non-inflected forms over inflected ones, while advanced learners displayed more functional forms and a variety of tenses and aspects.
In conclusion, the study suggests that regulation development in L2 acquisition is linked to linguistic competence. Elementary learners tend to be object-regulated, focusing on simpler, non-inflected forms, while advanced learners exhibit self-regulation through a balanced use of content and functional words. The study emphasizes the connection between psychological and linguistic development in L2 learning, with implications for understanding how these two aspects interact during language acquisition. The paper also acknowledges some limitations, such as the reliance on proficiency levels rather than a formal proficiency test and the use of a single picture stimulus, suggesting areas for future research.