A Study of the Relationship Between Learner Autonomy, Self-regulation Strategies and Motivation

Abstract

Learner autonomy and self-regulation strategies have become increasingly important in foreign language learning. Indeed, lacking these, learners might not be able to exploit opportunities for learning. This study investigates the relationship between language learning motivation, learner autonomy and self-regulation strategies by means of a correlational analysis. A new questionnaire was developed for Hungarian learners and administered to 638 participants in three age groups: secondary school learners, university students and adult language learners. The analyses reveal that while participants appear to be motivated to learn English, their level of autonomy and use of self-regulation strategies prove to be lower than their level of motivation. Based on the correlational results, it seems that both learner autonomy and the use of self-regulation strategies show a significant correlation with motivation, while the two former demonstrate only partial overlap, which indicate that they should certainly be considered separate latent constructs in future studies.