International Journal of Applied Linguistics· 2026Q1
Interaction‐Seeking Behavior in Second Language Learning: The Role of Regulatory Modes
- 1citations
- Q1SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
Locomotion, a tendency to act and move forward, predicted both proactive interaction-seeking and interaction monitoring in 218 L2 learners, while assessment (evaluating before acting) had a limited role.
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Key points
- Locomotion predicted both proactive interaction-seeking and interaction monitoring in L2 learners.
- Assessment had a limited predictive role in L2 interaction-seeking behavior.
- General locomotion predicted both general and L2-specific regulatory modes.
- General assessment predicted only L2 assessment.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
ABSTRACT This study investigated how trait‐level regulatory modes influenced L2 learners’ interaction‐seeking behavior (ISB) and L2 regulatory modes. To this end, 218 university‐level foreign language learners in the United States completed a questionnaire that measured their ISB and both general and L2‐specific regulatory modes. Factor analysis confirmed the two‐factor structure of ISB: Proactive interaction , concerned with seeking and engaging in interaction, and interaction monitoring , characterized by observing, evaluating, and adjusting one's L2 interaction behavior. Generalized additive models revealed that locomotion, a dispositional tendency to move from one state to another, predicted learners’ proactive interaction and interaction monitoring, whereas assessment, a dispositional tendency to think, evaluate, and analyze before acting, showed a more limited predictive role. Similarly, general locomotion significantly predicted both L2 regulatory modes, whereas general assessment predicted only L2 assessment. These findings highlight the role of locomotion in facilitating learners’ proactive engagement in L2 interaction and suggest that regulatory mode theory provides a useful lens for understanding individual differences in ISB and L2‐specific self‐regulation.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 2026 · DOI ↗
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Field: Language and Linguistics
Language and LinguisticsArts and Humanities