Self-regulatory capacities of students with differing proficiency levels in terms of vocabulary acquisition

Language learning strategy research, generally attributed to a famous article by Rubin (1975) has witnessed a lot of fluctuations throughout its history. Initially, it was searched to see whether supposedly good language learning behaviors of some proficient learners could be taught to less proficient ones via strategy training programs. Most of those learning behaviors were analyzed by using some strategy inventory scales however, it was later concluded that less proficient learners indeed were not the ones who were not choosing and trying to apply any strategies at all. What they might have been lacking during the course of strategy application was to adjust their cognitive or meta-cognitive strengths or weaknesses according to emerging situations. After this focus shift in LLS research agenda, there have been some new terms like self regulation, strategic language learning, autonomous language learning and so on. Therefore, the researcher decided to conduct a study to analyze self regulatory capacities of learners with different proficiency levels in terms of vocabulary learning adventure in three different periods. Initially, there were twelve students chosen on voluntary basis from prep classes at Translation and Interpretation Department of Siirt University according to their grades from a proficiency exam, quizzes and midterm exams. They were grouped under "Good Starters" as more improving or less improving ones and "Average Starters" as decreasing and steady ones. For convenience, the number of students later on was dropped to three, one case for each group. The data collections tool were 6 interviews with each case in one and a half year, the whole prep class and the first term of freshman year, three narrations related to their general English learning adventure, their preparation period for university entrance exam before coming to university and their vocabulary study adventure before coming to university. Apart from the interviews and narrations, the cases were asked to provide six self reports in which they told about their chosen vocabulary learning strategies, their beliefs and attitudes towards some tasks or courses at school to see their mood or attitude changes in different contexts. The collected data was analyzed according to three different periods, the cases' university exam preparation period as called LYS period, and their vocabulary learning adventure in prep class and in the first grade as freshman year period. To analyze the collected data, a checklist was created according to a scale, Self Regulatory Capacity for Vocabulary Acquisition by Tseng etal (2006). Moreover, the possible ascriptions or causes seemingly affecting the learners' controlling capacities in three different periods were analyzed under Weiner's (1985) classification of attributions of motivation. The causal attributions were classified as to their location of the cause, internal or external, duration of the cause as stable or unstable and controllability as to whether controllable or uncontrollable. This is a multiple case study of Qualitative Research Method and is a longitudinal one in nature as the process of vocabulary learning adventure of three students were analyzed in three terms at university. The findings and results suggest that the underlying capacities of learners to apply their chosen strategies have a detrimental impact on the course of their actions during vocabulary studies. It was concluded that learners' differing strengths to balance their competing tendencies, moods or feelings influence their application of chosen strategies either positively or negatively.