Learner motivation and self-regulatory strategy use by intermediate learners of German during writing assignments

This study examines the self-regulatory strategy use of intermediate learners of German during at-home writing assignments. A writing assignment presents a challenging task for many learners, not only requiring certain language skills, but also a certain level of motivation. Yet, relatively little and often no class time is dedicated to teaching learners self-regulatory strategies in foreign language classes.;This study sheds light on the strategies learners use to regulate their motivation during the process of completing writing assignments. The purpose of this study is to gain a better understanding of learner motivation in order to ultimately encourage learners to regulate their motivation during foreign language learning.;A multi-method design helped to collect qualitative as well as quantitative data. Learners completed questionnaires about their personal background, as well as their motivation to study German and to write in German. After three short-term writing assignments, learners reported about their self-regulatory strategy use during the writing process by completing a questionnaire.;In addition, eight self-selected focus group members participated in semi-scripted interviews and provided diary entries documenting strategies used to maintain their motivation in each writing process. The study sought to answer the following research questions: (RQ 1) What kinds of self-regulatory strategies do intermediate learners of German use to motivate themselves during at-home writing assignments in German? (RQ 2) What relationships exist among learners' use of self-regulatory strategies on the one hand, and learners' personal background and reasons for learning German, as well as their attitudes and motivations towards learning German and writing in German on the other hand? (RQ 3) To what extent do relationships exist between a learner's learning context and learners' self-regulatory strategy use during writing assignments?;The findings support the perception of self-regulation as a multifaceted concept. Results demonstrate that self-regulatory strategies use reflects the sociocultural nature of language learning and learners identities as writers. Finally, results are discussed in regard to pedagogical implications, limitations and suggestions for further research.