Junko Yamashita

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of providing guidance and opportunities for learners to engage in autonomous learning outside the classroom, with a specific focus on the forethought and self-reflection phases of self-regulated learning theory. The seven-week learning support using a self-study log provided Japanese language learners with opportunities to visualize their out-of-class learning activities. As a result, even within a short period of time, learners acquired stronger self-reflection skills compared to the control group. This study demonstrates that support based on self-regulated learning theory can solidify and enhance Japanese language learners’ self-regulation skills during out-of-class learning, providing valuable insights for Japanese language instructors aiming to cultivate learner autonomy. Based on the findings, future recommendations include interventions that provide specific support for students who struggle with concrete planning and instruction in strategies for effective self-regulated learning. Additionally, fostering learners’ self-efficacy through scaffolding and acknowledging the role of teacher feedback may further contribute to their self-regulation.

<jats:p>Opportunities for LOTE (Languages Other Than English) speakers to engage with their target language are limited, making it challenging to sustain motivation. The aim of this study is to develop and validate a scale for measuring motivational regulatory strategies among Japanese-language learners and investigate their relationship with motivational factors. This research specifically focuses on Indonesian learners of Japanese who have a non-Kanji (Chinese characters) background and are studying Japanese as a foreign language. The motivational regulatory strategies scale comprises six factors and has demonstrated adequate internal consistency and factor structure. The findings indicate a positive correlation between integrative motivation and these six strategies, suggesting that learners’ integrative motivation may promote the adoption of these strategies. Furthermore, this study emphasizes the significance of the opportunity control strategy, where learners actively seek chances to expose themselves to their target language. Future research is recommended to implement the developed scale in educational settings. Conducting surveys that encompass learners from diverse cultural backgrounds and embarking on longitudinal studies should also be considered.</jats:p>