Self-regulated Digital Reading Strategy and Use in English Language Learning

This paper reports on the results of a study exploring university students’ attitudes, preferences and practicalities towards self-regulatory digital reading strategies in English language learning. While the importance of self-regulatory strategies is recognised, few studies have focused on self-regulatory strategies from the perspective of digital reading for the purpose of English language learning. A questionnaire containing Likert scale items and open-ended questions on strategy use, preferences, practices and personal experiences was designed and completed by 47 Hungarian university students in Szeged, who were all English majors at different years. The analysis of the responses revealed that (1) Hungarian English major university students engage in self-regulatory digital reading strategies when studying English and they believe that it is beneficial for them, (2) individual students use and prefer different self-regulatory reading strategies for different reasons, (3) Hungarian university students prefer digital reading over paper-based reading because of different reasons. Motivation was also found to be a factor impacting self-regulation and digital reading. The results are discussed in light of their educational and pedagogical impact on language learning. Introducing, maintaining and teaching self-regulatory digital reading strategies in English language learning potentially leads to higher efficacy levels and more advanced goals in English second language learners.