Second language acquisition theory has traditionally focused on the cognitive and psycholinguistic processes involved in additional language (L2) learning. In addition, research on learner psychology has primarily centered on learners’ cognitive abilities (e.g., aptitude and working memory) and internal traits or states (e.g., dispositions, motivations, and affect). Language learning behavior, however, has remained largely neglected and under‐theorized. To address this gap, this paper proposes the proactive language learning theory, which delineates the agentic and strategic behaviors that learners employ to learn an additional language. These behaviors include input‐seeking behavior, interaction‐seeking behavior, information‐seeking behavior, and feedback‐seeking behavior. This paper presents theoretical arguments supporting the proposal, describes the four behavioral dimensions of the theory, and outlines general hypotheses concerning the contextual and learner‐related antecedents of these behaviors and their effects on L2 outcomes. Finally, the potential implications of this theory for advancing our understanding of L2 learning and instruction are discussed.

中文翻译：

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主动语言学习理论

第二语言习得理论传统上关注额外语言（L2）学习中涉及的认知和心理语言过程。此外，学习者心理学的研究主要集中在学习者的认知能力（例如，能力和工作记忆）和内部特征或状态（例如，倾向、动机和情感）。然而，语言学习行为在很大程度上仍然被忽视和理论化不足。为了解决这一差距，本文提出了主动语言学习理论，该理论描述了学习者用来学习其他语言的代理和策略行为。这些行为包括寻求输入行为、寻求交互行为、寻求信息行为和寻求反馈行为。本文提出了支持该提案的理论论据，描述了该理论的四个行为维度，并概述了有关这些行为的背景和与学习者相关的前因及其对第二语言结果的影响的一般假设。最后，讨论了该理论对于增进我们对二语学习和教学的理解的潜在影响。