DYNAMIC SYSTEM THEORY (DST) IN SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION (SLA) STUDY: METHODOLOGY AND RESEARCH FOCUS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.46827/ejfl.v9i4.6269کلمات کلیدی:
Dynamic Systems Theory (DST), Complex Dynamic Systems Theory (CDST), Complexity theory, Second Language Acquisition (SLA), second language learningچکیده
Dynamic Systems Theory (DST) is a significant framework in Second Language Acquisition (SLA) studies. Nevertheless, this domain faces fragmented experimental methods and theoretical debates. By providing a critique and highlighting the challenges in recent studies, this review serves as a critical reference for researchers and educators, aiming to foster a more unified and theoretically robust understanding of DST and provide future direction for language educational research. This study summarizes DST applications in SLA by examining 33 empirical studies published between 2020 and 2025, selected through a rigorous four-phase procedure that aligned with PRISMA 2020 guidelines. These studies are analyzed according to their focus areas, methodology (research method and data analysis model), and engagement with DST. The results highlight the prevalence of longitudinal, multi-layered, and methodologically diverse designs in these studies that aim to capture the nonlinearity, individual variability, and dynamic interactions within the framework of DST. Although the theoretical propositions of DST have been validated, limitations persist in the restricted generalizability of the results and the insufficient clarification of underlying mechanisms. The conclusion stresses the need for future studies with extended observation, dense longitudinal data, and integrated methods to produce generalizable results. This study supports researchers and educators in understanding advancements, constraints, and future directions of DST applications in SLA.
Article visualizations:
مراجع
Atkinson, D., Mejía‐Laguna, J., Ribeiro, A. C., Cappellini, M., Kayi‐Aydar, H., & Lowie, W. (2025). Relationality, interconnectedness, and identity: A process‐focused approach to second language acquisition and teaching (SLA/T). The Modern Language Journal, 109(S1), 39–63. https://doi.org/10.1111/modl.12982
De Bot, K., Lowie, W., & Verspoor, M. (2007). A dynamic view as a complementary perspective. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 10(1), 51–55. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1366728906002811
Firth, A., & Wagner, J. (1997). On discourse, communication, and (some) fundamental concepts in SLA research. The Modern Language Journal, 81(3), 285–300. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.1997.tb05480.x
Gu, Y. (2023). An introduction to retrodictive qualitative modeling as an emerging method on affective variables in SLA research. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1081502. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1081502
Murakami, A. (2016). Modeling systematicity and individuality in nonlinear second language development: The case of English grammatical morphemes. Language Learning, 66(4), 834–871. https://doi.org/10.1111/lang.12166
Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, T. C., Mulrow, C. D., Shamseer, L., Tetzlaff, J. M., Akl, E. A., Brennan, S. E., Chou, R., Glanville, J., Grimshaw, J. M., Hróbjartsson, A., Lalu, M. M., Li, T., Loder, E. W., Mayo-Wilson, E., McDonald, S., … Moher, D. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 statement: An updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ, n71. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n71
Sowers-Wills, S. (2021). Sounds like a dynamic system: A unifying approach to Language. Linguistics Vanguard, 7(1), 20200070. https://doi.org/10.1515/lingvan-2020-0070
Van Dijk, M., Lowie, W., Smit, N., Verspoor, M., & Van Geert, P. (2024). Complex dynamic systems theory as a foundation for process-oriented research on second language development. Second Language Research, 02676583241246739. https://doi.org/10.1177/02676583241246739
Zhang, R., & Zou, D. (2022). Types, features, and effectiveness of technologies in collaborative writing for second language learning. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 35(9), 2391–2422. https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2021.1880441
Zou, D., Luo, S., Xie, H., & Hwang, G.-J. (2022). A systematic review of research on flipped language classrooms: Theoretical foundations, learning activities, tools, research topics and findings. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 35(8), 1811–1837. https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2020.1839502
دانلودها
چاپ شده
شماره
نوع مقاله
مجوز
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
