Exploring information-seeking behavior in second language learning: a preliminary study

Grounded in Proactive Language Learning Theory (PLLT, Papi, M., and P. Hiver. 2025a. “Proactive Language Learning Theory.” Language Learning 75 (1): 295–329. doi:10.1111/lang.12644), this study examines how adult ESL learners engage in proactive information-seeking behaviors (InfoSBs) to support English language acquisition. Semi-structured interviews with eleven international university students in the United States were analyzed thematically, revealing three interconnected dimensions of information seeking: Elicitation, involving purposeful efforts to obtain linguistic information from various resources; Monitoring, encompassing ongoing evaluation of information against learners’ knowledge, goals, and task demands; and Use, reflecting the deliberate integration of information into current or future learning tasks. The primary aim of the study was conceptual and exploratory: to clarify the construct of InfoSBs and identify its core subdimensions in second language learning. Findings highlight information seeking as an agentic and strategic process and underscore the value of fostering learners’ proactive engagement with linguistic information. The study provides a preliminary framework for future research and pedagogical practices to support information-seeking behaviors in second-language contexts.