Application of Metacognitive Strategies in English Study by Chinese Engineering Postgraduates

Li MA, Yucui WANG

Abstract


Metacognition is people’s cognition about their own cognitions. Advanced or experienced learners are conscious of monitoring and controlling their own learning process. In academic domains, teachers have been interested in the role of metacognition plays in self-regulated learning. This study aims at understanding the application of metacognitive strategies in English study among Chinese engineering postgraduates, and the relations between the use of metacognitive strategies and students’ English competence. The method we used includes questionnaire and interview, with the data collected and analyzed by SPSS 19.0. The results of the survey indicate that among engineering postgraduates investigated, metacognitive strategies are not widely applied. Besides, evidence shows that there is a positive relation between students’ metacognitive ability and their English competence.

Keywords


Metacognition; English study; Engineering postgraduates

Full Text:

PDF

References


Alderson, J. C. (2000). Assessing reading. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Anderson, N. J. (2003). Metacognitive reading strategies increase L2 performance. The Language Teacher, 27, 20-22.

Baker, L., & Brown, A. (1984). Metacognitive skills and reading. In P. D. Pearson, R. Barr, J. L. Kamil, & P. Rosenthal (Eds.), Handbook of reading research. New York: Longman Press.

Bogdan, R. J. (2000). Minding minds. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Brown, A. (1987). Metacognition, executive control, self-regulation, and other more mysterious mechanisms. In F. E. Weinert, & R. H. Kluwe, (Eds.), Metacognition, motivation and understanding (pp.65-116). New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Cohen, A. D. (1990). Language learning: Insights for learners, teachers, and researchers. New York: Newbury House.

Cohen, A. D. (1998). Strategies in learning and using a second language. London & New York: Longman.

Devin, J., Railey, K., & Boshoff, P. (1993). The implications of cognitive models in L1 and L2 writing. Journal of Second Language Writing, 26(2), 203-225.

Dickinson, L. (1995). Autonomy and motivation: A literature review. System, 23, 165-174.

Flavell, J. H. (1976). Metacognitive aspects of problem solving. In L. B. Resnick (Ed.), The nature of intelligence. Hillsdale. NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Garner, R. (1988). Metacognition and reading comprehension. New Jersey: Ablex Publishing Corporation.

Gourgey, A. F. (1998). Metacognition in basic skills instruction. Instructional Science, 26(1), 81-96.

Hartman, H. J. (1994). From reciprocal teaching to reciprocal education. Journal of Developmental Education, 18(1), 2-32.

Hartman, H. J. (2002). Metacognition in learning and instruction: Theory, research and practive. MA: Kluwer Academic Publishers.

Holec, H. (1981). Autonomy and foreign language learning. Oxford: Pergamon Press.

Ji, K. (2005). How to increase students’ knowledge of meta-cognition: A teaching experiment of English writing. Foreign Language Eduction, 26(2), 61-64.

Kasper, L. F. (1997). ESL writing and the principle of nonjudgemental awareness: Rationale and implementation. Teaching English in the Two-Year College, 25(2), 60-68.

Kummin, S., & Rahman, S. (2010). The relationship between the use of metacognitive strategies and achievement in English. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences, 7(C), 145-150.

Lam, W. Y. K. (2009). Examining the effects of metacognitive strategy instruction on ESL group discussions: A synthesis of approaches. Language Teaching Reserach, 13(2), 129-150.

Lu, Z. (2002). The metacognition and strategy of study-time allocation among English learners. Modern Foreign Languages, 25(4), 396-407.

Luo, N., & Chen, C. (2012). EAP needs analysis of postgraduates of science and engineering. Contemporary Foreign Languages Studies, 5, 38-42.

Naimain, N., Frohlich, M., Stern, H. H., & Todesco, A. (1978). The good language learner. Toronto: The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education.

Nunan, D. (1995). Closing the gap between learning and instruction. Tesol Quarterly, 29(2), 133-142.

O’May, J. M., & Chamot, A. U. (1990). Learning strategies in second language acquisition. London: Macmillan.

Ostler, S. E. (1980). A survey of academic needs for advanced ESL. TESOL Quarterly, 14(4), 489-502.

Oxford, R. L. (1990). Language learning strategies: What every teacher should know. Boston: Heinle & Heinle Publishers.

Oxford, R. L. (1993). Research on second language learning strategies. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 13, 175-187.

Palincsar, A. S., & Brown, D. A. (1987). Enhancing instructional time through attention to meta-cognition. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 20(2), 66-75.

Palincsar, A. S., & Ransom, K. (1988). From the mystery spot to the thoughtful spot: The instruction of metacognitive strategies. The Reading Teacher, 41(8), 784-789.

Rubin, J. (1975). What the “good language learner” can teach us. TESOL Quarterly, 9(2), 41-49.

Schraw, G. (1994). The effect of metacognitive knowledge on local and global monitoring. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 19, 143-154.

Stern, H. H. (1975). What can we learn from the good language learner? The Canadian Modern Language Review, 31(6), 304-318.

Victori, M. (1999). An analysis of writing knowledge in EFL composing: A case study of two effective and two less effective writers. System, 27(3), 537-555.

Wenden, A. (1991). Learner strategies for learner autonomy: Planning and implementing learner training for language learners. New York: Prentice Hall.

Wenden, A., & Rubin, L. (1987). Learner strategies in second language learning. London: Prentice Hall International.

Yang, C. (2009). A study of metacognitive strategies employed by English listeners in an EFL setting. International Education Studies, 2(4), 134-139.

Yang, X., & Zhang, W. (2002). The correlation between metacognition and EFL reading comprehension of Chinese college students. Foreign Language Teaching and Research, 34(3), 213-218.

Zimmerman, B. J. (1989). Models of self-regulated learning and academic achievement. In B. J. Zimmerman, & D. H. Schunk, (Eds.), Self-regulated learning and academic achievement theory, research and practice. New York: Springer-Verlag.




DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3968/n

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c)



Share us to:   

 

Online Submission: http://cscanada.org/index.php/sll/submission/wizard


Reminder

How to do online submission to another Journal?

If you have already registered in Journal A, then how can you submit another article to Journal B? It takes two steps to make it happen:

1. Register yourself in Journal B as an Author

Find the journal you want to submit to in CATEGORIES, click on “VIEW JOURNAL”, “Online Submissions”, “GO TO LOGIN” and “Edit My Profile”. Check “Author” on the “Edit Profile” page, then “Save”.

2. Submission

Go to “User Home”, and click on “Author” under the name of Journal B. You may start a New Submission by clicking on “CLICK HERE”.


We only use three mailboxes as follows to deal with issues about paper acceptance, payment and submission of electronic versions of our journals to databases: caooc@hotmail.com; sll@cscanada.net; sll@cscanada.org

 Articles published in Studies in Literature and Language are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC-BY).

 STUDIES IN LITERATURE AND LANGUAGE Editorial Office

Address: 1055 Rue Lucien-L'Allier, Unit #772, Montreal, QC H3G 3C4, Canada.
Telephone: 1-514-558 6138 
Website: Http://www.cscanada.net; Http://www.cscanada.org 
E-mail: office@cscanada.net; office@cscanada.org; caooc@hotmail.com

Copyright © 2010 Canadian Academy of Oriental and Occidental Culture