Metacognitive Activities in ESL Teaching

video cited here

In the field of ESL, metacognitive activities are usually used when teaching ESL students reading skills. Through designed instructional activities, L2 learners are encouraged to engage in metacognitive thinking. When reading in target language, they monitor the reading strategies they use and compare them with those of peers. In this way, they become aware of not only the advantages and disadvantages of different reading strategies but also when and where certain one should be applied. Then they figure out how to improve and remedy their own.

However, according to me observation, metacoginitive activities do not work well on advanced or old ESL students. The reason is that most advanced or old ESL students have already got used to certain mode and therefore have difficulties changing it. They have used their own strategies for a long time or transferred from L1 strategy, so it is harder for them to adjust their mode even if they understand the pros and cons.

In addition to reading, I think metacognitive activities can also be applied to ESL writing. Teachers assign the topics, such as making up a story or writing by pictures, and students post their homework on the website or forum. They are asked to read others’ compositions and make comments. Thus they can see what strategies peers use to write and reflect on their own work by comparing with others’ homework or reading teachers’ comments. Moreover, teachers can choose some of their work and make students discuss how to refine certain paragraphs or sentences. Through looking for what can be improved in others’ works, L2 learners can be aware of their own pros and cons in writing. Finally teachers can ask them to rewrite or revise their homework again to access how they progress.