How Do I Introduce My Students to Metacognition?
It is worth devoting some class time to telling your students about Metacognition. The introduction will allow you to begin the conversation about thinking and learning which will continue throughout the year in the context of your language and content lessons. After this introduction, you should be able to integrate learning strategies instruction seamlessly into your class without switching topics or wasting time. As Andrew Cohen states, “From my own research experience (most recently in the domain of study abroad), it would appear that enhancing language learners’ systematic use of strategies has an impact on their language learning. It also seems to be the case that explicit mention of the role that a given strategy plays in the given situation is beneficial in order to ensure that the learners might transfer the strategy to another situation where it could apply.” (personal communication, 2005) You can help your students to reflect on their learning in two ways: by modeling how yo
