The role of metacognition in second language teaching and learning

During a National Public Radio broadcast in the UnitedStates in March 1999, a sixth grader explained whatshe was learning from playing the Stock Market Game, an activity designed to help children become familiar with how the stock market functions. She said, “This game makes me think how to think ” (Prakash, 1999). What this statement re-veals is that this young learner was beginning to understand the real key to learning; she was engaged in metacognition. Metacognition can be defined simply as thinking about thinking. Learners who are metacognitively aware know what to do when they don’t know what to do; that is, they have strategies for finding out or figuring out what they need to do. The use of metacognitive strategies ignites one’s thinking and can lead to more profound learning and improved performance, especially among learners who are struggling. Understanding and controlling cognitive processes may be one of the most essential skills that classroom teachers can help second lan