V. Metacognition and Metacognitive Approaches
Sometimes, learning can feel like a total mystery. Some things come easy to us; others are a bit harder to grasp. Have you ever considered that you might be able to “learn about learning”? There is a plethora of ways that we can refine our own learning process to learn more efficiently, thoroughly, or intentionally, and one of those is metacognition.
Metacognition is often referred to as “thinking about thinking”. In fact, it is the act of understanding one’s own thoughts and thought processes. Using metacognitive approaches can help us to unlock more of our learning potential. In this chapter, we’ll look at various metacognitive strategies that may help you not only in your language learning journey, but in all aspects of lifelong learning.
In this chapter, we will look at how we can adjust out thinking patterns to accomodate strategies that might come in handy to reflect on our own learning processes and alter our habits to support learning.
Chapter goals | I will be able to…
- List the five stages of the metacognitive cycle
- Recognize the benefits of using metacognitive strategies
- Apply metacognitive strategies in my learning
- Critically analyze/reflect on my own learning patterns
- Create learning plans based on analysis and reflection