The Effects of Meta-cognitive Instruction on the Listening Comprehension Ability among English Learners of Different Levels

Abstract

Abstract: The paper attempts to investigate the effects of meta-cognitive instruction on the listening comprehension ability of Chinese EFL learners of different levels. A single experiment group design is adopted in the present study. An intact class of 30 first-year non-English majors in Tongling university wae recruited as participants in the study. The participants were involved into a 9-week meta-cognitive listening instructional treatment. The comprehension questions of CET-4 test were utilized as the pre-tests and post-tests. The results show that the meta-cognitive instruction could significantly improve the overall learners' listening performance, but such positive results differ in terms of proficiency levels. Significant improvement appears only among the low level listeners instead of those high level counterparts.

Key words: meta-cognitive instruction, listening ability, learners of different levels, empirical research

CLC Number:

Pei Tao, Jiang Tao. The Effects of Meta-cognitive Instruction on the Listening Comprehension Ability among English Learners of Different Levels[J]. JOURNAL OF QUJING NORMAL UNIVERSITY, 2017, 36(2): 101-105.

References

[1] Vandergrift L. Listening to Learn or Learning to Listen?[J]. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 2004(24):3-25.
[2]Rubin J. A Review of Second Language Listening Comprehension Research[J]. The Modern Language Journal, 1994(2):199-221.
[3][28]Vandergrift L, Tafaghodtari M H. Teaching L2 Learners How to Listen Does Make a Difference: An Empirical Study[J]. Language Learning, 2010(2):470-497.
[4]乔平. 关于元认知听力教学有效性的实证研究(英文)[J]. 海外英语, 2014(11):94-96.
[5][23]苏芳, 杨静. 基于元认知理论的大学英语听力教学研究[J]. 内蒙古工业大学学报:社会科学版, 2010(1):94-99.
[6]杨善江. 元认知听力策略在高职英语教学中的培训研究[J]. 华中师范大学研究生学报, 2007(1):93-98.
[7]唐雪飞.元认知策略在高中英语听力教学中的运用.[D].华中师范大学, 2015.
[8][22]李丽君.元认知策略训练在初中英语听力教学中的运用.[D].天津师范大学, 2012.
[9][24]Vandergrift L, Cross J. Replication research in L2 listening comprehension: A conceptual replication of Graham & Macaro (2008) and an approximate replication of Vandergrift & Tafaghodtari (2010) and Brett (1997)[J]. Language Teaching, 2015: 1-10.
[10]Flavell J H. Metacognitive aspects of problem solving[J]. Nature of Intelligence, 1976(12):231-235.
[11]Brown A. Metacognition, executive control, self-regulation, and other more mysterious mechanisms[J]. Metacognition Motivation & Understanding, 1987:65-116.
[12]Wenden A L. Learner Development in Language Learning[J]. Applied Linguistics, 2002(1):32-55.
[13]Schraw G, Crippen K J, Hartley K. Promoting Self-Regulation in Science Education: Metacognition as Part of a Broader Perspective on Learning[J]. Research in Science Education, 2006(1):111-139.
[14] Weaver, S. O. The effects of metacognitive strategies on academic achievement, metacognitive awareness, and satisfaction in an undergraduate online education course[D].University of South Alabama, 2012.
[15]Pressley M. Metacognition and self-regulated comprehension[J]. What research has to say about reading instruction, 2002(3): 291-309.
[16]Rubin J. What the" good language learner" can teach us[J]. TESOL quarterly, 1975: 41-51.
[17]Brown A L, Barclay C R. The effects of training specific mnemonics on the metamnemonic efficiency of retarded children[J]. Child Development, 1976: 71-80.
[18]Chen Z, Klahr D. All other things being equal: Acquisition and transfer of the control of variables strategy[J]. Child development, 1999(5): 1098-1120.
[19]Thompson I, Rubin J. Can strategy instruction improve listening comprehension?[J]. Foreign Language Annals, 1996(3): 331-342.
[20]Goh C. Metacognitive awareness and second language listeners[J]. ELT journal, 1997(4): 361-369.
[25]Vandergrift L, Goh C C M. Teaching and learning second language listening: Metacognition in action[M]. Routledge, 2012:110.
[26]Mendelsohn D. Learning how to listen using learning strategies[J]. Current trends in the development and teaching of the four language skills, 2006: 75-90.
[27]Cross J. Metacognitive instruction for helping less-skilled listeners[J]. ELT journal, 2011(4): 408-416.