Metacognition as a superordinate concept of metalinguistics: The role in developing reading skills in a foreign language

Marta Kopčíková

University of Prešov, Slovakia

Marta Kopčíková is a lecturer at the Department of Communicative and Literary Education at the Faculty of Education, University of Prešov. She works with pre-service teachers, her main teaching areas being methodology of teaching English to young and very young learners and the development of communicative competences in the English language. She has participated in several research projects focused on the development of metacognitive, cognitive and executive functions of underperforming students. Her main fields of expertise are metacognitive reading strategies and reading competence in the English language.


https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7069-447X


Abstract

The paper provides a theoretical analysis of the relationship between metacognition and its subordinate concept metalinguistics. Understanding that language and cognition are inextricably linked, the aim of the paper is to highlight the holistic nature of learning. From this perspective, metalinguistic abilities, such as phonological awareness, word awareness, form awareness, and pragmatic awareness are introduced and suggestions for activities and everyday interactions to facilitate their development are outlined. Furthermore, the paper focuses on explaining the role of metacognition and metalinguistics in particular towards the development of reading skills. Based on the three kinds of metacognitive knowledge, i.e., declarative knowledge, procedural knowledge and conditional knowledge, the paper provides a five-step instruction of a reading comprehension strategy, applicable for both L1 and FL reading development.

Keywords:

metacognition, metalinguistic knowledge, metalinguistic awareness, reading comprehension, bilingualism, reading in a foreign/second language

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Published
2019-03-30


Kopčíková, M. (2019) “Metacognition as a superordinate concept of metalinguistics: The role in developing reading skills in a foreign language”, Crossroads. A Journal of English Studies, (24), pp. 82–97. doi: 10.15290/cr.2019.24.1.06.

Marta Kopčíková 
University of Prešov, Slovakia

Marta Kopčíková is a lecturer at the Department of Communicative and Literary Education at the Faculty of Education, University of Prešov. She works with pre-service teachers, her main teaching areas being methodology of teaching English to young and very young learners and the development of communicative competences in the English language. She has participated in several research projects focused on the development of metacognitive, cognitive and executive functions of underperforming students. Her main fields of expertise are metacognitive reading strategies and reading competence in the English language.

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7069-447X