A Dynamic Metacognitive Systems Account of Chinese University Students' Knowledge About EFL Reading

Abstract

Metacognition, conceptualized as a set of dynamic systems, has been recognized as an important area of academic and pedagogical inquiry in applied linguistics from both theoretical and practical perspectives. Nonetheless, literature on students' metacognition about EFL reading is still cursory, and that is particularly true as regards Chinese EFL students. In response to globalization, many students whose first language is Chinese have become transnationals and are pursuing academic studies in English. The current study focuses on these second language (L2) learners. By reporting findings from an interview study of 20 Chinese students' EFL reading experiences framed within a dynamic metacognitive systems perspective, it attempts to account for the learner behavior and thinking that are normally reported under the rubric of language learning strategy research, which has courted criticism recently. The results suggest that there is a strong relationship between metacognition and successful EFL reading comprehension, and that the successful and the less successful L2 students are different in the amount and the quality of the metacognitive knowledge they possess. These results are discussed for possible insights into research on such learners and the pedagogical practices of teachers working with them.