Metacognitive strategies

pupils tried to answer somehow with the same things and similar words using their knowledge. This item tended to be too difficult to instruct, but it might be possible to instruct this strategy depending on activities.

significant difference in the 6th grade, many pupils seemed to use the strategy consciously.

As for items 2 (I have clear goals for learning English.) and 3 (I think about my English learning.), there were significant differences in both grades. Two reasons are given. One is that a goal of each lesson was shown at the beginning of every lesson and it was reflected on at the end of lessons with their self-evaluation cards. The other is that the pupils decided their own goals by the end of the first term in May. These tended to raise their consciousness of strategies use. Some pupils reflected on the first term as follows:

Annual goal: I will try to speak English every day.

The first term goal: I will practice English at home every day.

Reflection on the first term: I have been practicing English at home every day. So my English is getting better. I will continue practicing English as much as possible at home. (Pupil C-4)

Annual goal: I will use English in daily life.

The first term goal: I will learn as many English words as possible.

Reflection on the first term: It was good me that I always tried to think about my first term goal. I will do my best in the second term. (Pupil C-5)

Annual goal: I want to learn to speak English very well.

The first term goal: I will learn English in FLA and practice English at home.

Reflection on the first term: I practiced English I learned in FLA with my friends, and kept my goal. (Pupil C-22)

From the above comments, it might be said that these 6th grade pupils are controlling their learning with metacognition. It might be said that setting and reflecting on short and long term goals gave the pupils an opportunity for planning and monitoring their English learning. The 5th graders did not claim to plan and monitor their learning, but they could set and reflect on their goals. Some 5th

graders commented as follows:

Annual goal: I want to use English.

The first term goal: I will try to speak in English with gestures.

Reflection on the first term: I did not do gestures very much, but I could speak in English with a big voice. Pupil A-5)(

Annual goal: I want to speak English smoothly.

The first term goal: I will try to sing English songs without being shy.

Reflection on the first term: I was happy I could sing English songs without being shy.

Pupil A-15)

(

Annual goal: I want to speak English smoothly.

The first term goal: I want to speak my mind in English so as to communicate with others.

Reflection on the first term: I was happy that I could speak my feelings in English when I was asked how I was. Pupil A-18)(

Annual goal: I want to learn English and talk with my friends in English.

The first term goal: I will learn English with gestures.

Reflection on the first term: I was happy I could use a lot of gestures and speak English in a loud voice. (Pupil B-3)

Annual goal: I want to speak English well.

The first term goal: I will try to speak English like the ALT.

Reflection on the first term: It was good that I could copy the ALT's English. (Pupil B-5)

The differences between the 5th and the 6th graders can perhaps be attributed to the differences in their cognitive development and experiences of learning English.

Moreover, some pupils described practicing English outside of lessons, which is regarded as seeking practice opportunities for metacognitive strategies (Oxford, 1990). The descriptions of these expressions are indicated as follows:

I am happy practicing English with my parents. (Pupil A-3)

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I talk with my family in simple English. (Pupil A-10)

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I can talk with my family in English. (Pupil A-14)

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I came to be able to talk with my sister in English. (Pupil C-18)

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These pupils claimed to try to speak English as much as possible.

Furthermore, showing target strategies as“Today's strategy”at the beginning of lessons taught the pupils how to learn foreign languages, and promoted their learning. Some pupils' commented as follows:

Today's strategy showed how to learn for the lessons so that I could concentrate.

・ “ ”

Today's strategy is one of the goals of a lesson so that I was able to use the strategy

・ “ ”

(consciously/ hard). (Pupils A-1, C-1, 2, 6, 15, 22, 24, and D-6)

Today's strategy was a way to address the lesson's goal and it was easier to understand

・ “ ”

English. (Pupil B-3)

I did not know what to do in FLA when I was a 5 grader, but now I have changed my

・ th

feelings and attitude toward FLA. (Pupil D-4)

I used Today's strategy consciously in order to reflect on it after lessons. (Pupil C-12)

・ “ ”

I did not know how to learn English, but now I know how to do it. (Pupil D-28)

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I have been trying to use strategies positively. (Pupil D-19)

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I felt it complicated and tiresome to use strategies at first, but now it is more interesting

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and easier to use them. (Pupils B-3 and D-10)

I am more interested in English. (Pupils C-24 and D-1)

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I want to learn how to study English positively. (Pupils D-2 and D-9)

・

However, several pupils described that learning strategies were not very useful or at all (Pupils B-9, 21, C-20, and 21). These pupils tended to be lower motivated, and claimed that they did not understand lesson content very much in the previous questionnaire in April.

The results of metacognitive strategies give two findings. One is that having and reflecting on pupils' own short and long term goals and every lesson goals with self-evaluation cards might develop their metacognitive strategies. The other is that instructing target strategies at the beginning of lessons might teach them how to learn, and encourage and motivate them to learn foreign languages.