Effects of Metacognitive Strategy Instruction on the Reading Comprehension of English Language Learners through Cognitive Academic Language Learning Approach (CALLA)

Abstract

In order to meet the reading needs of English as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) learners, educators are urged to develop effective instructional means for teaching reading comprehension and reading strategy use. Although studies on foreign language reading strategies are burgeoning in the realm of language acquisition research, recent interest has spotlighted learners’ metacognitive awareness of strategies. This study investigated the effect of metacognitive strategy training on the reading comprehension of 111 intermediate EFL learners. The participants received five sessions of instruction on metacognitive strategies guided by the blueprints of Cognitive Academic Language Learning Approach (CALLA). The results of t-test, and two-ways analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed that there was a significant positive relationship between the students' metacognitive reading strategy use and their reading comprehension performance. There was also a significant positive relationship between the use of CALLA and the students' reading comprehension performance.