Investigation of Technological University Students’ Use of Metacognitive Reading Strategies in First and Second Languages

Abstract

Reading, whether the reader’s First language, L1 or Second language, L2, is a cognitive enterprise, and it can be treated as a result of the interaction among the reader, the text, and the context. Metacognitive strategies refer to the behaviours applied by learners to plan, arrange, and evaluate their learning. This study aimed to investigate college students’ use of metacognitive reading strategies in their first language (Chinese) and second language (English) while reading academic materials. The participants were technological university students in southern Taiwan. The Metacognitive Reading Strategies Questionnaire (MRSQ) was applied to investigate learners’ use of metacognitive reading strategies in terms of analytic reading strategies and pragmatic reading Strategies in L1 and L2 reading. The results revealed that students used both analytic strategies and pragmatic strategies more frequently when they read L1 rather than L2 in academic articles. Though students tend to transfer their metacognitive reading strategies from L1 to L2, several strategies still showed significant differences in usage between reading L1 and L2. It hopes to shed light on the importance of Metacognitive reading strategies in language learning, and guide language learners in applying the strategies wisely and effectively.