Metacognitive Strategies of Developing the Reading Competence of Students of Institutions of Higher Education

Abstract

Introduction. The paper presents the peculiarities and advantages of using the metacognitive strategies to develop the reading competence in students of pedagogical universities in the process of educational-vocational training; the notion “strategies of reading” is clarified, the basic structural components are determined; the functions of the metacognitive strategies, their role when working with scientific texts are considered. The theoretical approaches to the metacognitive strategies are represented, their functions, their role in understanding scientific texts. The notions and meanings of the metacognitive skills and metacognitive strategies are revealed. The metacognitive skills can be considered as an integration of the ability to understand scientific texts and metalinguistic erudition, i. e. as a set of knowledge about the text and ability to work with the text. The paper presents the author’s programme of forming metalinguistic strategies when working with scientific texts.
 Results & Discussions. Erudition in the metastrategies is connected with the ability to understand complex verbal material of scientific character. The attention is paid to the fact that due to reflection the reader through speech experience penetrates into the essence of the text, reaches its comprehension. It is shown that metacognitive knowledge such as erudition in strategies and techniques of metacognition is connected with the ability to understand complex verbal material of scientific character. It is underlined that using actively the metacognitive strategies of management of one’s own cognitive activity, awareness of the process of implementing these strategies positively are connected with the ability to understand scientific texts and can be considered as a determinant of such an ability. It is noted that mastering the metacognitive strategies, their variability foresees knowledge and understanding of the structure of texts, their types, high ability to understand texts and variability of different metacognitive operations when working with the text material. Metalinguistic erudition, i.e. the set of knowledge of the text and the ability to work with it allows mastering different texts of vocational orientation quickly and effectively. Metalinguistic strategies as well the ability of the specialist to his/her own professional activities are positively connected with the ability to work effectively with the text material and the ability to process complex scientific texts.