The Effects of Metacognitive Awareness-Raising on Learners’ Reading Proficiency and Strategy Use: Case of First- Year LMD Students at ABou Bekr Belkaid University of Tlemcen

Abstract:

Within the field of education, one of the most important responsibilities that each teacher needs to assume consists in equipping the learners with all the necessary tools to cope with the demands of an ever-changing world. With no doubt, for a more successful fulfillement of such a prominent responsibility, the learners need to be consciously aware of the true nature of the learning process as well as the crucial role of acquiring skills and strategies that would certainly engender an effective learning process. These two concerns have led to a plethora of research on how to help the individuals become successful learners, and what teachers can do to assist their learning. Bearing all this in mind, the present exploratory research endeavours to elucidate the major effect of an explicit and integrated instruction of metacognitive reading strategies on learners’ English as a Foreign Language reading proficiency and strategy use. The researcher has randomly chosen ten Algerian speaking students studying at the Department of English in Abou Bakr Belkaid University of Tlemcen.  Data were collected by means of three essential data-gathering tools, namely questionnaire, proficiency tests and think-aloud protocol (TAP). The researcher confirmed  that metacognitive reading strategy instruction had a positive effect on the learners’ reading proficiency and strategy use which was empirically verified during the implementation of the Think Aloud protocol.