NEUROSCIENCE, METACOGNITION AND LANGUAGE TEACHING

Abstract

Metacognition, or 'knowledge and cognition about cognitive phenomena’ is our human ability to think about the way we think and learn. By engaging in metacognition, human beings can actively manage and regulate what we do before, during and after the process or action. Although metacognitive awareness is a hidden psychological construct, it manifests itself in three ways, i.e. (i) metacognitive knowledge, (ii) metacognitive experience, and (iii) strategy use. Metacognitive knowledge includes person's knowledge, task knowledge as well as strategy knowledge. Strategy use includes language learning and language use. Metacognitive knowledge is an indicative knowledge about how one is thinking and learning can be positively or negatively influenced by internal factors such as personality traits, background strategic processes, as well as external factors such as the nature and demand of learning and communication tasks. This article focusses on how neuroscientific developments can inform teaching practice.