International Journal of Language & Literature

Cognitive and Metacognitive Strategy Training to Enhance Freshmen’s Reading Skills
Sevim Kutluturk, Hulya Yumru

Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate to what extent involvement in cognitive and metacognitive strategy training instruction increases language learners' reading strategy use while reading texts written in English.The study was conducted at the preparatory school of Inonu University School of Foreign Languages in Malatya, Turkey in 2015-2016 academic year. The participants were 27 preparatory class students aged between 18 and 21. In order to achieve the aim of the study, in our reading classes, we explicitly instructed our students the cognitive and metacognitive reading strategies for eight weeks. The reading strategy instruction consisted of two periods. In the first period, we mainly focused on cognitive strategy training and in the second on metacognitive reading strategies. When determining the types of strategies to be introduced and practiced, we considered the difficulties the students face when comprehending texts written in English and adjust the procedure to be followed when necessary. In this case study, we employed mixed method research design to make sense of the data gathered through qualitative and quantitative approaches. Qualitative data collection instruments included researcher’s diary, learners’ diaries, and follow-up semi-structured interviews conducted with the students. Quantitative data collection instruments involved The Survey of Reading Strategies (Mokhtari & Sheorey, 2002) and The Survey of Self-Evaluation Questionnaire (Oxford, 1990). The findings of the study revealed that the students increased their strategy use after an eight-week strategy-training program.

Full Text: PDF      DOI: 10.15640/ijll.v5n1a2