CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY

MONTEREY BAY

Learning to Think
Metacognition in Second Language Learning

CAPSTONE PROPOSAL

Submitted in partial satisfaction of requirements of the degree of

MASTER OF SCIENCE in

Instructional Science and Technology

Giovanna Milena Rodriguez Uribe

February 14, 2019

Capstone Approvals: (At least one advisor and capstone instructor should approve)

___________________________ _____________
Advisor Name Signature Date

___________________________ _____________
Capstone Instructor Name Signature Date
Learning to Think Metacognition in Second Language Learning 2

Table of contents

Executive Summary ...................................................................................................... 4

Background ................................................................................................................... 5

Needs Analysis ............................................................................................................ 5

Learner Analysis .......................................................................................................... 6

Literature Review ......................................................................................................... 6

Solution .......................................................................................................................... 8

Content Overview ......................................................................................................... 8

Goals and Instructional Objectives ................................................................................ 9

Implementation of Learning Theories ............................................................................ 9

Instructional Strategies ................................................................................................ 10

Media…………………. ................................................................................................ 10

Risks and Anticipated Challenges ............................................................................... 10

Methods and Procedure................................................................................................. 11

Deliverables .............................................................................................................. 11

Resources ................................................................................................................... 12

Timeline ....................................................................................................................... 12

Evaluation and Testing Plan ........................................................................................ 13

Learning to Think Metacognition in Second Language Learning 3

Formative Evaluation ................................................................................................. 13

Summative Evaluation ................................................................................................. 13

References .....................................................................................................................15
Learning to Think Metacognition in Second Language Learning 4

Executive summary
The Defense Language Institute (DLI) prepares linguists to perform different tasks
around the world. After students finish their training at DLI and perform their duties, they
continue to attend class to refresh their language skills and present tests such as the DLPT and
OPI. After the training, many continue to experience difficulties maintaining their proficiency
levels equal to that when they left DLI, especially when they deal with topics they lack
familiarity such as economy and politics.

This particular situation shows that there is a flaw in the way students evaluate and deal
with their linguistic challenges. Individuals must possess a series of strategies to cope with
difficulties of different nature such as the lack of metalinguistic awareness, and problems
associated with pragmatics and discourse. Language skills may decrease for different reasons:
the loss of motivation due to the difficulty of the materials and the lack of vocabulary, the
environment itself, the lack of opportunities to interact with native speakers, and the lack of
strategies whether cognitive, metacognitive or social. As a result, some learners are ineffective in
raising awareness of their language issues and adopting language strategies.

To help students feel more comfortable working with the economic and politic discourse,
a one-hour training will be designed. This training will allow students to tackle the technical
vocabulary more effectively and to improve their listening skills. The training module will teach
second language learners how to use a strategy that will allow them to continue their journey in
the target language independently. The main audience for this proposal is foreign language
students and / or military instructors who have different levels of Spanish.

The content of this training will be developed using the Universal Curriculum and
Assessment Tool (UCAT) with images and videos to engage students in economy and politics.
This design will apply principles of Andragogy for the adult an audience. Merrill’s Principles of
Instruction will be implemented as students will engage in real life scenarios where their
previous knowledge will be activated, and new knowledge will be integrated into their lives as
independent learners.
Learning to Think Metacognition in Second Language Learning 5

Background
Needs Analysis
Foreign language students at DLI, DLI graduates and MLI’s are required to maintain
their language proficiency levels. The ultimate goal is 3, 3, 3 in all the skills (Listening, Reading
and Speaking). However, most graduate with 2, 2, 1+. Even though, there has been an increase in
the 2+, 2+, 2 goal in the Spanish results; content and questions related to economy and politics
continue to concern students and instructors. Students say, they do not feel confident working
with these topics and find difficulties selecting the correct answer. In order to assure DLI goals
are met, learners need to be confident with all FLO topics and reach professional proficiency
levels 2+/2+/2.

What is currently happening

A lot of effort has been done to help linguists reach higher levels of proficiency,
curriculum is updated, teaching teams possess graduate degrees or PhDs, students are recruited
with higher aptitude tests scores, and receive one week of instruction prior to the beginning of
the Spanish course to learn listening, reading, vocabulary, grammar strategies. Despite the
efforts, students continue to have difficulties with authentic materials that contain economy and
political content.

What should be happening

In the quest for becoming independent learners, students require to have awareness and
understanding of their learning habits to be able to apply contingency measures to ensure their
level of proficiency improves. Learners do not know how to deal with content such economy and
politics reaching a language plateau. Their strategies do not work anymore at higher levels and
they become overly dependent on the instructors and lose their motivation.
Along with target language exposure, listening, reading, grammar, and vocabulary
strategies and techniques, students require metacognitive strategies to fully understand their
individual way of learning and react efficiently when they face difficult content or when their
skills begin to decline. This training will furnish learners with a set of tools needed for
approaching economic and political content and become independent learners that carry their
Learning to Think Metacognition in Second Language Learning 6

knowledge outside the classroom. This strategy can be implemented with economics and politics
activities (listening and vocabulary) to address homework and before the Defense Language
Proficiency Test (DLPT) and Post DLPT.

Learner Analysis
The primary target audience is foreign language students and Military instructors (MLI)
who possess different levels of Spanish and job experiences at DLI. The students can be in the
third semester of Spanish, about to present the DLPT or in the Post DLPT. Some of the military
instructors are native Spanish speakers and teach Spanish and others do not. All have high school
diplomas, many have college experience and degrees, and all have some military experience.
They are adults from 18 to 30, have computer basic knowledge, and can navigate the internet.
There are no pre-requisites required to participate in this strategy.

Literature Review
Metacognition. Popularly known as “thinking about thinking”, metacognition can be
very useful to help learners understand cognitively which the steps are needed to continue to
enhance their language abilities. “As Joseph (2003) pointed out, “this introspective ability is
important because it produces the powerful knowledge that enables students to control their
learning by demonstrating a conscious application of cognitive strategies (p. 151)” (Huseyin Oz,
2005).
Metacognition can also modify behaviors, “it shapes a person’s beliefs about and
attitudes toward learning which in turn affect his or her behavior. It has been shown to have a
direct bearing on language learning and research has indicated that it can be taught to learners.”
(Huseyin Oz, 2005), And help students retain more vocabulary by reflecting over their strategies
and selecting the ones that work best for them. “Instead of merely learning a list of vocabulary
terms, teachers direct students to engage their metacognitive skills in accomplishing the task.
Students ask reflective questions, adjust their practices, assess their knowledge and transfer, not
only the content to other situations but also the processing insights gained from the experience”
(Huseyin Oz, 2005)
If students are taught metacognitive strategies, they can be autonomous learners and be
able to apply these strategies successfully in different situations. To reach metacognition,
Learning to Think Metacognition in Second Language Learning 7

students have to go through a series of processes that can interact with each other facilitating a
change in behavior: “(1) preparing and planning for learning, (2) selecting and using learning
strategies, (3) Monitoring strategy use, (4) orchestrating various strategies, and (5) evaluating
strategy use and learning” (Anderson, 2002). This design attempts to help students navigate
through these processes.

Finally, Metacognition has been linked to students attaining higher levels of foreign
language proficiency. These students possess tools that facilitate effective learning experiences.
“Research on metacognition indicates that metacognitive strategy/knowledge is closely related to
success in Second/foreign language learning. Learners who are equipped with metacognitive
strategies, are aware of their learning and they know how and when to employ the most relevant
strategies to accomplish a given task; they know how to accomplish a particular task in the most
effective way. They plan their learning in advance, monitor their learning during the task
performance, and evaluate their learning after task accomplishment (Zhang & Goh, 2006)” (Md
Rashid et al, 2014, p. 37)

Andragogy. This design includes aspects of Andragogy because adult students will be
able to make decisions and self-direct through the module. Also, the module will engage in
problem-solving activities which are of great value for an adult language learner.

Merrill’s principles of instruction. David Merrill (2002) in First Principles of

Instruction offers fundamental concepts needed to make learning effective and organized. This
design also includes the fundamentals of this approach.
Principle 1: Learning should be task or problem centered.
Principle 2: Learning is promoted when previous knowledge or experience is activated.
Principle 3: Learning is promoted when instruction demonstrates the concepts to be learned
rather than telling what the content is about.
Principle 4: Learning is promoted when learners are encouraged to use their new knowledge or
skills to solve problems.
Principle 5: Learning is promoted when learners are encouraged to integrate new skills or
knowledge into their everyday life. (Merrill, 2002, pp. 45-55)
Learning to Think Metacognition in Second Language Learning 8

Solution
This training educates second language learners in metacognitive strategies in order to
become autonomous and successful long-life learners. Students will be equipped with a set of
tools that can be used to deal with homework, quizzes, new or difficult material, and final exams
such as DLPT. Learners will first present a test in order to have a sample of how they approach
materials with higher level content such as economics and politics. To ensure knowledge is
transferred, students will activate previous knowledge about strategies and will link that to the
new knowledge on metacognition. They will learn about the processes involved in metacognition
and its strategies. Then, they will engage in a step by step strategy to deal with economic and
political issues and will explore the vocabulary in which they are required to apply the
metacognitive strategies. The intended outcome is for students to understand how the strategies
affect performance in different scenarios (unknown vocabulary in authentic materials for
homework and exams) so that they can replicate the same procedure when they are working
independently. To test their knowledge, students will re-take the initial test.

Content overview
In the first part of the module, students will be exposed to the processes of
Metacognition: 1) preparing and planning for learning, (2) selecting and using learning
strategies, (3) Monitoring strategy use, (4) orchestrating various strategies, and (5) evaluating
strategy use and learning. Then, they will have an overview of how to implement these
strategies. This knowledge will allow them to apply the strategies to real-life scenarios
successfully.

Goals and Objectives

The intent of this training is to help students manage their own learning and become
autonomous lifelong learners by acquiring knowledge of metacognitive strategies and apply
them accurately in different learning situations with topics such as economy and politics. The
students are only required to be able to navigate the internet. UCAT navigation is simple. I do
not foresee any issues from students navigating through UCAT.
Learning to Think Metacognition in Second Language Learning 9

Objectives 1 Given pre and post listening tests, foreign language students will be able to
recognize the efficacy of metacognitive strategies with 90% accuracy.
Objectives 2 Given a systematic set of metacognitive strategies, foreign language students
will be able to identify the causes of their difficulties in listening and vocabulary with higher
level materials with 90% accuracy.
Objectives 3 Given a systematic set of metacognitive strategies, foreign language learners
will be able to apply strategies that best fits the needs with higher level materials with 90%
accuracy
Objectives 4 Given a summative training results, designer will be able to identify the
efficacy of the metacognitive strategy and share this information to instructors for future classes
with 90% accuracy.

Implementation of Learning theories

By following a step by step strategy, learners will gain knowledge of metacognition in
language learning that will help them strengthen their listening skills and vocabulary. Learners
can then apply this strategy to other learning activities and challenging materials. Students are
taking responsibility for the choices and that is one step to become autonomous. Metacognitive
strategies that are part of cognitivism which focuses on the mental process of the learners
activating short- and long-term memory. The target audience for this training has previous
knowledge of learning strategies. This background knowledge can help them connect with the
new topic.
Also, constructivism is implemented in this training. Students will be building on their
personal experiences through scaffolding activities.
Besides cognitivism and constructivism theories, a new behavior is expected in terms of
how students approach higher level materials. They are expected to always have a plan in mind
and follow it versus relying on ineffective strategies such a merely repetition. Students associate
the implementation of the strategy to success. Therefore, they will achieve higher levels.
Merrill’s principles of instruction are considered in this training. Visuals, connection to
pre-existing knowledge, integration of the knowledge into their lives are essential for
autonomous learners.
Learning to Think Metacognition in Second Language Learning 10

Instructional Strategies
Content-based instruction (CBI) learning strategy will be used in this design. Students
will engage in authentic economy and politics content to strengthen their vocabulary and
listening skills. This format will make students go from cognitive to associative and autonomous
stages. The materials are relevant to the FLO topics and their professional field.

Media
This training will be launched in Universal Curriculum and Assessment Tool (UCAT).
UCAT allows to imbed videos and have a variety of options for activities such as multiple
choice, open questions, categories, transcription among others. Students can navigate through
different tabs to access the content. UCAT allows to download a stand-alone version in case the
Internet fails to work. Each tab will consist of videos (instructional and informational), content
materials (audios, graphics and readings) with activities to apply metacognitive strategies.
Powtoon videos: through this interactive video program, students will learn what metacognitive
skills are. Powtoon videos are great cartoons to grab audience attention.

Challenges
Obstacles for this project are related to the use of UCAT as it can only be used while in
the Presidio of Monterey. Its limited capability does not allow to work on it at home. I have
worked with UCAT before and it is time consuming. I plan on taking any free hour I have to
develop the activities in the platform. I can always request help from the technological
department if there are issues with UCAT. The other alternative is the use of SAKAI. However,
SAKAI is more limited than UCAT. As this training can be taken by military instructors
(MLI’s) not necessarily basic course students, permissions for implementation might not be
needed.

Methods & procedure

Deliverables
This following list of activities and their description will be carried out during training. This
Learning to Think Metacognition in Second Language Learning 11

list is still under construction and is subject to change.

1. Introduction: agenda and objectives

2. Pre-test
3. Image (warm-up) and questions
4. Myth or fact (Metacognition activity)
5. Powtoon video – what are metacognitive strategies?
6. Metacognitive strategies infographic and questions
7. Scenarios and metacognitive strategies (matching and justification)
8. Post-test
9. Summary and feedback (online survey)

Agenda Item Topic Description

(Teaching/Learning Activity)
Pre-test Economy/Politics Students will take a short
listening test before they
know about the strategy
Image This image will lead to an
introductory question for
students to connect to
previous knowledge
Myth or fact Metacognition Students will engage in a
game-like activity that will
teach them about
metacognition and connect to
previous experiences they
might have had as language
learners
Powtoon video In this video, students will
gain knowledge about
metacognition principles and
they will answer some
questions.
Metacognitive Strategies Infographic Students will study the
information in the image to
answer some critical
questions about strategies
Practice/Application Economy and Politics Vocabulary building,
Metacognitive strategies discourse analysis practice
Learning to Think Metacognition in Second Language Learning 12

application with authentic

materials
Post-test Students will re-take the same
listening test the effectivity of
the strategy
Summary and feedback Satisfaction survey

Resources

The participants will require a laptop, connectivity to the internet and access to UCAT for
the implementation phase. There are not costs as UCAT is already part of DLI. I have worked
with UCAT previously and I have the skills to create activities in a module. Once the project is
finished, I will need UCAT’s support team to upload the training into the UCAT’s site available
for students.

Timeline

A meeting with the supervisor will be scheduled to discuss the project.

January February March April June July

2019 2019 2019 2019 2019 2019

Project Audience Materials Materials Materials Materials

presentation survey. -UCAT -Powtoon -Scenarios - Scenarios
to supervisor Preliminary video, what UCAT UCAT
(preliminary Not sure if I pages are Matching and Matching and
discussion am allowed (image and metacognitive justification justification
done) to do this questions) skills?
survey. -Myth or -Metacognitive
fact activity strategies
infographic
and questions

August 2019 September October November December After

2019 2019 2019 2019 implementation
Learning to Think Metacognition in Second Language Learning 13

Materials SME SME Final Implementation Summative

creation reviews and reviews and adjustments and summative evaluation level
-Summary adjustments adjustments evaluation 3
and level one and
feedback two
(quizziz)

Evaluation and Testing Plan

Formative Evaluation

One small group of SMEs can volunteer or be selected by the supervisor to test the
learning solution and give feedback. For the feedback, they can use a checklist or a survey. The
supervisor can assign two hours in the schedule for them to do it. All instructors have access to
SAKAI and know how to navigate through UCAT. Also, one student or MLI’s can test the
training and give feedback before its implementation.

Summative Evaluation
Level 1: Students will respond to a survey in order to identify their satisfaction after
attending the training.
Level 2: At the beginning and at the end of the training, students will take a multiple-
choice listening test to evaluate the efficacy of the strategy.
Level 3: The continuous monitoring of students’ multiple-choice quizzes to test their
knowledge after this training can provide valuable information to examine what metacognitive
strategies best fit them as language learners. This information is very valuable for instructors as
they can plan their classes considering this input.
Level 4: As the students leave the institution it is very hard to determine the impact of the
intervention after their studies at the Defense Language Institute (DLI). Therefore, there won’t
be level 4 or 5 evaluations.
Learning to Think Metacognition in Second Language Learning 14

References

Anderson, N. J. (2002). The role of metacognition in second language teaching and learning.

ERIC Digest EDO.Washington, DC: ERIC Clearinghouse on Languages and Linguistic

Retrieved from https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/ERIC-ED463659/pdf/ERIC-

ED463659.pdf

Md Rashid, Sabariah, Mukundan, Jayakaran, Raoofi, Saeid & SweeHengChan. (2014).

Metacognition and Second/Foreign Language Learning. Canadian Center of Science and

Education. English Language Teaching; Vol. 7, No. 1. Retrieved from

https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1075657.pdf

Merrill, D. M. (2002). First principles of instruction. Educational Technology Research and

Development, 50(3), 43-59. Retrieved from

https://mdavidmerrill.com/Papers/firstprinciplesbymerrill.pdf

Oz, Huseyin (2005). Metacognition in foreign/second language learning and teaching. H. U.

Journal of education. Retrieved from

https://www.academia.edu/3072193/Metacognition_in_Foreign_Second_Language_Learni

ng_and_Teaching
Learning to Think Metacognition in Second Language Learning 15