| Metacognition, which refers to the knowledge and regulation of one's cognitive process, served as the theoretical foundation for this study. This study tested the effectiveness of two sets of strategies, ({dollar}C{dollar}) cognitive (note-taking/dictation, reconstruction/recombination, and error analysis/feedback) and (PCM) paired cognitive and metacognitive (the three-step cognitive strategies plus self-monitoring and self-evaluation) on students' composition writing in French. These two manipulated, independent variables were tested with a pretest-posttest design. The two dependent variables, Writing Performance and the use of Grammatical Agreement in a French composition, were analyzed with a series of t-tests. The participants were 72 students, randomly assigned to two groups. They were learning French as a foreign language in first-year, second-semester courses at San Jose State University, California. It was hypothesized that the students in both groups (C & PCM) would write better compositions after the training in their respective strategies. It was further predicted that overall, the PCM group would outperform the cognitive group.; Results indicated that, contrary to the prediction, the subjects in the cognitive group did not improve in their Writing Performance after the training. In contrast, positive results were seen in the following areas: (a) there was a significant improvement in Grammatical Agreement from pre- to posttest among subjects who had received the cognitive treatment, (b) the PCM training was highly effective on students' Writing Performance and was particularly so on Grammatical Agreement, and (c) the students who were taught the PCM strategies significantly outperformed those subjects who were trained only in the cognitive strategies on both measures of Writing Performance and Grammatical Agreement. Therefore, the results supported the primary objective of the study: When the students used their training and combined the cognitive with the metacognitive strategies, the quality of writing and grammar was enhanced on their French composition. These findings were further confirmed by the results of a qualitative survey, comprised of interviews and a questionnaire. The subjects involved in this survey were 12 students in French at SJSU, mirroring the sample of the participants in the experimental study. Implications of the study and recommendations for future research are provided. |
