A Study Of Metacognitive Knowledge About English Reading And Reading Strategy Use Among Chinese English Majors

Reading in English is generally viewed as one of effective means to extend the command of the language for most Chinese EFL learners. Since efficient reading seems to remain a vexing problem for many learners, it is of practical importance to conduct research on L2 reading process in a bid to improve reading efficiency. In L2 reading research, the strategies that readers employ have attracted more attention. Recently, the recognition of metacognitive knowledge as a learner difference in second language acquisition offers new insights into reading research. Considerable research has indicated that metacognitive knowledge and reading strategies have a significant impact on reading proficiency. However, much has been remain relatively unknown about the role that metacognitive knowledge plays in learners' choice and use of learning strategies, in particular, among Chinese EFL learners.The present study reports on a survey of metacognitive knowledge about English reading and reading strategy use among Chinese EFL learners, and explores the relationship between these two reader factors. A questionnaire was first administered to 182 English majors at a local university in Hubei province. Interviews and think-aloud protocols were then conducted among ten (5 highly successful and 5 unsuccessful) of these students. The quantitative and qualitative analyses of data point to three major findings. Firstly, there is much room for improvement in terms of metacognitive knowledge and reading strategies among these English majors. Secondly, there are significant differences between successful and unsuccessful readers concerning metacognitive knowledge and reading strategy use. Thirdly, readers "confidence" and "effectiveness" knowledge are closely related to all their reading strategy use.The study suggests that teachers should attempt to gain a clear understanding of their learners' acquired metacognitive knowledge about L2 reading to foster their metacognitive awareness, and provide learners with guidance for approaching their L2 reading in a reflective manner through effective employment of reading strategies.