The Systematic Metacognitive Deficiency Intervention For Teaching Low Achievers In Junior High School

In the1970s, Flavell proposed the term"metacognition". Since then, the theory of metacognition has been a focus in the field of education and psychology. Many experts and scholars have applied this theory to second language learning. Some experts believe that children's foreign language learning disabilities result from metacognitive deficiencies. Joseph Torgesenis the first to propose the concept of metacognitive deficiencies, whose basic point is, children's learning strategies have not got good development, especially their metacognitive strategies have serious defects, causing the lack of capacities of the children's foreign language learning. Since 1980s, this theory has become one of the most influential theories in the study of foreign language learning disabilities.To start with, this thesis introduces the widely accepted definition , theoretical structure of metacognition and Second Language Acquisition Learning Disabilities. Flavell articulates that metacognition is constituted by metacognitive knowledge and metacognitive experience, while Chinese Psychologist DongQi thinks it is self-consciousness and self-regulation about cognitive activities . According to many scholars, Metacognition is divided into metacognitive knowledge, metacognitive experience and metacognitive monitoring. This thesis also makes it clear that the reasons why students of normal intelligence always get low grades in English study are the lack of metacognitive knowledge, experience and monitoring.The thesis then analyses the metacognitive deficiencies. The content of English metacognitive deficiencies at secondary school is discussed from view of understanding of the task, selecting and implementing learning strategies and monitoring and regulation of behavior. The thesis applies the knowledge of cognitive psychology and applied linguistics to the study of the possibility, necessity and urgency of the cultivation of English metacognition. They are explained in three aspects—the characteristics of the cognitive development of the children, the requirements of the study content and tasks at secondary school and the objectives of the development of English teaching. Based on the findings of an English metacognitive strategies'questionnaire, the thesis proposes introducing metacognitive training into secondary school English teaching. Meanwhile, it also points out that the training should emphasize imparting metacognitive knowledge to less successful learners and making them know themselves better in order to enrich their metacognive experience and help them monitor themselves.Chapter Three concerns the half-a-year comparative experiment, which proves the validity of metacognitive intervention. And some implications have been drawn from the research findings for classroom applications; among them are:1.There are certain differences, between low achievers and good achievers'metacognitive knowledge in English study.2.Teachers can play an important role in making their students become self-regulated learners who effectively monitor their learning processes.In the end, the thesis points out the problems in metacognitive training: many teachers lack the new teaching theories. The requirements of the teachers are raised on things like the improvement of teachers'teaching monitoring and reflective teaching. Some corresponding Limitations and suggestions of this research are included so as to promote future metacongitive deficiencies intervention and improve less successful learners in English learning.