Promoting Metacognitive Skills in Intermediate Spanish: Report of a Classroom Research Project

In recent years numerous studies on language learning strategies have signaled the importance of developing students’ metacognitive skills. This article communicates findings from a classroom research project that sought to stimulate metacognitive self‐monitoring practices among college students in an intermediate‐level Spanish language course. Initially, comprehensive testing was used to promote greater use of self‐monitoring practices with modest results. Self‐monitoring practices changed more dramatically when students completed posttest reflection exercises and talked explicitly about study strategies in class. The article suggests that a small amount of explicit attention to study strategies and performance monitoring can help language students strengthen metacognitive skills. The benefits of classroom research as a means of improving student learning at the course level are also discussed.