When we work with authentic texts (literary, expository, academic, and so on...) we tend to place focus mainly on comprehension. However, approaching a text with a different purpose other than checking comprehension, can give our students a chance to go back to the text meaningfully.
Metacognition is the action of reflecting on our own learning process. When we are able to explain or show how we learned something, we are witnesses to our own learning
process. There has been a growing recognition that metacognition or self
awareness, including awareness of ourselves as learners, helps us to learn more
effectively (Scottish, 1996)
Gardner said "I use the term metacognition to refer to what a learner knows about how he or she learns a language; and, therefore, view it as a process of relating the language learning to the self".
Once the student becomes familiar with a text she/he can go back to it in order to reflect about meaning and grammar. This is, also, a way of showing understanding; however, it requires an action from the learner that shows awareness and self reflection.
Gardner said "I use the term metacognition to refer to what a learner knows about how he or she learns a language; and, therefore, view it as a process of relating the language learning to the self".
Once the student becomes familiar with a text she/he can go back to it in order to reflect about meaning and grammar. This is, also, a way of showing understanding; however, it requires an action from the learner that shows awareness and self reflection.
But how do we go about it?
Using a known text with different learning objectives:
·
- To locate and identify certain words such as: describing words (adjectives), verbs in the present/past/future/action verbs and others.
- To locate and identify words that refer to a certain topic of study (personality, wheather, nature, ecology, scientific process, story organization, the arts, history, etc.)
- To correct mistakes related to the meaning and/ or the grammar/spelling
- To identify and make changes: changing the characters, the setting, the time, the ending, the moral, the conflict. (Making the necessary adjustments to the new text, such as plurals/singulars, verb tenses, persons, and so on.)
- To fill out a graphic organizer in order to classify, to understand a process, to infer, to conclude, to compare, to organize a sequence of events, etc.
- To make a list of words related to a certain topic of interest.
- To identify main ideas in paragraphs.
- To understand concepts related to coherence and cohesion.
Authentic
texts provide context and meaning to the learning process. As students approach
a text without fear and feel comfortable to "play" with its words and ideas they are learning
that language has a purpose, is real and close to their lives.
that language has a purpose, is real and close to their lives.
Marta, te envío el enlace al marco de referencia sobre esta competencia que preparamos un equipo de trabajo del departamento de Educación de Euskadi. http://www.ediagnostikoak.net/edweb/cas/materiales-informativos/ED_marko_teorikoak/Aprender_a_aprender.pdf
ReplyDeleteYa me dirás......
Gracias Begoña. Es muy interesante el marco de referencia que han preparado y se encuentra estrechamente relacionado con lo que he intentado escribir en este post.
DeleteA menudo los docentes acuerdan con este marco, pero les cuesta llevarlo al día a día del aula. Por eso pienso que los ejemplos prácticos son útiles para generar situaciones donde
la actividad metacognitiva del que aprende se presente de manera necesaria y significativa. Creo que proponer a los alumnos procesar los textos con objetivos diversos no directamente relacionados con el mero y por cierto clásico testeo de comprensión nos acerca a los items mencionados en el "lifelong learning directory". Da lugar al cambio, a la curiosidad crítica, a establecer relaciones entre lo nuevo que se aprende y lo que ya se sabe, a la creatividad, a fomentar la autoestima y mucho más.