Better Meta Cognition!

Kezzie Moynihan presented on 'Better Meta-Cognition' at the 7th online Future of English Language Teaching Conference.

See the video recording below:

Abstract

Calling all EAP teachers! Do you worry that you spend too much time in lessons supervising and explaining how to study? Do you feel that your students are too dependent on you and that they may be unprepared for the rigours of academic life? This talk is designed to give you techniques and approaches that foster learning autonomy, so that learners can feel empowered to make their own learning decisions and develop their own strategies.

One example of this is that teachers may help students to understand all the language and discourse features of a text, but then find that for the next reading, students are still experiencing the same comprehension problems. This can be frustrating, and push teachers to spend the majority of their lessons repeating information, without seeing much progress between sessions. Without giving students space and support to reflect critically on their own learning, it might become difficult to adequately prepare them for the level of independent study required.

Therefore, the introduction of better meta-cognitive techniques can have a direct and tangible effect on both the learners’ and teacher’s sense of success. In the session, attendees will be given a brief introduction to some of the research and literature behind the benefits of meta-cognitive techniques, and then explore different activities that help learners reflect on their academic skills. We will also look at student reflections on the use of MCT and how it helped created agency in their learning, and how they have been able to incorporate these techniques into their own independent study.

About the presenter

Kezzie Moynihan has been an ELT teacher for over 12 years, working both abroad and in the UK. During the year, she divides her time between teacher training, General English, exams at International House London, and pre-sessional courses at different London-based universities.