Metacognitive Awareness in English Language Learning: A Systematic Review Across Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing Skills
DOI:
10.70211/ltsm.3026-7196.447Published:
2026-06-17Downloads
Abstract
Metacognitive awareness is widely associated with successful English language learning, yet empirical findings across listening, speaking, reading, and writing remain dispersed across different contexts, instruments, and instructional designs. This review synthesizes evidence on how metacognitive awareness contributes to four English language skills and how classroom and technology-mediated environments can support strategy instruction. A systematic literature review design was employed by searching Scopus, Web of Science, ERIC, ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, and Google Scholar for studies on metacognition, metacognitive strategy instruction, self-regulated learning, and English skill development. Ninety-eight records were identified; 61 focused on language learning, and 38 empirical studies were retained for skill-level synthesis after screening, eligibility checking, and quality appraisal. The evidence indicates that metacognitive awareness positively supports all four skills, but the strongest and most consistent support appears in reading and listening, where planning, monitoring, directed attention, problem solving, and evaluation directly regulate comprehension. Evidence for speaking and writing is also positive but more context-dependent because productive skills require learners to coordinate linguistic knowledge, task demands, anxiety, fluency, genre awareness, feedback, and revision. The review concludes that metacognitive awareness should be taught as an integrated, cross-skill competence rather than as isolated strategy training.
Keywords:
Metacognitive awareness English language skills self-regulated learning metacognitive strategy instruction systematic literature review EFL learnersReferences
[1] R. J. Marzano and J. S. Kendall, The New Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA, USA: Corwin Press, 2006. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED495628
[2] F. Cubukcu, “Metacognition in the classroom,” Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 559–563, 2009. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2009.01.101
[3] A. K. Ellis, D. W. Denton, and J. B. Bond, “An analysis of research on metacognitive teaching strategies,” Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, vol. 116, pp. 4015–4024, 2014. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.01.883
[4] R. M. J. Abdelrahman, “Metacognitive awareness and academic motivation and their impact on academic achievement of Ajman University students,” Heliyon, vol. 6, no. 9, Art. no. e04192, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04192
[5] B. J. Zimmerman, “Self-regulated learning and academic achievement: An overview,” Educational Psychologist, vol. 25, no. 1, pp. 3–17, 1990. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15326985ep2501_2
[6] H. E. Branigan and D. I. Donaldson, “Learning from learning logs: A case study of metacognition in the primary school classroom,” British Educational Research Journal, vol. 45, no. 4, pp. 791–820, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.3526
[7] D. Jones, “Speaking, listening, planning and assessing: The teacher’s role in developing metacognitive awareness,” Early Child Development and Care, vol. 177, no. 6–7, pp. 569–579, 2007. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430701378977
[8] M. Rahimirad, “The impact of metacognitive strategy instruction on the listening performance of university students,” Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, vol. 98, pp. 1485–1491, 2014. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.03.569
[9] J. H. Flavell, “Metacognition and cognitive monitoring: A new area of cognitive-developmental inquiry,” American Psychologist, vol. 34, no. 10, pp. 906–911, 1979. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.34.10.906
[10] D. Thanasoulas, “What is learner autonomy and how can it be fostered?,” The Internet TESL Journal, vol. 6, no. 11, 2000. https://iteslj.org/Articles/Thanasoulas-Autonomy.html
[11] R. W. Kentridge and C. A. Heywood, “Metacognition and awareness,” Consciousness and Cognition, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 308–312, 2000. https://doi.org/10.1006/ccog.2000.0448
[12] C. C. M. Goh, “Metacognitive Awareness Listening Questionnaire (MALQ),” in The Sourcebook of Listening Research: Methodology and Measures, D. L. Worthington and G. D. Bodie, Eds. Hoboken, NJ, USA: Wiley, 2017, pp. 430–437. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119102991.ch45
[13] M. F. Teng and L. J. Zhang, “Validating a new method for assessing young foreign language learners’ metacognitive knowledge,” Research Methods in Applied Linguistics, vol. 3, no. 2, Art. no. 100121, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rmal.2024.100121
[14] G. Schraw, “Promoting general metacognitive awareness,” in Metacognition in Learning and Instruction: Theory, Research and Practice, H. J. Hartman, Ed. Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Springer, 2001, pp. 3–16. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-2243-8_1
[15] N. J. Anderson, “Metacognition: Awareness of language learning,” in Psychology for Language Learning: Insights from Research, Theory and Practice, S. Mercer, S. Ryan, and M. Williams, Eds. London, U.K.: Palgrave Macmillan, 2012, pp. 169–187. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137032829_12
[16] W. Li, “A study of metacognitive awareness of non-English majors in L2 listening,” Journal of Language Teaching and Research, vol. 4, no. 3, pp. 504–510, 2013. https://doi.org/10.4304/jltr.4.3.504-510
[17] J. P. Feiz, “Metacognitive awareness and attitudes toward foreign language learning in the EFL context of Turkey,” Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, vol. 232, pp. 459–470, 2016. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2016.10.063
[18] A. S. Palincsar, “Ann L. Brown: Advancing a theoretical model of learning and instruction,” in Educational Psychology. New York, NY, USA: Routledge, 2014, pp. 459–476. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315734255-22
[19] G. Schraw, “Promoting general metacognitive awareness,” Instructional Science, vol. 26, no. 1–2, pp. 113–125, 1998. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1003044231033
[20] A. O. Akturk and I. Sahin, “Literature review on metacognition and its measurement,” Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, vol. 15, pp. 3731–3736, 2011. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2011.04.364
[21] A. L. Wenden, “Metacognitive knowledge and language learning,” Applied Linguistics, vol. 19, no. 4, pp. 515–537, 1998. https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/19.4.515
[22] R. Oxford, “Language learning strategies,” in The Cambridge Guide to Learning English as a Second Language, A. Burns and J. C. Richards, Eds. Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Press, 2018, pp. 81–90. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009024761.012
[23] A. Bandura, “Self-efficacy mechanism in human agency,” American Psychologist, vol. 37, no. 2, pp. 122–147, 1982. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.37.2.122
[24] B. J. Zimmerman, “Achieving self-regulation: The trial and triumph of adolescence,” in Academic Motivation of Adolescents, F. Pajares and T. Urdan, Eds. Greenwich, CT, USA: Information Age Publishing, 2002, pp. 1–27. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED471681
[25] J. M. Magogwe and R. Oliver, “The relationship between language learning strategies, proficiency, age and self-efficacy beliefs: A study of language learners in Botswana,” System, vol. 35, no. 3, pp. 338–352, 2007. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2007.01.003
[26] L. Vandergrift, “Recent developments in second and foreign language listening comprehension research,” Language Teaching, vol. 40, no. 3, pp. 191–210, 2007. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444807004338
[27] J. Cross, “Raising L2 listeners’ metacognitive awareness: A sociocultural theory perspective,” Language Awareness, vol. 19, no. 4, pp. 281–297, 2010. https://doi.org/10.1080/09658416.2010.519033
[28] H. Bozorgian, “The role of metacognition in the development of EFL learners’ listening skill,” International Journal of Listening, vol. 28, no. 3, pp. 149–161, 2014. https://doi.org/10.1080/10904018.2013.861303
[29] C. C. M. Goh and G. Hu, “Exploring the relationship between metacognitive awareness and listening performance with questionnaire data,” Language Awareness, vol. 23, no. 3, pp. 255–274, 2014. https://doi.org/10.1080/09658416.2013.769558
[30] M. Fahim and E. Fakhri Alamdari, “Exploring the effect of the model of metacognitive instruction on the listening performance of EFL learners,” International Journal of Research Studies in Language Learning, vol. 3, no. 6, pp. 3–20, 2014. https://doi.org/10.5861/ijrsll.2014.700
[31] L. Vandergrift and C. C. M. Goh, Teaching and Learning Second Language Listening: Metacognition in Action. New York, NY, USA: Routledge, 2012. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203843376
[32] M. Rahimi and M. Katal, “The role of metacognitive listening strategies awareness and podcast-use readiness in using podcasting for learning English as a foreign language,” Computers in Human Behavior, vol. 28, no. 4, pp. 1153–1161, 2012. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2012.01.025
[33] C. C. M. Goh, “A cognitive perspective on language learners’ listening comprehension problems,” System, vol. 28, no. 1, pp. 55–75, 2000. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0346-251X(99)00060-3
[34] Z. Ghapanchi and A. Taheryan, “Roles of linguistic knowledge, metacognitive knowledge and metacognitive strategy use in speaking and listening proficiency of Iranian EFL learners,” World Journal of Education, vol. 2, no. 4, pp. 64–75, 2012. https://doi.org/10.5430/wje.v2n4p64
[35] R. Sheorey and K. Mokhtari, “Differences in the metacognitive awareness of reading strategies among native and non-native readers,” System, vol. 29, no. 4, pp. 431–449, 2001. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0346-251X(01)00039-2
[36] A. Karbalaei, “A comparison of the metacognitive reading strategies used by EFL and ESL readers,” The Reading Matrix, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 165–180, 2010. https://readingmatrix.com/articles/sept_2010/alireza_karbalaei.pdf
[37] P. L. Carrell, “Metacognitive awareness and second language reading,” The Modern Language Journal, vol. 73, no. 2, pp. 121–134, 1989. https://doi.org/10.2307/326568
[38] B. Carretti, N. Caldarola, C. Tencati, and C. Cornoldi, “Improving reading comprehension in reading and listening settings: The effect of two training programmes focusing on metacognition and working memory,” British Journal of Educational Psychology, vol. 84, no. 2, pp. 194–210, 2014. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjep.12022
[39] H. Tavakoli, “The effectiveness of metacognitive strategy awareness in reading comprehension: The case of Iranian university EFL students,” The Reading Matrix, vol. 14, no. 2, pp. 314–336, 2014. https://www.readingmatrix.com/files/11-24o5q41u.pdf
[40] M. C. Arrastia, A. M. Zayed, and H. Z. Elnagar, “Metacognitive awareness of reading strategies among English as a Foreign Language (EFL) preservice teachers: An exploration of gender and developmental differences,” International Research in Higher Education, vol. 1, no. 2, pp. 46–55, 2016. https://doi.org/10.5430/irhe.v1n2p46
[41] Y. Iwai, “Promoting strategic readers: Insights of preservice teachers’ understanding of metacognitive reading strategies,” International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, vol. 10, no. 1, Art. no. 4, 2016. https://doi.org/10.20429/ijsotl.2016.100104
[42] A. M. Al-Mekhlafi, “EFL learners’ metacognitive awareness of reading strategies,” International Journal of Instruction, vol. 11, no. 2, pp. 297–308, 2018. https://doi.org/10.12973/iji.2018.11220a
[43] F. Teng and B. L. Reynolds, “Effects of individual and group metacognitive prompts on EFL reading comprehension and incidental vocabulary learning,” PLOS ONE, vol. 14, no. 5, Art. no. e0215902, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0215902
[44] L. Zhang and S. Seepho, “Metacognitive strategy use and academic reading achievement: Insights from a Chinese context,” Electronic Journal of Foreign Language Teaching, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 54–69, 2013. https://e-flt.nus.edu.sg/v10n12013/zhang.pdf
[45] M. R. Ahmadi, H. N. Ismail, and M. K. K. Abdullah, “The importance of metacognitive reading strategy awareness in reading comprehension,” English Language Teaching, vol. 6, no. 10, pp. 235–244, 2013. https://doi.org/10.5539/elt.v6n10p235
[46] S. Kummin and S. Rahman, “The relationship between the use of metacognitive strategies and achievement in English,” Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, vol. 7, pp. 145–150, 2010. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2010.10.021
[47] W. Y. K. Lam, “Examining the effects of metacognitive strategy instruction on ESL group discussions: A synthesis of approaches,” Language Teaching Research, vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 129–150, 2009. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168809103445
[48] K. Forbes and L. Fisher, “The impact of expanding advanced level secondary school students’ awareness and use of metacognitive learning strategies on confidence and proficiency in foreign language speaking skills,” The Language Learning Journal, vol. 46, no. 2, pp. 173–185, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1080/09571736.2015.1010448
[49] Z. Seifoori, “Metacognitive awareness and the fluency of task-based oral output across planning conditions: The case of Iranian TEFL students,” Iranian Journal of Language Teaching Research, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 11–26, 2016. https://doi.org/10.30466/ijltr.2016.20375
[50] K. U. Lazarus and G. O. Ogunsola, “Effects of metacognition and direct instruction on spelling abilities of pupils with learning disabilities in primary schools in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria,” European Scientific Journal, vol. 12, no. 1, p. 227, 2016. https://doi.org/10.19044/esj.2016.v12n1p227
[51] A. Adam, “Relationship between students’ metacognitive strategy and self-efficacy in speaking,” Anglo-Saxon: Jurnal Ilmiah Program Studi Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris, vol. 7, no. 2, pp. 105–121, 2016. https://doi.org/10.33373/anglo.v7i2.501
[52] O. Akman and B. Alagoz, “Relation between metacognitive awareness and participation to class discussion of university students,” Universal Journal of Educational Research, vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 11–24, 2018. https://doi.org/10.13189/ujer.2018.060102
[53] F. Rastriaji, “The effectiveness of meta-cognitive strategy in learning speaking at senior high school grade eleventh (students with low ability),” S1 thesis, Universitas Jambi, Jambi, Indonesia, 2024. https://repository.unja.ac.id/61438/
[54] I. Karim, “Enhancing the speaking skill using metacognitive strategy,” Langua: Journal of Linguistics, Literature, and Language Education, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 23–32, 2019. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.2588112
[55] T. Hermayani and C. L. Mbato, “Monitoring civil engineering students’ metacognitive awareness during independent English speaking club activities,” PROJECT: Professional Journal of English Education, vol. 3, no. 5, pp. 553–564, 2020. https://doi.org/10.22460/project.v3i5.p553-564
[56] R. Nafiulfaqih, “Metacognitive strategies in terms of centering learning used by vocational high school students during learning speaking,” RETAIN: Journal of Research in English Language Teaching, vol. 6, no. 3, 2018. https://ejournal.unesa.ac.id/index.php/retain/article/view/25775
[57] Y. Nakatani, “The effects of awareness-raising training on oral communication strategy use,” The Modern Language Journal, vol. 89, no. 1, pp. 76–91, 2005. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0026-7902.2005.00266.x
[58] S. A. E. F. Torky, “The effectiveness of a task-based instruction program in developing the English language speaking skills of secondary stage students,” Ph.D. dissertation, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt, 2006. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED523922
[59] E. Guterman, “Integrating written metacognitive awareness guidance as a psychological tool to improve student performance,” Learning and Instruction, vol. 13, no. 6, pp. 633–651, 2003. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0959-4752(02)00070-1
[60] R. Negretti and L. McGrath, “Scaffolding genre knowledge and metacognition: Insights from an L2 doctoral research writing course,” Journal of Second Language Writing, vol. 40, pp. 12–31, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jslw.2017.12.002
[61] Z. Ruan, “Metacognitive awareness of EFL student writers in a Chinese ELT context,” Language Awareness, vol. 23, no. 1–2, pp. 76–91, 2014. https://doi.org/10.1080/09658416.2013.863901
[62] M. Azizi, N. Estahbanati, and A. Nemati, “Meta-cognitive awareness of writing strategy use among Iranian EFL learners and its impact on their writing performance,” International Journal of English Language & Translation Studies, vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 42–51, 2017. https://www.eltsjournal.org/archive/value5%20issue1/6-5-1-17.pdf
[63] R. Negretti, “Metacognition in student academic writing: A longitudinal study of metacognitive awareness and its relation to task perception, self-regulation, and evaluation of performance,” Written Communication, vol. 29, no. 2, pp. 142–179, 2012. https://doi.org/10.1177/0741088312438529
[64] E. Cer, “The instruction of writing strategies: The effect of the metacognitive strategy on the writing skills of pupils in secondary education,” SAGE Open, vol. 9, no. 2, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244019842681
[65] L. Qin and L. J. Zhang, “English as a foreign language writers’ metacognitive strategy knowledge of writing and their writing performance in multimedia environments,” Journal of Writing Research, vol. 11, no. 2, pp. 393–413, 2019. https://doi.org/10.17239/jowr-2019.11.02.06
[66] E. F. Aglina, Rohmatillah, and N. Syamsiah, “The correlation between students’ metacognitive awareness and their anxiety in writing performance,” English Education: Jurnal Tadris Bahasa Inggris, vol. 13, no. 1, pp. 63–74, 2020. https://doi.org/10.24042/ee-jtbi.v13i1.6594
[67] S. Colognesi, C. Piret, S. Demorsy, and C. Barbier, “Teaching writing—with or without metacognition? An exploratory study of 11- to 12-year-old students writing a book review,” International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education, vol. 12, no. 5, pp. 459–470, 2020. https://doi.org/10.26822/iejee.2020562136
[68] V. D. O’Loughlin and L. M. Griffith, “Developing student metacognition through reflective writing in an upper level undergraduate anatomy course,” Anatomical Sciences Education, vol. 13, no. 6, pp. 680–693, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1002/ase.1945
[69] R. Arroyo González, J. de la Hoz-Ruiz, and J. Montejo Gámez, “The 2030 challenge in the quality of higher education: Metacognitive, motivational and structural factors, predictive of written argumentation, for the dissemination of sustainable knowledge,” Sustainability, vol. 12, no. 19, Art. no. 8266, 2020. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12198266
[70] M. Farahian, “Assessing EFL learners’ writing metacognitive awareness,” Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies, vol. 11, no. 2, pp. 39–51, 2015. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1105163.pdf
[71] H. Feng, K. Li, and L. J. Zhang, “What does AI bring to second language writing? A systematic review (2014–2024),” Language Learning & Technology, vol. 29, no. 1, pp. 1–27, 2025. https://doi.org/10.64152/10125/73629
[72] R. Pishghadam, A. Derakhshan, and K. Zhaleh, “The interplay of teacher success, credibility, and stroke with respect to EFL students’ willingness to attend classes,” Polish Psychological Bulletin, vol. 50, no. 4, pp. 284–292, 2019. https://doi.org/10.24425/ppb.2019.131001
[73] A. L. Brown, “Metacognition, executive control, self-regulation, and other more mysterious mechanisms,” in Metacognition, Motivation, and Understanding. New York, NY, USA: Routledge, 2026, pp. 65–116. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003758167-5
[74] R. P. Anderson, “Taxonomy, distribution, and natural history of the genus Heteromys (Rodentia: Heteromyidae) in western Venezuela, with the description of a dwarf species from the Peninsula de Paraguaná,” American Museum Novitates, no. 3396, pp. 1–43, 2003. https://doi.org/10.1206/0003-0082(2003)396<0001:TDANHO>2.0.CO;2
Author Biographies
Evi Fitri Aglina, Lampung University
Faculty of Teacher Training and Education
.png)
Patuan Raja, Lampung University
Faculty of Teacher Training and Education
Muhammad Fuad, Lampung University
Faculty of Teacher Training and Education
Budi Kadaryanto, Lampung University
Faculty of Teacher Training and Education
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Evi Fitri Aglina, Patuan Raja, Muhammad Fuad, Budi Kadaryanto
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
