SLA RESEARCH ON SELF-DIRECTION: THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL ISSUES

Now that I have defined learning strategies, I will say something about the way they
have been classified. There are many ways to classify learning strategies but most of the
studies on this issue agree on the existence of three main categories!: cognitive,
metacognitive and social∕affective (see Fig. 3.2).

Plaiuuiig

Learning

Strategies

Metacognitive

Cognitive

S о cial∕afΓective

Monitoring

Evaluating

Fig. 3.2 Metacognitive strategies as learning strategies

While much research has been done on cognitive strategies, much less has been done
about metacognitive strategies. In fact the few interested people within the field of applied
linguistics are mostly those who are trying to find the connection between autonomy and
learning strategies. The reason is their importance in the self-direction of learning:

Students without metacognitive approaches are essentially learners without
direction and ability to review their progress, accomplishments, and future learning
directions (O'Malley et al in Rubin; 1987,23).

However, metacognition is not a feature only found in self-direction. According to
Little (1996c), there are certain metaprocesses, called “intersubjective” and “metalinguistic
awareness” that

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