Use of Metacognitive Strategies by English Language Learners During an Online Speaking Test

Aug 29, 2026

Uploaded by Cipher

Metacognitive strategies are widely recognized as essential for learning and operating in additional and foreign languages, yet empirical evidence remains limited for how they support second-language speaking within computer-assisted language testing. This dissertation examines how test takers used metacognitive strategies while completing two CELPIP Speaking Test tasks in an online context. Findings identify ten strategies among Chinese university engineering students, and show significant links between overall strategy use and Task 1 speaking scores, with select individual strategies related to performance across tasks.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages1

Reading Time3 min

AccessFree to download

Background and Research Gap

Study Design and Participants

Tasks and Instrument

Metacognitive Strategies Identified

Results and Relationships to Speaking Scores

Implications and Future Research

Dissertation Abstract Use of metacognitive strategies by English language learners during an online speaking test by Wei Ji Metacognition, or knowledge about and executive control of one’s own thinking, has long been recognized as an important skill in learning and using an additional/foreign language. However, there is a lack of empirical research specifically on the use of metacognition in supporting speaking a second/additional/foreign language in computer-assisted language testing situations. This study investigated the use of metacognitive strategies by test takers as they completed two speaking tasks from the Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP) Speaking Test. Participants were thirty first-year undergraduate engineering students (aged 18-19) taking an English course at a university in China. In total, the study identified ten metacognitive strategies used by the participants as they completed two CELPIP speaking tasks, three of the most frequently reported being “Evaluating language production” (reflecting on how they did post task),“Evaluating performance” (reflecting on how they were doing during the task), and“Planning” (pre task) . There was a statistically significant relationship between the total number of reported metacognitive strategies and speaking score in Task 1 (picture description) but not Task 2 (presenting and defending an opinion) . Additionally, in each task, there were a few statistically significant relationships between individual metacognitive strategies and speaking score. By studying the strategic metacognitive behaviors test takers used when completing speaking tasks, as well as how these behaviors related to their speaking performance as evidenced by their CELPIP test scores, the study contributes to an understanding of how learners can be better supported in developing and using their metacognitive skills in speaking English as a second language. The study will also serve as a basis for future studies to target specific metacognitive strategies (such as planning) that were found to have statistically significant relationships with speaking score.

FAQs

What research gap does the dissertation address?

Empirical research on how metacognition supports speaking in computer-assisted language testing situations is limited, especially in online speaking-test contexts.

Who participated in the study and what tasks were used?

Thirty first-year undergraduate engineering students (18–19) in China participated. They completed two CELPIP Speaking Test tasks: a picture description and a task requiring presenting and defending an opinion.

How do reported metacognitive strategies relate to speaking performance?

The total number of reported metacognitive strategies showed a statistically significant relationship with Task 1 speaking score, but not Task 2. Some individual strategies also related to speaking scores within each task.

Aug 29, 2026

Uploaded by Cipher