'It Was Nice to See That Our Predictions Were Right': Developing Metacognition in L2 Listening Comprehension

Beginning-level core French students (Grades 4-6) completed listening comprehension tasks and reflective exercises, using instruments that engaged the students in prediction, evaluation, and other processes involved in listening. Following each task and accompanying exercises, students completed a questionnaire on the formative qualities of the activities and instruments. Results of this qualitative study suggest that use of these instruments helped sensitize students to the processes underlying L2 listening comprehension and tapped their metacognitive knowledge. Student comments evidenced a high degree of task and strategic knowledge and, to a lesser degree, person knowledge. Evidence from this study supports the argument that reflection on the processes of listening can help students develop metacognitive knowledge and, potentially, achieve greater success on these types of L2 listening tasks.