BENEMÉRITA UNIVERSIDAD AUTÓNOMA DE PUEBLA

FACULTAD DE LENGUAS MODERNAS

LICENCIATURA EN LENGUAS MODERNAS

MTRA. GEORGINA AGUILAR GONZÁLEZ

ALUMNOS:

ANDREA HERNANDEZ FERNANDEZ

HERNÁN JAVIER MOHENO PÉREZ

MATERIA:

RESEARCH SEMINAR

TRABAJO:

CHAPTER ONE

OTOÑO 2012

H. PUEBLA DE Z. A, 27 DE SEPTIEMBRE DE 2012

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WHICH CULTURAL FACTORS AFFECT THE DEVELOPMENT OF

METACOGNITION IN ESL STUDENTS FROM LEMO

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.1 INTRODUCTION TO THE PROBLEM

English language is the most important language for learning worldwide and there

are many reasons for learning it. Gardner (1985:51, cited in Medrano and Cano, p.

387) claims that the number of reasons for studying a second (or foreign) language

could be as numerous as individuals are. For Scheu (1997), English learners want

a further training in an English medium institution abroad which would appear to

represent pragmatic or instrumental motives and sense of professionalism

purposes. Besides this, we can add more factors which propel people learn

English like getting a job, travel abroad, having a better wage at work and many

other purposes, so that is why many people decide to learn it. The process of

learning English sometimes makes people get hopeless because they cannot

achieve their personal aim although they spend enough time trying to learn it.

There are many researches which deal with learning problems, which give an

overview about the possible problems of learning a second language; for instance,

there are three main errors that learners make when they are learning a second

language (Littlewood, 1984). The three main errors that English learners face are,

first transfer of rules form the mother tongue; second, generalization (and

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overgeneralization) of second language rules and third, redundancy reduction by

omitting elements (Littlewood, 1984,p. 29).

On the other hand, students find problems learning English because every day

they receive lots of information like historical dates, numbers, facts, new

vocabulary and so many things more. Those learners have to understand, store

and use this big amount of information to achieve this. Learners need to have a

good memory or good strategies for learning in order to be really conscious about

the process of receiving and using information, but sometimes we see students

who do not have the ability of processing information because they just memorize

information and they do not understand the point of learning although they have

excellent grades, and get the highest grades in all the tests. This sounds perfect

but the problem comes when after a period of time they are asked to use the

knowledge supposedly acquired and then they fail, how is it possible that a student

failed if he or she had a good grade before? Some responses can be related with

specific troubles areas like cognitive, social, personal and cultural problems just to

mention some of them. Some problems in these areas can be the part of the

damage of just “being good in some cases but not regularly”. So now it is time to

land the previous situation in the context of the ESL LEMO students focused on the

cultural area problems. We attribute that this situation problem is more related with

cultural and metacognitive issues than the other problems areas because in our

Major it is quite easy to have a foreign language student as a classmate and we

see how is that he or she knows more about our history than ourselves even

though we have subjects related with Mexican history since we were kids and what

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it concerns to metacognition, we see that the way that students “learn” is just

memorizing without being aware of what they need to learn and how to learn it, like

Anderson (2002) says, “learners who are metacognitively aware know what to do

when they do not know what to do”. This research is focused on looking for

information which helps to identify the problems and get possible solutions not just

in this field, but also to help to the culture of education in our country.

1.2 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

This paper sets out to look for information which provides data about which cultural

aspects affect the development of metacognition in ESL students from LEMO in

order to create awareness about the process of learning by focusing on how

students understand what they are learning and if they are using that knowledge

correctly. Also, with this information we want to help students who have problems

in the learning English process.

I just have the concern about how to accomplish that aim.

1.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

This paper sets out to answer the following questions:

- Does culture affect the development of metacognition in LEMO students

at (what level)?

- How does culture affect the development of …..?

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- How is it possible to identify problems with the development of

metacognition?

- How does culture impact in the process of learning?

1.4 DEFINITIONS OF TERM

Metacognition: It “can be defined simply as thinking about thinking”. (Anderson,

2002)

Culture: “The totality of socially transmitted behavior patterns, arts, beliefs,

institutions, and all other products of human work and thought. These patterns

traits and products considered as the expression of a particular period, class,

community or population” (Anderson, Fortson IV, Kleinedle, & Schontal, 2000).

Mexican culture: “The most favored definition of national culture mixes tradition

with picturesqueness, historical memory with opportunism, artistic achievements in

show business” (Monsivais, 1981).

Cognitive processes: “Cognitive process: Cognitive processes They are defined

as “the mental processes used by an individual to learn and retain information.

Cognitive processes are used by students in education to acquire knowledge,

recall information and process analytics” (Groff, 2006).

Learning: “The act, process, or experience of gaining knowledge or skill”

(Anderson et al. 2000).

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Problem solving: “According to contemporary information processing view

(Anderson, 1990, 1993), it involves the acquisition, retention, and use of production

systems, which are networks of condition-action sequence (rules) in which the

conditions are the sets of circumstances that activate the system and the actions

are the sets of activities that occur”.

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The results of this paper will provide the bases for making conscious about the

problem of learning with ESL students. Besides this, we want to contribute with

relevant information in this field because there is no much information about this

topic, taking into account our culture as a case of study with the role of

metacognition, the results can be very interesting and enriching.

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LIST OF REFERENCES

Anderson, B., Fortson IV, B. W., Kleinedle, S. R., & Schontal, H. (2000). The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. -4th Edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Anderson, N. J. (Abril de 2002). Center for applied linguisttics. Recuperado el 4 de Septiembre de 2012, de www.cal.org/resources/digest/0110anderson.html

Goff, G. (2006). Education.com. Recuperado el 4 de Septiembre de 2012, de http://www.education.com/definition/cognitive-processes/

Littlewood, W. T. (1984). Foreign and Second Language Learning. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Long, C. J. (2003). The Handbook of Second Language Acquisition. USA: Blackwell Publishing.

Lottgen, D. S. (1997). Cultural Studies in the Second Language Classroom: needs, problems and solutions. Murcia: Servicio de Publicaciones Universidad de Murcia.

Monsivais, C. (1981). Notas sobre el Estado, la cultura nacional y las culturas populares en México. Cuadernos Políticos, 35.

Vela, C. A., & Cano Vara, R. (2009). Motivation and Language Learning: the case of 5 succesful independant students. Memorias del V foro de estudios de Lenguas Internacional (FEL 2009), (pág. 387). Quintana Roo.

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Research Seminar 1: Evaluation Criteria

Name: Andrea and Hernan Chapter 1 Date: September

Evaluation Criteria Grade CommentsI. Format: 15%

1.1 Formal language 10=15% Well done!! You followed an appropriate format for your work

1.2 Interlineal space 1.3 Margins1.4 Title and subtitles

II. Content: 50% (10-6)2.1 Introduction to the problem 9= 45% Your introduction to the

problem has relevant quotes and it is well organized. I just suggest polishing the last part of it.Your purpose is clear for me. However, the research questions require more attention. Make sure they are linked to your purpose and they are feasible to answer them.Your significance is appropriate and your definitions are clear. I just suggest few changes.

2.2 Purpose of the study2.3 Hypotheses/ Research questions2.4 Significance of the study2.5 Definition of terms (at least 5)

III. Language 35% (10-6)3.1 Writing (clearness, conciseness, comprehensiveness, flowing)

9.5= 33.2% Your writing is clear, concise and comprehensive. I just suggest paying more attention to punctuation and connectors. The use of APA style is correctly followed.

3.2 Coherence3.3 Cohesion3.4 Other’s words are given credit and references are included in APA style.Total 9.3 You are doing a great job. You

just need to polish few things from your work. Well done!!

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