JoLIE 15:2/2022

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DEVELOPING METACOGNITIVE SKILLS OF ENGLISH ACADEMIC WRITING: A CASE STUDY OF UKRAINIAN MASTER’S STUDENTS

Nataliia Gach

Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine

Abstract

This research is aimed at assessing the level of metacognitive skills that Ukrainian graduate students possess in the area of academic writing in English as a foreign language (EFL). The study analyses the state of affairs within higher education from a sociocultural perspective and outlines ways to enhance the learning autonomy of EFL students and thus improve their level of writing competence. The study participants are master’s students majoring in English linguistics and translation studies. Thus, the scope of the research is narrowed to a group of people who study English for specific purposes and have a solid background in English language learning. The survey focuses on assessing their metacognitive skills during the planning, monitoring and evaluation stages of the writing process, as well as providing insight into the role of feedback given by the teacher. The research results demonstrate a strong interdependence between the culture of education established in Ukraine and the country’s socio-political history. It is proved that the main challenges Ukrainian students experience in English academic writing occur during the monitoring and evaluation stages, when the lack of confidence students experience reveals their low level of metacognitive skills. This low level is attributed to a poor knowledge of the conventions of academic discourse, digital illiteracy, which is particularly evident in the inability of students to use word processing programs and library databases, and an inadequate curriculum in which teaching strategies are implemented that are counterproductive to the development of independent learning. The study concludes by highlighting the need for teachers to become more aware of the importance of independent learning and adopt strategies that enhance the level of learner autonomy.

Keywords: Survey; Academic writing; Master’s students; Skills; Research.

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How to cite this article: Gach, N. (2022). Developing metacognitive skills of English academic writing: A case study of Ukrainian master’s students. Journal of Linguistic and Intercultural Education – JoLIE, 15(2), 73-100. doi: https://doi.org/10.29302/jolie.2022.15.2.7

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