Metacognitive Strategies in Text-Based Activities (for legal texts)

Abstract

Globalization on the one hand and border closure on the other hand spur communication process participants in all areas of human activities and especially young researchers into foreign language learning which is currently focused on foreign professionally-oriented texts. Traditional methods of teaching a foreign language based on grammatical approach are not effective in solving the problem of language competence development when working with professionally-oriented texts. The objective of this work is to assess the effectiveness of the method of legal texts concept analysis using a technique of metacognitive strategies in reading activity. Several groups of law students, Southwest State University (Kursk, Russia) took part in the experiment based on the above-mentioned method. Students performed both conventional (skimming, key words finding) and specially developed tasks (constructing a text compositional structure model, plotting a text graphical representation, etc.). Original criteria were used to evaluate the performance. The experiment showed a persistent significant difference in learning indicators and students’ behaviour in the control and experimental groups. The technique contributed to the development and enhancement of students’ skills improving their foreign language competence. The obtained skills facilitated communication and contributed to students’ satisfaction with the learning process, increased their creative and professional potential, students’ sustainable intrinsic motivation.