Teaching Metacognitive Strategies to Improve Reading and Listening Comprehension Skills Among University Students

Abstract

This study aims to examine the role of metacognitive strategies in improving listening comprehension skills among university students. It focuses on the mental processes that help learners plan, monitor, and evaluate their listening performance. Listening comprehension is considered one of the fundamental skills in English language learning; however, many students face difficulties in understanding spoken texts due to limited use of effective cognitive and self-regulatory strategies. The study adopts a descriptive-analytical approach through an extensive review of relevant literature and previous studies related to metacognitive strategies and listening comprehension. The findings indicate that planning, self-monitoring, and self-evaluation strategies significantly enhance students’ listening comprehension abilities, increase their awareness of learning processes, and promote learner autonomy. The results also reveal that integrating metacognitive strategies into educational programs contributes to better academic performance and improved language proficiency among university students. The study recommends providing systematic training for both students and instructors on the effective use of metacognitive strategies in listening activities and language learning contexts.