Hsiu-yu Chu 
(English Language Section, General Education Center, Ming Chi University of Technology, Taiwan)

 

Abstract: This qualitative study investigated a general education course, entitled “Second Language Acquisition (SLA) — Theory and Practice”, at a technological university in Taiwan. The purpose of this course was to provide students with a general view of SLA theories and hands-on activities so that they would be able to reflect on their own foreign (English) language learning experience. It was hoped that through their reflections, students would not only be able to understand themselves better in terms of language learning, but also get ready for any new challenges in their next language learning tasks. The above-mentioned teaching goal was evaluated through an open-ended questionnaire administered on students in the beginning and at the end of the semester in order to compare students’ understanding of the important SLA concepts before and after taking the course. Meanwhile, students’ final projects, which required them to analyze a case of a successful foreign language learner using the SLA theories, would also help to evaluate students’ improvement in taking the course. Finally, three students were recruited at the end of the semester for an interview, each on their experience with this course and more in-depth views about metacognitive awareness of second language learning.

 

Key words: SLA, second language learning, metacognitive awareness