The Meta-cognitive Strategies Used by EFL Students, and Their Influence on Speaking Skill Development Case Study: Third Year EFL Students at Chadli Ben-Djedid University

Abstract

The main focus of this study is on speaking skill development through the use of meta-cognitive strategies. Nevertheless, the lack of research on the impact of these strategies on EFL learners’ speaking skill is noticed compared to the other skills. To bridge this gap, this study attempts : (1) to demonstrate the relationship between the meta-cognitive strategies’ use and speaking skill development and (2) to find out whether third year EFL students use meta-cognitive strategies and which type they use the most in their oral production. Thirty copies of questionnaire were distributed to third-year EFL students at the university of Chadli Ben-Djedid, El Tarf. Moreover, a semi- structured interview was also conducted with three teachers of oral expression to support the questionnaire’s results. The findings revealed that the participants use these strategies in their speaking and the most frequently used one is the planning strategy. Moreover, the findings from both the questionnaire and the interview also revealed that there is a positive relationship between the speaking development and the use of these strategies. Finally, some recommendations and suggestions were proposed to EFL teachers and students in order to raise their awareness to the critical role of these strategies in the learning process.