Abstract:

Currently, the value of foreign language learning is often interpreted in a simplistic and instrumental way. Based on metacognitive theory and empirical data from more than 1,000 students in Grades 6-9 across four junior high schools in Shanghai, this study explores the internal correlation between foreign language learning and metacognitive development. The findings are as follows: (1) As a systematic learning activity with high cognitive load, foreign language learning is significantly and positively correlated with the development of linguistic metacognitive strategies, and the association is particularly pronounced in tasks involving greater regulatory demands; (2) Foreign language skills and their metacognitive performance are significantly associated with corresponding performance in nonlinguistic cognitive tasks; (3) Foreign language proficiency is positively correlated with metacognitive development; higher-proficiency learners show more systematic regulatory behaviors, particularly in evaluation and monitoring. These findings support the three-tier theoretical framework proposed in this study: a synergistic and symbiotic relationship between foreign language learning and metacognitive development; the gradual transformation of state metacognition into trait metacognition through repeated contextualized practice in language tasks; and the cross-domain transfer potential of metacognitive skills acquired through foreign language learning. This study provides both empirical and theoretical support for re-evaluating the role of foreign language education in fostering students' metacognitive competence.

Key words: foreign language learning, metacognitive development, trait-state metacognition, cross-domain association