In recent years, the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education has opened exciting opportunities for language learning. Tools like ChatGPT can offer instant feedback, rewrite sentences, summarize texts, or even provide creative writing prompts. Yet while these tools make information more accessible than ever, they also raise an essential question: Are we training students to think—or to outsource thinking?
This is where metacognition comes in. Defined as the awareness and control of one’s own thinking and learning processes (Flavell, 1979), metacognition is a vital higher-order skill that supports autonomy, problem-solving, and lifelong learning. In ESL classrooms, metacognitive strategies can bridge the gap between using AI passively and engaging with it critically and intentionally (Anderson, 2002).
AI as a Trigger for Metacognitive Reflection
Rather than seeing AI as a shortcut, we can reframe it as a mirror—a tool that helps students better understand how they learn, what they know, and what they still need to work on. When integrated with care, AI can act as a scaffolding tool that supports all three phases of metacognitive regulation: planning, monitoring, and evaluating (Schraw & Dennison, 1994).
Here are three practical examples of how AI tools like ChatGPT can support metacognitive development in ESL:
• Self-questioning before prompting
Before using AI to answer a question, students write their own hypotheses. After generating an AI response, they compare and reflect: What was similar or different? What did I overlook?
• AI-assisted revision with reflection
Students submit a written task and ask the AI for feedback. They then analyze the suggestions: Which do I agree with? Which don’t align with my intentions as a writer? What will I improve in my next draft?
• Think-aloud dialogues with AI
Students engage in a back-and-forth conversation with the AI, explaining their reasoning. This process mimics the inner dialogue effective learners use when self-monitoring their understanding (Zimmerman, 2002).
A Classroom Example
In a recent writing unit, my B1-level ESL students drafted short opinion paragraphs, then used ChatGPT to check for organization and clarity. The tool flagged vague topic sentences or repetition—comments that aligned with my feedback but felt more „objective” to them. What mattered most, however, was the reflective debrief: “I thought my thesis was clear, but now I realize it’s too broad,” one student noted. This shift from external correction to internal reflection is a core aspect of metacognitive growth.
Teaching for Awareness, Not Dependence
AI tools can support language learning, but they must be embedded in a pedagogy of awareness, not dependence. As educators, our role is to help students become critical users of technology, capable of questioning, reflecting, and adjusting their learning strategies.
In the age of AI, metacognition is no longer a luxury—it is a necessity.
References
• Anderson, N. J. (2002). The role of metacognition in second language teaching and learning. ERIC Digest.
• Flavell, J. H. (1979). Metacognition and cognitive monitoring: A new area of cognitive–developmental inquiry. American Psychologist, 34(10), 906–911.
• Schraw, G., & Dennison, R. S. (1994). Assessing metacognitive awareness. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 19(4), 460–475.
• Zimmerman, B. J. (2002). Becoming a self-regulated learner: An overview. Theory into Practice, 41(2), 64–70.