Metacognition for Language Learners: Weaving Inclusive Practices into the Kaqchikel Maya Classroom

Emily Tummons, lecturer in the Center for Latin American & Caribbean Studies

Thank you for using the QR code to visit this resource! The poster the QR code originates from is titled “Metacognition for Language Learners: Weaving Inclusive Practices into the Kaqchikel Maya Classroom,” by Emily Tummons, lecturer in the Center for Latin American & Caribbean Studies. 

(See the poster to find the context for this tool below, and/or email me at emilyt@ku.edu.)

Note that this project was undertaken as part of CTE’s Faculty Seminar program. 

Final Learner Reflection

The act of reflecting on one’s own learning process (metacognition) is a key part of many language-learning courses. This semester, you all (both Intermediate & Advanced) will leverage this tool to:

  • Refresh and activate your prior knowledge, what you entered the semester with — practice and apply new strategies for the process of learning the language.
  • Reflect on your strengths and challenges with the big and small dimensions of language learning.
  • Document not only what knowledge you’ve acquired so far, but also how you acquired it — invite you to reflect on the question, “where do I want to go from here?”

In your Final Learner Reflection, you’ll take time to consider your entire semester of language-learning. You’ll weave all of your insights together into a Kaqchikel narrative to submit during Finals Week, making sure that what you submit contains each one of these three features:

  • At least one full page long.
  • He entire narrative should be in Kaqchikel, accompanied by an English version.
  • If a student would prefer to submit their work through an alternate format (e.g., podcast, video, blog, etc.) any format can be accommodated.

Prompts are provided all throughout the semester, within the scope of the two Exams, plus in group activities, toward the goal of generating thoughts for you to develop over time regarding your individual language-learning path. We work together to equip one another to express these things in Kaqchikel.

Below are some examples. Read these during the first couple of weeks of the semester, so that you can start right away in noticing morsels like these, and jotting them down for reflection later on:

  • New Kaqchikel words or phrases you learn, that really resonate with you
  • Pieces of information from the weekly readings, perhaps about history, culture, literature, or a Kaqchikel person’s background.
  • Something shared by one of your classmates that gave you a “lightbulb moment”.
  • A feeling that you experienced while watching a video in Kaqchikel, or while holding a heartfelt Kaqchikel conversation with Ixkamey.
  • Anything else that stands out to you.

Later on in the semester, we may reflect on one or more prompts like these:

  1. What skills have I leaned on in myself, in order to participate well in the class so far, and learn all that I’ve learned so far?
  2. What have I noticed so far about particular strengths I have, related to language learning? what have I noticed about particular areas in need of improving?
  3. Can I call to mind any moments during the semester thus far when my mindset has had an impact on my work? (This “work” could apply to studying time at home, or to interactions and learning that’s undertaken during class sessions.) What effect does my perspective, emotional state, or state of mind have on my upper Kaqchikel class experience, or the supporting studying I may do at home? Where the effect has been positive, how can I strengthen that impact in the future?
  4. How do I think I am progressing so far as a language learner? (e.g., is there one consonant that seems sharper today than it did months ago, in my Kaqchikel utterances?) Can I pinpoint areas where I’m growing and expanding?
  5. Can I recall a moment in class or out of class when I’ve supported a fellow classmate in their language environment or progress? It could be in a subtle small way (e.g., smiling at them when they say something humorous, something to help the class climate be positive and foster inclusion and a sense of belonging) or could be more overtly and big (e.g., offering to meet up with them to help them practice).
  6. Is there anything about my home workstation learning environment that I’d like to change? Anything within reach that I could do in order to improve my language learning experience?

[Here is an example of Exam 2 for my Intermediate Kaqchikel Maya I students during the Fall 2022 semester. During this moment of the semester, and in one other moment of the semester, we put metacognition into practice and steadily build up to them being able to carry out the full Final Learner Reflection:]

[Sections below are pasted here from our online educational platform:]

The two components of Exam #2 are both due by 11:59pm Friday, October 7th. This portion of the exam will focus on our reflections on our own learning process. You can type on a Word document and upload that, or handwrite your reflections and upload a scan of that, or type your answers directly into the Canvas mechanism.

First, take the syllabus for our class, and flip over to pages 11 and 12. Take some time to re-read the descriptions of this course goal. Give close attention to what you will be ultimately producing in your Final Learner Reflection (one full page in Kaqchikel). This week, we'll take our first run at these themes together.

Here are the directions, in 3 Steps, for the 10 pts. of your Exam #2 that are dedicated to this Learner Reflection:

Step 1: Choose 1 of these prompts below, and write 1 paragraph in English reflecting on that:

  • New Kaqchikel words or phrases you're learning, that really resonate with you.
  • Pieces of information from the weekly readings, perhaps about history, culture, literature, or a Kaqchikel person's background.
  • Something shared by one of your classmates that gave you a "lightbulb moment”.
  • A feeling that you experienced while watching a video in Kaqchikel, or while in Kaqchikel conversation with Ixkamey.
  • Anything else that stands out to you that you've learned of the language or about the language, or that you've experienced in your language learning.

Step 2: Choose 2 of these prompts below, and write 1 paragraph each, in English, reflecting on those two prompts:

  • What skills have I leaned on in myself, in order to participate well in the class so far, and learn all that I've learned so far?
  • What have I noticed so far about particular strengths I have, related to language learning? what have I noticed about particular areas in need of improving?
  • Can I call to mind any moments during the semester thus far when my mindset has had an impact on my work? (This "work" could apply to studying time at home, or to interactions and learning that's undertaken during class sessions.) What effect does my perspective, emotional state, or state of mind have on my upper Kaqchikel class experience, or the supporting studying that I may do at home? Where the effect has been positive, how can I strengthen that impact in the future?
  • How do I think I am progressing so far as a language learner? (e.g., is there one consonant that seems sharper today than it did months ago, in my Kaqchikel utterances?) Can I pinpoint areas where I'm growing and expanding?
  • Can I recall a moment in class or out of class when I've supported a fellow classmate in their language environment or progress? It could be in a subtle small way (e.g., smiling at them when they say something humorous, something to help the class climate be positive and foster inclusion and a sense of belonging) or could be more overt and big (e.g., offering to meet up with them to help them practice).
  • -s there anything about my home workstation learning environment that I'd like to change? Anything within reach that I could do in order to improve my language learning experience?

Step 3: Write 3 sentences in Kaqchikel surrounding any 1 or more of the following themes. Provide an English translation of your sentences as well:

  • La nqa chi awäch yatzijon pa Kaqchikel rik'in ri Ixkamey, chupam qatijob'äl?
  • La nqa chi awäch yatzijon pa Kaqchikel kik'in ri jujun chïk tijoxela'?
  • Achike roma janila k'atzinel chi yach'on pa qach'ab'äl?
  • Achike rub'anikil ri ch'ab'äl "Kaqchikel"? (e.g., jeb'ël, jub'a' k'ayew, man kan ta k'ayew, nïm ruk'u'x ri ch'ab'äl, o xab'achike ri taq ana'oj rat)
  • La tikirel chi xkab'e pa Iximulew k'in jub'a', jun q'ij?

[Here is what each of the above 5 Kaqchikel prompts means in English:]

  • Do you enjoy chatting in Kaqchikel with Ixkamey [our native speaker] and Ixkotz’i’j [me]?
  • Do you enjoy chatting in Kaqchikel with your classmates?
  • Why is it important that you learn to speak Kaqchikel?
  • What is the language of Kaqchikel like? (e.g., beautiful, a little challenging, not so challenging, big-hearted, or whatever ideas you might have)
  • Is it possible you might go to Guatemala yourself someday?