Abstract:

The present work is devoted to a brief review of theories on language learning. On one hand, the role and types of previous knowledge and the relevance of communicative approaches; on the other hand, the existing relationships between learning and acquisition; finally, the role of self-assessment as metacognitive awareness and consciousness (Ellis, 1991) in the field of language education.
On one hand, in present day’s approaches, and from a socio-constructivist point of view, it is not possible to speak of language learning without taking into account that the learner has both background knowledge and cultural representations of the language. This whole background of concepts and representations is of great importance for the reception and elaboration of experience involved in language learning.
On the other hand, for the purpose of the present study, the monitor hypothesis is relevant regarding the learners’ use of the language they are learning. What is interesting is the amount of monitor learners use while they are carrying out a task, particularly the development of the metacognitive competence.
Finally, the notion of self-assessment transforms the role of the learner, who becomes an active, free subject, conscious of his/her own learning process. To learn how to learn, the language student should integrate self-assessment into all points of the process. One function of self-assessment is the verification of acquisition, but it also has the role of re-mediation, of motivation and acquisition of strategies.
The final aim of this study is to conduct a research study with a group of university students. Learners studying English at Universitat Jaume I (Castellón) will develop an online activity during their class regular time, in which they will be asked to complete a number of different activities and a Self-Assessment Questionnaire about the activity. Furthermore, they will have to put into practise their background knowledge to their new knowledge in order to successfully complete this activity. As researchers, we want to focus on how university students establish relationships between their previous knowledge and their self-assessment that will help them to improve their English learning.