The third strategy is metacognition and authentic assessment. Rather than having students
simply memorize information, teachers model and explicitly teach thinking skills
(metacognition) crucial to learning new concepts. Research shows that metacognition is a
critical skill for learning a second language and a skill used by highly proficient readers of any
language. With authentic assessments, teachers use a variety of activities to check students’
understanding, acknowledging that students learning a second language need a variety of ways
to demonstrate their understanding of concepts that are not wholly reliant on advanced language
skills.