Experiences of language, communication, culture, learning processes and oneself as a learner are essential for language learning – but they need to be processed consciously for learning to take place. Learning requires an explicit awareness of what it is that needs to be learned (metalinguistic and meta-cognitive awareness). Learning is the process of creating new knowledge through the transformation of experience. Reflection plays an important role in this process by providing a bridge between experience and theoretical conceptualisation.
For an intentional conceptual change to take place, three conditions need to be met: (a) knowledge/ understanding of what needs to be changed (metacognitive/ metalinguistic condition), (b) motivation for the change (volitional condition: engagement, commitment), and (c) self-monitoring the change process (condition of self-regulation: goal-setting, monitoring, self-assessment). Reflection is an essential element in all of these conditions for learning to learn, and it needs to be taught and facilitated explicitly.