This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of metacognitive methods in college general English classes to improve students’ communication skills and metacognitive awareness. The approach involved structuring learning activities where students adapted movie dialogues, practiced roles, collaborated with peers, and received feedback on problemsolving. The results showed significant improvements in speaking skills, with preassessment scores of 24.79 increasing to 27.17 in the post-assessment (p < .01). These findings indicate notable gains in fluency and accuracy in English communication, as well as improved attitudes towards the language. Although there were improvements in post-assessment scores for metacognitive processes, these changes were not statistically significant. This study highlights the importance of incorporating diverse learning methods into college general English classes, particularly emphasizing the value of metacognitive techniques. These methods help students apply classroom learning to realworld social situations and enhance their communication abilities.

This study compared research trends in universities general English program before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. After analyzing 248 articles from KCI using frequency analysis, centrality analysis, and topic modeling, this study found consistent keywords indicating a focus on learning objectives, effectiveness analysis, satisfaction surveys, and level-based learning before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Centrality analysis revealed keywords like “teaching, research, analysis” before COVID-19 and “satisfaction, study, level, activity, effect” after COVID-19, indicating a shift towards learner satisfaction, level-based learning, and effectiveness analysis due to the transition to online learning. Topic modeling revealed shifts in research trends: Pre-COVID-19 focused on effective teaching methods, evaluation techniques, and cultural content, while Post-COVID-19 prioritized online teaching methods, web-based platforms, and selfdirected learning. Future research should address self-directed learning, attitudes and goal setting, closing learning gaps in online/blended learning, and developing effective online assessment tools and evaluation strategies. This study provides valuable insights and directions for further research in general English programs.