Traditionally I have always valued effective communication and the ability to understand one another. When I was a student I would talk with my peers about their feelings towards specific ideas. I, like many others, struggled to reach the core of myself. It is the part that any person needs when generating their own ideas and discussing their unique perspective. Not only do I want my students to understand each other, but I want them to understand themselves.
Understanding one's self goes beyond just knowing what you like to read and not read, and it is deeper than knowing the right answer. It is the ability, or better than that, it is the responsibility of the self to question why it likes what it likes, how this cognitive bias affects the reading, and what does this add to our inner dialogue? Doing this sets us up to begin the journey of determining who we are.
I believe this level of metacognition is important, especially when taught alongside English or whatever language the learner is operating under. This is to say language is the medium and blank canvas that grants us the opportunity to participate in the unique process of education.