Conversations between educators and students about choices and strategies are an important pedagogical mechanism to examine the abstract concept of learning. Although students have tacit knowledge about their approach to learning, they are often unable to coherently communicate their ideas. Drawing on the theory of metacognition, the technique of strategic questions is outlined as a means to represent, organize, and communicate students' abstract ideas about themselves as learners. Strategic questions provide a metacognitive language that allows students and teachers to examine a learning experience. In particular, reasoning for decisions and action, doubts or concerns, explanation of engagement and effort, and values and expectations. A case study is outlined of the use of strategic questions within a pre-service teacher education degree as a method that supports a reflective practitioner approach to learning. (Contains 2 tables.) [Note: The publication year (2009) shown on the PDF is incorrect. The correct publication year is 2008.]