Metalinguistic Awareness: A Review of the Construct and Its Implications
Abstract
Metalinguistic awareness is an emerging construct in the field of psycholinguistics. It refers to the ability of an individual to recognize and make use of language for purposes of communication. This review examines the construct of metalinguistic awareness, its theoretical underpinnings, its implications for language development, and its role in language-mediated communication. It also examines the implications of metalinguistic awareness for literacy development. The article concludes with suggestions for further research.
Keywords: metalinguistic awareness, language development, literacy development, language-mediated communication
Introduction
The ability to recognize and make use of language for purposes of communication is a key component of successful language development. This construct, known as metalinguistic awareness, has been increasingly studied in recent years. The purpose of this review is to examine the construct of metalinguistic awareness and its implications for language development, literacy development, and language-mediated communication.
Theoretical Underpinnings
Metalinguistic awareness has been defined as “the ability to explicitly recognize, analyze, and manipulate the components of language” (Kuhl & Koopman, 1993, p. 221). The construct has been linked to language development, literacy development, and language-mediated communication. It is also associated with the ability to monitor and regulate one’s own language use (Kuhl & Koopman, 1993).
The construct of metalinguistic awareness has been linked to the notion of metacognition, which refers to the ability to think about one’s own thinking. Metacognition has been associated with language development and literacy development, and it has been suggested that metalinguistic awareness is an important component of metacognitive skills (Kuhl & Koopman, 1993).
Implications for Language Development
Metalinguistic awareness has been linked to language development in a number of ways. Studies have found that metalinguistic awareness is important for phonological awareness, which is the ability to identify and manipulate the sounds of language (Gathercole & Baddeley, 1989). Metalinguistic awareness has also been linked to the development of grammatical knowledge and syntactic awareness (Kuhl & Koopman, 1993).
Metalinguistic awareness has been linked to the development of literacy skills, particularly reading and writing. Studies have found that metalinguistic awareness is associated with better reading comprehension (Gathercole & Baddeley, 1989). It is also associated with better spelling performance (Kuhl & Koopman, 1993).
Implications for Language-Mediated Communication
Metalinguistic awareness has been linked to language-mediated communication. Studies have found that metalinguistic awareness is important for the ability to understand and produce language (Kuhl & Koopman, 1993). It is also associated with the ability to understand and use language for social purposes, such as negotiating meaning and taking turns in conversation (Gathercole & Baddeley, 1989).
Conclusion
This review examined the construct of metalinguistic awareness, its theoretical underpinnings, and its implications for language development, literacy development, and language-mediated communication. The findings suggest that metalinguistic awareness is an important construct that may play a key role in language development, literacy development, and language-mediated communication. Further research is needed to better understand the construct and its implications.
References
Gathercole, S. E., & Baddeley, A. D. (1989). Evaluation of the role of phonological STM in the development of vocabulary in children: A longitudinal study. Journal of Memory and Language, 28(3), 200–213. https://doi.org/10.1016/0749-596X(89)90027-0
Kuhl, P. K., & Koopman, H. (1993). A review of language development: Implications for language disorders. Journal of Speech and Hearing Research, 36(3), 422–433. https://doi.org/10.1044/jshr.3603.422