METALINGUISTIC AWARENESS IN TEACHING AND LEARNING FOREIGN LANGUAGES

One of the key notions connected with linguistics, language learning and language teaching nowadays is metalinguistic awareness (MA), also referred to as language awareness or knowledge about language, especially in the language teaching and teacher education discourse. It is perceived as the ability to reflect on and analyse language as well as evaluate language as a process or even a system, which includes understanding the underlying phonetic, lexical and grammar language structures. MA also refers to the awareness that one can manipulate language in different ways on the basis of its analysis, switching focus between form and meaning.