How to stumble purposefully

Abstract Research on German L1 grammar instruction shows that successful teaching of metalinguistic knowledge alone does not influence language performance. One explanation is that working memory limitations prevent the simultaneous activation of metalinguistic knowledge and other cognitive processes in writing or revision tasks. Therefore, this paper investigates the interaction between bottom-up and top-down attention to grammatical features and the role of metacognition as a top-down attentional resource, using the example of comma placement. Based on an analysis of the relationship between attention and conscious access within language awareness a four-stage model of metalinguistically driven learning is proposed: (1) acquisition of metalinguistic knowledge and its transformation into self-regulatory guidelines; (2) proactive training of metacognitive strategies by applying top-down attention to specific grammatical features; (3) transition to reactive self-regulation, where associative learning establishes a link between grammatical features and bottom-up attention; and (4) gradual automation of this link. The article focuses specifically on the third stage, arguing that this is the critical phase where the effective application of metalinguistic knowledge for linguistic performance often fails.