Metalinguistic awareness in multilinguals : implicit and explicit grammatical awareness and its relationship with language experience and language attainment
Anecdotal evidence suggests that multilinguals' ability to learn languages increases the more languages they know; experimental evidence supports the idea that language learning promotes the development of metalinguistic awareness. The aim of this study was to investigate whether multilinguals' grammatical metalinguistic awareness is related to their attainment over and above their language experience. In order to do this, it was necessary to investigate empirically the hypotheses that attainment in another language is related to multilinguals' experience of learning languages and to their metalinguistic awareness, and that metalinguistic awareness is related to language learning experience. Thirty native English-speaking educated adult multilinguale were assessedo n their ability to learn the initial stageso f Basque under controlled conditions, their previous language learning experience, and their metalinguistic awareness (explaining native language grammaticality judgements, MLAT4, translation from Middle Egyptian, knowledge of Basque rules, implicit and explicit artificial grammar tests). The data were analysed using regression analyses in a within-participants design. The results show that the multilinguals
Kemp, C.
Metalinguistic awareness in multilinguals : implicit and explicit grammatical awareness and its relationship with language experience and language attainment. Anecdotal evidence suggests that multilinguals' ability to learn languages increases the more languages they know; experimental evidence supports the idea that language learning promotes the development of metalinguistic awareness. The aim of this study was to investigate whether multilinguals' grammatical metalinguistic awareness is related to their attainment over and above their language experience. In order to do this, it was necessary to investigate empirically the hypotheses that attainment in another language is related to multilinguals' experience of learning languages and to their metalinguistic awareness, and that metalinguistic awareness is related to language learning experience. Thirty native English-speaking educated adult multilinguale were assessedo n their ability to learn the initial stageso f Basque under controlled conditions, their previous language learning experience, and their metalinguistic awareness (explaining native language grammaticality judgements, MLAT4, translation from Middle Egyptian, knowledge of Basque rules, implicit and explicit artificial grammar tests). The data were analysed using regression analyses in a within-participants design. The results show that the multilinguals
metalinguistic_awareness implicit_explicit grammatical awareness relationship language experience language attainment anecdotal evidence_suggest ability learn languages increase language know experimental_evidence support_idea language_learn promotes development metalinguistic_awareness aim_study investigate_whether grammatical metalinguistic_awareness relate attainment language experience order necessary investigate empirically hypotheses attainment another_language relate experience learning languages metalinguistic_awareness metalinguistic_awareness relate language_learn experience thirty native_english speaking educate adult ability learn initial control_condition previous language_learn experience metalinguistic_awareness explain native_language grammaticality_judgement translation middle egyptian knowledge rule implicit_explicit artificial grammar test data_analyse use regression analyse within participants design show