METALINGUISTIC KNOWLEDGE OF GRADUATING ENGLISH MAJOR STUDENTS AND HIGH SCHOOL ENGLISH TEACHERS
Main Article Content
Keywords
Explicit/Conscious Grammar, Grammatical Terminology, Knowledge about Language (KAL), Language Awareness, Metalanguage, education
Abstract
This small-scale research aimed at investigating the nature and extent of metalinguistic knowledge among English teachers amid the little treatment of grammar, heavily literature-based, in the 2010 Secondary Curriculum. Sixteen intact female graduating English major students from three colleges, and 17 intact in-service high school English teachers from 6 schools in Manila, school year 2012-2013, completed two metalanguage tests. Using the SPSS, descriptive statistics were generated for quantitative data, while qualitative analysis centered mainly on the reasons of the difficulty of the tests. Although results showed that a significant difference of performances in two metalanguage tests exists between the two groups, it is argued that years of teaching may not fully influence teachers' declarative metalinguistic knowledge. In a nutshell, low MK among the English teachers can be used by policy makers to revisit the Domain 7 of NCBTS, and to reconsider/revisit the treatment of grammar teaching.
References
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Arndt, V., Harvey, P., & Nuttall, J. (2000). Alive to language: Perspectives on language awareness for English language teachers. UK: Cambridge University Press.
Arnó-Macià , E. (2009). Knowledge about language in English language courses for future language professionals. Nordic Journal of English Studies, 8(1), 5-39. Retrieved from http://ojs.ub.gu.se/ojs/index.php/njes/article/view/295/279
Basturkmen, H., Loewen, S., & Ellis, R. (2002). Metalanguage in focus on form in the communicative classroom. Language Awareness, 11(1), 1- 13.
Berry, R. (2008). Talking terms: Choosing and using terminology for EFL classrooms. Canadian Center of Science and Education/English, 1(1), 19-24.
Borg, S. (1999). Studying teacher cognition in second language grammar teaching. System, 27, 19-31. Retrieved from http://555seminar.pbworks.com/f/Ahmed%27s%2Barticle.pdf
Borg, S. (2001). Self-perception and practice in teaching grammar. ELT Journal, 55(1). Retrieved from http://biblioteca.uqroo.mx/hemeroteca/elt_journal/2001/enero/550021.pdf
Borg, S. (2003). Teacher cognition in language teaching: A review of research on what language teachers think, know, believe, and do. Language Teaching (36), 81-109. UK: Cambridge University Press.
Borg, S. (2009). Introducing language teacher cognition. Retrieved from http://www.education.leeds.ac.uk/research/files/145.pdf
Burns, A. (2009). Grammar and communicative language teaching: Why, when and how to teach it? CamTESOL Conference on English language Teaching: Selected Papers, 5. Retrieved from http://www.camtesol.org/Download/Earlier_Publications/Selected_Papers_Vol.5_2009.pdf
Carter, R. & Nunan, D. (Eds., 2011). The Cambridge guide to teaching English to speakers of other languages. UK: Cambridge University Press.
Celce-Murcia, M., & Larsen-Freeman, D. (2008). The grammar book: An ESL /EFL teacher's course. Singapore: Thomson & Heinle.
Choudhury, A.S. (2010). To teach or not to teach grammar isn't the question any longer – A case for consciousness-raising tasks. Language in India, 10(3), 185-192.
Colman, R. (2007). The briefest English grammar ever! Australia: University of New South Wales Press.
Correa, M. (2011). Subjunctive accuracy and metalinguistic knowledge of L2 learners of Spanish. Electronic Journal of Foreign Language Teaching, National University of Singapore, 8(1), 39-56. Retrieved from http://e-flt.nus.edu.sg/v8n12011/correa.htm
Creswell, J.W. (2002). Educational research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research. NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.
Crystal, D. (1987). The Cambridge encyclopedia of language. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Dikici, I. Z. (2012).Pre-service English teachers' beliefs towards grammar and its teaching at two Turkish Universities. International Journal of Applied Linguistics & English Literature, 1(2), 206-218.
Ellis, R. (2006). Current issues in the teaching of grammar: An SLA perspective. TESL Quarterly, 40(1), 83-107.
Endley, M. J. (2010). Linguistic perspectives on English grammar: A guide for EFL teachers. USA: Information Age Publishing.
Fielding-Barnsley, R., & Purdie, N. (2005).Teacher's attitude to and knowledge of metalinguistics in the process of learning to read. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 33(1). Retrieved from http://eprints.qut.edu.au/1940/01/1940.pdf
Freeman, D. (2011). Second language teacher education. In R. Carter & D. Nunan (Eds.). The Cambridge guide to teaching English to speakers of other languages (pp. 72-79). UK: Cambridge University Press.
Gabrielatos, C. (2002). Grammar, grammars and intuitions in ELT: A second opinion. International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language. Retrieved from http://www.gabrielatos.com/Grammar-Intuitions.pdf
Garcia, C. (2003). Fundamentals of research design. Quezon City: Katha Publishing Co., Inc.
Gelderen, A. (2006). What we know without knowing it: Sense and nonsense in respect of linguistic reflection for students in elementary and secondary education. English Teaching: Practice and Critique, 5(1), 44-54.
Glasgow, G. (2008). Language awareness, metapragmatics and the L2 teacher. Accents Asia [Online], 2(2), 1-16. Available http://www.accentsasia.org/2-2/glasgowg.pdf
Hadjioannou, X., & Hutchinson, M. C. (2010).Putting the G back in English: Preparing pre-service teachers to teach grammar. English Teaching: Practice and Critique, 9(3), 90-105.
Hammond, J., & Derewianka, B. (2011). Genre. In R. Carter & D. Nunan (Eds.), The Cambridge guide to teaching English to speakers of other languages (pp. 186-193). UK: Cambridge University Press.
Harmer, J. (1983).The practice of English language teaching. London: Longman.
Hu, G. (2010). Revisiting the role of metalanguage in L2 teaching and learning. EA Journal, 26(1), 61-70.
Huddleston, R. (1988). English grammar: An outline. UK: Cambridge University Press.
Jin, J. (2011). An evaluation of the role of consciousness in second language learning. International Journal of English Linguistics, (1)1. Retrieved from http://www.ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/ijel/article/view/8610/7036
Johnson, K. E. (2009). Second language teacher education: A sociocultural perspective. New York: Routledge.
Krashen, S. D. (1982). Principle and practice in second language acquisition. Pergamon Press, Inc. Introduction to Internet Edition.
Macken-Horarik, M. (2009). Navigational metalanguages for new territory in English: The potential of grammatics. English Teaching: Practice and Critique, 8(3), 55-69.
Mirzaei, A., Domakani, M. R., & Shakerian, Z. (2011). Differential accessibility of implicit and explicit grammatical knowledge to EFL learners' language proficiency. Iranian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 14(2), 111-143.
Mishra, R. (2010). Challenges and problems in the teaching of grammar. Language in India, 10(2), 169-181.
Munalim, L. O. (2012). An analysis of metalinguistic knowledge of graduating English major students and high school English teachers. Unpublished graduate seminar paper, Philippine Normal University-Manila, Philippines.
Myhill, D. (2000). Misconceptions and difficulties in the acquisition of metalinguistic knowledge. Language and Education, 14(3), 151-163.
Noonan, F. J. (2004). Teaching ESL students to "notice" grammar. The Internet TESL Journal, 10(7). Retrieved from http://iteslj.org/Techniques/Noonan-Noticing.html
O'Dwyer, B. (2006). Modern English structures, second edition: Form, function, and position. Canada: Broadview Press.
Plata, S. M. (2010). Standards and assessment in the 2010 English curriculum for high school: A Philippine case study. Philippine ESL Journal, 5. Retrieved from www.philippine-esl-journal.com/V5_A5.pdf
Quirke, P. (n.d.). An introduction to language systems. Available on http://www.philseflsupport.com/languagesystems.htm
Richards, J. (2006). Communicative language teaching today. USA: Cambridge University Press.
Rico, L., & Weed, K. (1995). The crosscultural, language, and academic development handbook: A Complete K-12 reference guide (2nd ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
Roehr, K. (2000). Linguistic and metalinguistic categories in second language learning. Essex Research Reports in Linguistics, 54.
Roehr, K. (2007). Metalinguistic knowledge and language-analytic ability in university-level L2 learners. Essex Research Reports in Linguistics, 51.
Shuib, M. (2009). Grammatical awareness among primary school English language teachers. GEMA Online Journal of Language Studies, 9(1), 35–46.
Teik, O. C. (2011). Pre-service teachers' beliefs about the teaching and learning of grammar. The English Teacher, 60, 27-47. Retrieved from http://www.melta.org.my/ET/2011/27_47_Ong%202011.pdf
Tokunaga, M. (2010). Metalinguistic knowledge of low-proficiency university EFL learners. In A.M. Stoke (Ed.), JALT2009 Conference Proceedings. Tokyo: JALT., 140-150.
Tsang, W. (2011). English metalanguage awareness among primary school teachers in Hong Kong. GEMA Online Journal of Language Studies, 11(1), 1-16.
Tswanya, S.M. (2012). A study of grammatical awareness among secondary school English language. Madonna Journal of English and Literary Studies, 2(3),1-10.
Victoria, F., & Rodman, R. (1974). An introduction to language (3rd ed.). New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.
Vijay, G. (2010). What is most important? Fluency or accuracy? Is learning a second language a conscious process? Language in India, 10(7), 246-251.
Vitto, C. L. (2006). Grammar by diagram: Understanding English grammar through traditional sentence diagramming (2nded.). Canada: Broadview Press.
White, J., & Ranta, L. (2002). Examining the interface between metalinguistic task performance and oral production in a second language. Language Awareness, 11(4), 259-290.
Williams, J. D. (2005). The teacher's grammar book (2nd ed.). London: Routledge.
Zongxin, F. (2006). On linguistic metalanguage and metalinguistic studies. [Abstract]. Retrieved from http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-WJYY200506001.htm
Zyzik, E. (2009). Noun, verb, or adjective? L2 learners' sensitivity to cues to word class. Language Awareness, 18(2), 147-164.
Arndt, V., Harvey, P., & Nuttall, J. (2000). Alive to language: Perspectives on language awareness for English language teachers. UK: Cambridge University Press.
Arnó-Macià , E. (2009). Knowledge about language in English language courses for future language professionals. Nordic Journal of English Studies, 8(1), 5-39. Retrieved from http://ojs.ub.gu.se/ojs/index.php/njes/article/view/295/279
Basturkmen, H., Loewen, S., & Ellis, R. (2002). Metalanguage in focus on form in the communicative classroom. Language Awareness, 11(1), 1- 13.
Berry, R. (2008). Talking terms: Choosing and using terminology for EFL classrooms. Canadian Center of Science and Education/English, 1(1), 19-24.
Borg, S. (1999). Studying teacher cognition in second language grammar teaching. System, 27, 19-31. Retrieved from http://555seminar.pbworks.com/f/Ahmed%27s%2Barticle.pdf
Borg, S. (2001). Self-perception and practice in teaching grammar. ELT Journal, 55(1). Retrieved from http://biblioteca.uqroo.mx/hemeroteca/elt_journal/2001/enero/550021.pdf
Borg, S. (2003). Teacher cognition in language teaching: A review of research on what language teachers think, know, believe, and do. Language Teaching (36), 81-109. UK: Cambridge University Press.
Borg, S. (2009). Introducing language teacher cognition. Retrieved from http://www.education.leeds.ac.uk/research/files/145.pdf
Burns, A. (2009). Grammar and communicative language teaching: Why, when and how to teach it? CamTESOL Conference on English language Teaching: Selected Papers, 5. Retrieved from http://www.camtesol.org/Download/Earlier_Publications/Selected_Papers_Vol.5_2009.pdf
Carter, R. & Nunan, D. (Eds., 2011). The Cambridge guide to teaching English to speakers of other languages. UK: Cambridge University Press.
Celce-Murcia, M., & Larsen-Freeman, D. (2008). The grammar book: An ESL /EFL teacher's course. Singapore: Thomson & Heinle.
Choudhury, A.S. (2010). To teach or not to teach grammar isn't the question any longer – A case for consciousness-raising tasks. Language in India, 10(3), 185-192.
Colman, R. (2007). The briefest English grammar ever! Australia: University of New South Wales Press.
Correa, M. (2011). Subjunctive accuracy and metalinguistic knowledge of L2 learners of Spanish. Electronic Journal of Foreign Language Teaching, National University of Singapore, 8(1), 39-56. Retrieved from http://e-flt.nus.edu.sg/v8n12011/correa.htm
Creswell, J.W. (2002). Educational research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research. NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.
Crystal, D. (1987). The Cambridge encyclopedia of language. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Dikici, I. Z. (2012).Pre-service English teachers' beliefs towards grammar and its teaching at two Turkish Universities. International Journal of Applied Linguistics & English Literature, 1(2), 206-218.
Ellis, R. (2006). Current issues in the teaching of grammar: An SLA perspective. TESL Quarterly, 40(1), 83-107.
Endley, M. J. (2010). Linguistic perspectives on English grammar: A guide for EFL teachers. USA: Information Age Publishing.
Fielding-Barnsley, R., & Purdie, N. (2005).Teacher's attitude to and knowledge of metalinguistics in the process of learning to read. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 33(1). Retrieved from http://eprints.qut.edu.au/1940/01/1940.pdf
Freeman, D. (2011). Second language teacher education. In R. Carter & D. Nunan (Eds.). The Cambridge guide to teaching English to speakers of other languages (pp. 72-79). UK: Cambridge University Press.
Gabrielatos, C. (2002). Grammar, grammars and intuitions in ELT: A second opinion. International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language. Retrieved from http://www.gabrielatos.com/Grammar-Intuitions.pdf
Garcia, C. (2003). Fundamentals of research design. Quezon City: Katha Publishing Co., Inc.
Gelderen, A. (2006). What we know without knowing it: Sense and nonsense in respect of linguistic reflection for students in elementary and secondary education. English Teaching: Practice and Critique, 5(1), 44-54.
Glasgow, G. (2008). Language awareness, metapragmatics and the L2 teacher. Accents Asia [Online], 2(2), 1-16. Available http://www.accentsasia.org/2-2/glasgowg.pdf
Hadjioannou, X., & Hutchinson, M. C. (2010).Putting the G back in English: Preparing pre-service teachers to teach grammar. English Teaching: Practice and Critique, 9(3), 90-105.
Hammond, J., & Derewianka, B. (2011). Genre. In R. Carter & D. Nunan (Eds.), The Cambridge guide to teaching English to speakers of other languages (pp. 186-193). UK: Cambridge University Press.
Harmer, J. (1983).The practice of English language teaching. London: Longman.
Hu, G. (2010). Revisiting the role of metalanguage in L2 teaching and learning. EA Journal, 26(1), 61-70.
Huddleston, R. (1988). English grammar: An outline. UK: Cambridge University Press.
Jin, J. (2011). An evaluation of the role of consciousness in second language learning. International Journal of English Linguistics, (1)1. Retrieved from http://www.ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/ijel/article/view/8610/7036
Johnson, K. E. (2009). Second language teacher education: A sociocultural perspective. New York: Routledge.
Krashen, S. D. (1982). Principle and practice in second language acquisition. Pergamon Press, Inc. Introduction to Internet Edition.
Macken-Horarik, M. (2009). Navigational metalanguages for new territory in English: The potential of grammatics. English Teaching: Practice and Critique, 8(3), 55-69.
Mirzaei, A., Domakani, M. R., & Shakerian, Z. (2011). Differential accessibility of implicit and explicit grammatical knowledge to EFL learners' language proficiency. Iranian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 14(2), 111-143.
Mishra, R. (2010). Challenges and problems in the teaching of grammar. Language in India, 10(2), 169-181.
Munalim, L. O. (2012). An analysis of metalinguistic knowledge of graduating English major students and high school English teachers. Unpublished graduate seminar paper, Philippine Normal University-Manila, Philippines.
Myhill, D. (2000). Misconceptions and difficulties in the acquisition of metalinguistic knowledge. Language and Education, 14(3), 151-163.
Noonan, F. J. (2004). Teaching ESL students to "notice" grammar. The Internet TESL Journal, 10(7). Retrieved from http://iteslj.org/Techniques/Noonan-Noticing.html
O'Dwyer, B. (2006). Modern English structures, second edition: Form, function, and position. Canada: Broadview Press.
Plata, S. M. (2010). Standards and assessment in the 2010 English curriculum for high school: A Philippine case study. Philippine ESL Journal, 5. Retrieved from www.philippine-esl-journal.com/V5_A5.pdf
Quirke, P. (n.d.). An introduction to language systems. Available on http://www.philseflsupport.com/languagesystems.htm
Richards, J. (2006). Communicative language teaching today. USA: Cambridge University Press.
Rico, L., & Weed, K. (1995). The crosscultural, language, and academic development handbook: A Complete K-12 reference guide (2nd ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
Roehr, K. (2000). Linguistic and metalinguistic categories in second language learning. Essex Research Reports in Linguistics, 54.
Roehr, K. (2007). Metalinguistic knowledge and language-analytic ability in university-level L2 learners. Essex Research Reports in Linguistics, 51.
Shuib, M. (2009). Grammatical awareness among primary school English language teachers. GEMA Online Journal of Language Studies, 9(1), 35–46.
Teik, O. C. (2011). Pre-service teachers' beliefs about the teaching and learning of grammar. The English Teacher, 60, 27-47. Retrieved from http://www.melta.org.my/ET/2011/27_47_Ong%202011.pdf
Tokunaga, M. (2010). Metalinguistic knowledge of low-proficiency university EFL learners. In A.M. Stoke (Ed.), JALT2009 Conference Proceedings. Tokyo: JALT., 140-150.
Tsang, W. (2011). English metalanguage awareness among primary school teachers in Hong Kong. GEMA Online Journal of Language Studies, 11(1), 1-16.
Tswanya, S.M. (2012). A study of grammatical awareness among secondary school English language. Madonna Journal of English and Literary Studies, 2(3),1-10.
Victoria, F., & Rodman, R. (1974). An introduction to language (3rd ed.). New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.
Vijay, G. (2010). What is most important? Fluency or accuracy? Is learning a second language a conscious process? Language in India, 10(7), 246-251.
Vitto, C. L. (2006). Grammar by diagram: Understanding English grammar through traditional sentence diagramming (2nded.). Canada: Broadview Press.
White, J., & Ranta, L. (2002). Examining the interface between metalinguistic task performance and oral production in a second language. Language Awareness, 11(4), 259-290.
Williams, J. D. (2005). The teacher's grammar book (2nd ed.). London: Routledge.
Zongxin, F. (2006). On linguistic metalanguage and metalinguistic studies. [Abstract]. Retrieved from http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-WJYY200506001.htm
Zyzik, E. (2009). Noun, verb, or adjective? L2 learners' sensitivity to cues to word class. Language Awareness, 18(2), 147-164.
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Published
Oct 8, 2015
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Munalim, L. O., & Raymundo, M. C. Y. (2015). METALINGUISTIC KNOWLEDGE OF GRADUATING ENGLISH MAJOR STUDENTS AND HIGH SCHOOL ENGLISH TEACHERS. The Normal Lights, 8(2). https://doi.org/10.56278/tnl.v8i2.19
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Research Article
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