Metalinguistic awareness is defined as the ability to reflect on linguistic phenomena in order to adapt the own language behavior to a linguistic norm or certain situation (Wildemann et al., 2016). Enhancing this ability is one of the main goals of language lessons in school. Therefore, explicitly making language(s) a subject of discussion leads to improvements in language skills and metalinguistic awareness. There are few international studies that empirically investigate this relation in first-language lessons (e.g. Spada & Tomita, 2010); especially in Germany, this research question has not been addressed so far. Moreover, the role of individual and collective multilingualism has also received little attention in this research area. Nevertheless, there are studies that show that individual multilingualism is a significant predictor of metalinguistic awareness (e.g., Bien-Miller et al. 2017). The purpose of this study is to investigate whether the metalinguistic awareness in primary-school children can be enhanced by applying a pedagogical approach in German classes that involves comparing, talking about, and reflecting on different languages. The preliminary results of an experimental study with a pre-post-follow-up design and one control group will be presented and discussed. The role of multilingualism and language reflection in German classes will be investigated on a sample of teachers (N=40) and primary-school children (N=600). A group of teachers (N=20) is receiving training with theoretical and methodological input over a period of six months and is being encouraged to integrate the approach of the training into their German lessons, whereas the other group (N=20) is holding German classes as usual, without receiving any training. Before and after the intervention, as well as six months later, attitudes on multilingualism, experiences, and the motivation of teachers will be assessed. Moreover, the metalinguistic awareness in primary-school children will be assessed in both groups at all three measurement points. In addition, the children’s multilingualism, cognitive ability, and German-language ability will be assessed as control variables. The relations between the training, pedagogical approach, and students’ performance will be examined.

Bien-Miller, L., Akbulut, M., Wildemann, A., & Reich, H. H. (2017). Zusammenhänge zwischen mehrsprachigen Sprachkompetenzen und Sprachbewusstheit bei Grundschulkindern. Zeitschrift für Erziehungswissenschaft, 20(2), 193-211. Spada, N., & Tomita, Y. (2010). Interactions between type of instruction and type of language feature: A Meta‐Analysis. Language learning, 60(2), 263-308. Wildemann, A., Akbulut, M., & Bien-Miller, L. (2016). Mehrsprachige Sprachbewusstheit zum Ende der Grundschulzeit. Vorstellung und Diskussion eines Elizitationsverfahrens. Zeitschrift für interkulturellen Fremdsprachenunterricht, 21(2), 42-56.