Language Awareness

Explicit attention to how language works as a system, including its structures, functions, varieties, and social dimensions. Not grammar teaching per se, but the development of sensitivity to language as an object of inquiry. The concept encompasses awareness of phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics, discourse, and sociolinguistic variation.

Origins

Eric Hawkins introduced the concept in Awareness of Language: An Introduction (1984, Cambridge University Press), arguing that British school children needed a "bridging subject" between mother tongue education and foreign language learning. Hawkins proposed that explicit attention to how language works across languages, not just the target language, would improve outcomes in both L1 literacy and L2 acquisition. The Language Awareness movement in the UK grew directly from this work.

The Association for Language Awareness (ALA), founded in 1992, defined language awareness as "explicit knowledge about language, and conscious perception and sensitivity in language learning, language teaching, and language use."

Dimensions

Dimension	Focus
Cognitive	How language is structured; grammar, phonology, morphology
Affective	Attitudes toward language varieties, accents, multilingualism
Social	Language in society: register, politeness, power, identity
Performance	How awareness translates into improved language use
Critical	How language is used to manipulate, exclude, or construct ideology (Fairclough 1992)

Language Awareness vs Grammar Teaching

Traditional grammar teaching presents rules for learners to apply. Language awareness is broader and more exploratory: learners investigate how language works, compare languages, examine authentic data, and develop their own generalisations. The goal is metalinguistic understanding, the ability to think and talk about language, not just the ability to produce correct forms.

Relationship to SLA

• Noticing (Schmidt 1990): Language awareness activities can prime Noticing by directing attention to specific features in input
• Consciousness-Raising (Ellis 1991): CR tasks are one practical vehicle for developing language awareness in the classroom
• Implicit vs Explicit Knowledge: Language awareness targets explicit knowledge, which may facilitate the development of implicit knowledge over time through enhanced noticing

Applications in ELT

• Comparing L1 and L2 structures to understand Language Transfer
• Examining how spoken and written discourse differ
• Investigating how language changes across registers and contexts
• Developing Metalanguage so learners can discuss language effectively
• Training learners to self-correct by developing sensitivity to their own output

Significance

Language awareness reframes the learner's relationship with language: from passive rule-follower to active investigator. This aligns with Learner Autonomy and Learner-centredness, giving learners tools to continue developing their understanding of language beyond the classroom.