Test of metalinguistic knowledge
The tests of German and Spanish metalinguistic knowledge (MLK tests) were designed by the researchers, following a template used by Roehr (2008b). Each MLK test consisted of two sections. The first section measured learners’ ability to explicitly describe and explain aspects of the L2, operationalised as the ability to correct, describe, and explain highlighted sentence-level errors involving selected L2 features. The second section tested learners’ L2 language-analytic ability, operationalised as the ability to identify the grammatical role of parts of speech in L2 sentences.
The first test section consisted of 20 L2 sentences, each of which contained one highlighted error. Participants were required to correct, describe, and explain these highlighted errors. The description/explanation task effectively tested learners’ ability to implement pedagogical grammar rules, since each targeted error could be described and explained by means of a statement of the type, ‘As form X occurs/function X is being expressed, form Y needs to be used’. Essentially, the targeted description answered the question ‘What form?’, while the targeted explanation answered the question ‘Why this form?’ Items targeting syntactic, morphological, lexico-semantic, and pragmatic features of the L2 were included, e.g. use of personal pronouns, adverbials of place and direction, perfect tense with haben vs. sein, use of fixed phrases: tipping in a restaurant (L2 German), use of reflexive pronouns, verbs followed by the infinitive, imperative mood: Christmas and New Year wishes (L2 Spanish).
The second test section consisted of 25 items requiring learners to identify the grammatical role of highlighted parts of L2 sentences. When completing this test section, learners needed to employ their metalinguistic knowledge about grammatical categories and relations between categories. No description, explanation, explicit labelling, or use of technical terminology was required because participants were presented with a sentence in which one part of speech had been highlighted. In a four-way multiple-choice task, they were then asked to indicate in a second sentence the appropriate part of speech which they regarded as playing an analogous grammatical role. This second section of the MLK test was modelled on MLAT 4.
The MLK tests were pretested and revised in accordance with protesters’ feedback. The tests as used in the current study showed good reliability after poorly performing items had been excluded. The final reliability indices ranged from a = 0.71 to a = 0.88. Targeted L2 features were selected on the basis of the participants’ language course syllabuses.With years of experience in making delicate Discount Louis Vuitton Handbags , we are waiting to provide the crowning touch to your style. Just feel free to shop Louis Vuitton Discount shoulderbag M95660 in black here.
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