Definition:
Metalanguage is language that is used to describe, analyze, evaluate, or reflect on language itself — encompassing both the technical vocabulary of linguistics (such as phoneme, syntax, discourse marker) and the everyday evaluative and descriptive terms speakers use to comment on their own or others’ language use, as well as the discourse patterns in which speakers negotiate, revise, or explicitly discuss linguistic choices in interaction. Metalanguage is fundamental to language education, linguistic science, and the human capacity for linguistic self-reflection (metalinguistic awareness).
Levels of Metalanguage
| Level | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Technical metalanguage | Formal linguistic terminology | “This sentence has a relative clause.” |
| Pedagogical metalanguage | Classroom/educational language terminology | “Remember the rule for third-person -s.” |
| Lay metalanguage | Non-specialist everyday commentary on language | “That’s a swear word”; “Don’t use slang.” |
| Interactional metalanguage | Discourse moves that manage language use in interaction | “What do you mean by that?”; “Let me rephrase.” |
Metalanguage and Metalinguistic Awareness
Metalinguistic awareness — the ability to reflect on and manipulate language as an object — is a distinct cognitive capacity related to but distinct from language use. High metalinguistic awareness supports:
- L1 literacy development (phonological awareness, phonics)
- L2 learning (noticing, form-focused instruction)
- Academic language performance
- Grammar instruction
Metalanguage is the vehicle through which metalinguistic awareness is expressed and developed.
Metalanguage in Language Education
Explicit grammar instruction depends on metalanguage: teachers and students need shared terminology to discuss form-meaning-use relationships. However, debate exists about:
- How much technical metalanguage is necessary for effective grammar instruction
- Whether metalanguage aids acquisition or merely describes production already acquired
- The role of metalinguistic feedback (explicit error correction using metalanguage) in SLA
Metalanguage in Applied Linguistics
Applied linguists use metalanguage to analyze and describe texts:
- Register analysis identifies formal metalanguage marking genre membership
- Discourse analysis uses metalanguage to categorize rhetorical moves
- Corpus linguistics develops computational metalanguage for part-of-speech tagging and annotation
Metalanguage and Language Ideology
Lay metalanguage reflects language ideology — terms like “correct,” “proper,” “slang,” and “accent” embody ideological valuations of language varieties that have real social effects on speakers.
History
The concept of metalanguage has roots in Russell’s logical theory of types and Carnap’s distinction between object language and metalanguage in formal logic (1930s). Jakobson (1960) included the metalingual function as one of his six functions of communication. In applied linguistics, metalanguage as a tool for language teaching and awareness has been theorized by Berry (2005), Schleppegrell (2013), and others in the context of functional grammar pedagogy.
Common Misconceptions
- “Metalanguage is only for linguists.” All language users employ lay metalanguage constantly — every time you say “don’t say that” or “what does that mean?” you are using metalanguage.
- “Teaching metalanguage guarantees better grammar acquisition.” Knowing a rule’s name is distinct from being able to apply the rule — metalanguage facilitates discussion but does not by itself cause acquisition.
Criticisms
The role of metalanguage in SLA is contested: implicit acquisition accounts (Krashen) suggest that metalanguage plays no direct role in acquisition; form-focused instruction research supports a role for metalanguage in noticing and explicit learning. The appropriate level of technical metalanguage for school-age learners is also debated.
Social Media Sentiment
Metalanguage as a term is primarily academic, but the activity it describes — talking about language — is ubiquitous in online spaces. Language enthusiast communities, grammar discussion forums, and language teacher social media all produce extensive metalanguage use. “Grammar policing” and “language commentary” on social media are both metalanguage phenomena.
Last updated: 2025-07
Practical Application
Language teachers use metalanguage constantly in instruction and feedback. Understanding the difference between technical metalanguage (for explicit grammar instruction), pedagogical metalanguage (for classroom management), and lay metalanguage (for accessible explanation) helps teachers calibrate their instructional discourse to students’ backgrounds.
Related Terms
See Also
Research
Berry, R. (2005). Make the most of metalanguage. Language Awareness, 14(1), 3–20.
A review of metalanguage research in language teaching that analyzes what counts as metalanguage, what students need to know, and how metalanguage instruction can be approached most effectively.
Schleppegrell, M. J. (2013). The role of metalanguage in supporting academic language development. Language Learning, 63(S1), 153–170.
An influential account of how functional grammar metalanguage (from SFL) supports academic language development in school-age learners — arguing for a pedagogy that uses explicit metalanguage tools for text analysis.
Jakobson, R. (1960). Closing statement: Linguistics and poetics. In T. A. Sebeok (Ed.), Style in Language (pp. 350–377). MIT Press.
The foundational paper establishing six functions of communication including the metalingual function — providing the theoretical grounding for metalanguage as a distinct aspect of human communicative competence.