Springer Series in Language and Communication 15

Editor: W. J. M. Levelt
Springer Series in Language and Communication
Editor: W. J. M. Levelt

Volume 1 Developing Grammars

By W. Klein and N. Dittmar
Volume 2 The Child's Conception of Language 2nd Printing
Editors: A. Sinclair, R. 1. Jarvella, and W. 1. M. Levelt
Volume 3 The Logic of Language Development in Early Childhood
By M. Miller
Volume 4 Inferring from Language By L. G. M. Noordman
Volume 5 Retrieval from Semantic Memory
By W. Noordman-Vonk
Volume 6 Semantics from Different Points of View
Editors: R. Bäuerle, U. Egli, and A. von Stechow
Volume 7 Lectures on Language Performance By Ch. E. Osgood
Volume 8 Speech Act Classification
By Th. Ballmer and W. Brennenstuhl
Volume 9 The Development of Metalinguistic Abilities in Children
By D. T. Hakes
Volume 10 Modelling Language Behaviour
By R. Narasimhan
Volume 11 Language in Primates: Perspectives and Implications
Editors: J. de Luce and H. T. Wilder
Volume 12 Concept Development and the Development of Word Meaning
Editors: Th. B. Seiler and W. Wannenmacher
Volume 13 The Sun is Feminine
A Study on Language Acquisition in Bilingual Children
By T. Taeschner
Volume 14 Prosody: Models and Measurements
Editors: A. Cutler and D. R. Ladd
Volume 15 Metalinguistic Awareness in Children
Theory, Research, and Implications
Editors: W. E. Tunmer, C. Pratt, and M. L. Herriman
Volume 16 Dynamic Aspects of Language Processing
Focus and Presupposition
By 1. Engelkamp and H. D. Zimmer
Metalinguistic
Awareness in Children
Theory, Research, and Implications

Edited by
w. E. Tunmer, c. Pratt, and M. L. Herriman

With Contributions by
1. Bowey R. Grieve M. Herriman M. Myhill
A. Nesdale c. Pratt w. Tunmer

With 6 Figures

Springer-Verlag
Berlin Heidelberg New York Tokyo 1984
Dr. William E. Tunmer
Dr. Michael L. Herriman
Department of Education, The University of Western Australia,
Nedlands, Western Australia 6009

Dr. Christopher Pratt

Department of Psychology, The University of Western Australia,
Nedlands, Western Australia 6009

Series Editor:
Professor Dr. Willem J. M. Levelt
Max-Planck-Institut fUr Psycholinguistik, Berg en Dalseweg 79
6522 Be Nijmegen, The Netherlands

ISBN-13:978-3-642-69115-7 e-ISBN-13:978-3-642-69113-3
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-69113-3

Library ofCongress Cataloging in Publication Data. Main entry under title: Metalinguistic awareness in children.
(Springer series in language and communication; v. 15) Includes bibliographical references and indexes.
\. Metalingnistic awareness in children. 1. Tunmer, W. E. (William E.), 1947-. H. Pratt, C. (Christopher), 1950-.
III. Herriman, M. L. (Michael L.). 1942-. IV. Bowey, J. (Judith). V. Series. P118.M45 1983 401:9 83-19617
Tbis work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved, whether the whole or part of the material is concemed,
specifically those of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, broadcasting, reproduction by photocopying
machine or sirnilar means, and storage in data banks. Under § 54 of the German Copyright Law where copies are
made for other than private use, a fee is payable to "Verwertungsgesellschaft Wort", Munich.
© by Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 1984
Softcover reprint of the hardcover Ist edition 1984
Tbe use of registered names, trademarks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific
statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for
general use.

2153/3130-543210
To the memory 01
David T. Hakes, 1934-1982
Preface

In the past fi fteen years there has been a growi ng interest in the
development of children's awareness of language as an object in itself -- a
phenomenon now generally referred to as metal inguistic awareness. Until the
publication of an earlier volume in the Springer Series in Language and
Communication, The Chitd's Conoeption oi Language, edited by A. Sinclair, R.
J. Jarvella, and W. J. M. Levelt, there had been no systematic treatment of
metalinguistic awareness. The major goal of that volume was to map out the
field of study by describing the phenomenon of interest and defining major
theoretical issues.
The aim of the present volume is to present an overview of metalinguistic
awareness in children which reflects the current state of research and
theory. The volume is divided into three major sections. The first considers
various conceptual and methodological issues that have arisen from efforts to
study metalinguistic awareness. It addresses such questions as what is
metalinguistic awareness, when does it begin to emerge, and what tasks and
procedures can be employed to assess its development in young children. The
second sect ion cri ti ca 11y revi ews the research that has been conducted i nto
the four general types of metalinguistic awareness -- phonologieal, word,
syntactic, and pragmatic awareness. In the final section the development of
metalinguistic awareness is examined in relation to general cognitive
development, reading acquisition, bilingualism, and early childhood education.
In addition to attracting the attention of those concerned with child
1anguage, thi s vol ume shoul d be of i nterest to developmental psychol ogi sts,
since the development of metalinguistic abilities appears to be related to the
more general changes in cognitive capabilities that occur during middle
childhood. The volume should also be of interest to educationists, since
metalinguistic awareness is thought to play an important role in the
acquisition of reading ski11s and in facilitating the difficult transition
from preschool to formal schooling.

VII
 The chapters were written by members of an interdisciplinary research
group, consisting of developmental psychologists and educationists, in the
Oepartments of Education and Psychology at the University of Western
Australia. The group's activities have been supported by both Oepartments and
the University through the Tertiary Education Commission's General Oevelopment
Grant, and by the Education Research and Oevelopment Committee. Earlier
vers ions of some of the chapters appeared in a speci al edi t i on of Education
Resear>eh and Per>speetives (1980, Vol.7, No.1). For the present vol urne they
have been substanti ally revi sed and expanded. Other chapters, i ncl udi ng the
whole of the first section, are new. As aseries of edited articles, the
contributions reflect the views of those under whose name each appears. As
well, each chapter has been written so that it may be read alone, and
consequently some slight repetition of themes occurs across chapters.
However, this has been avoided where possible by the use of cross referencing
along with a common bibliography.
We hope that the chapters in this volume will provide clarity and
direction to those interested in the topic, and that they wi.ll stimulate
further study of the empirical and conceptual questions yet to be answered.

Nedlands, Western Australia WilJiam Tunmer

July, 1983 Chris Pratt
Michael Herriman

VIII
Contents

Part 1 General Considerations

1.1 The Development of Metalinguistic Awareness: An Introduction

By C. Pratt and R. Grieve............................................ 2
1.2 The Development of Metalinguistic Awareness: A Conceptual Overview
By W. E. Tunmer and M. L. Herriman. •••••...•.....•..••..........•••.• 12
1.3 The Development of Metalinguistic Awareness: A Methodological Overview
By A. R. Nesdale and W. E. Tunmer.................................... 36

Part 11 Emergence of Metalinguistic Abilities

2.1 Phonological Awareness in Children

By A. R. Nesdale, M. L. Herriman and W. E. Tunmer.................... 56
2.2 Word Awareness in Children
By J. A. Bowey and W. E. Tunmer....................................... 73
2.3 Syntactic Awareness in Children
By W. E. Tunmer and R. Grieve...................... ••..•...........•. 92
2.4 Pragmatic Awareness in Children
By C. Pratt and A. R. Nesdale........................................ 105

Part 111 Related Issues

3.1 Metalinguistic Awareness and Cognitive Development

By C. Pratt and R. Grieve............................................ 128

IX
3.2 Metalinguistic Awareness and Reading Acquisition
By W. E. Tunmer and J. A. Bowey...................................... 144
3.3 Metalinguistic Awareness and Bilingualism
By W. E. Tunmer and M. E. Myhill..................................... 169
3.4 Metalinguistic Awareness and Education
By M. L. Herriman and M. E. Myhill................................... 188

References. .• .. ...•. . .. ... .. .. •.. ... ... ...•... ..• •. . .. .•. . .. .. ..•. .... ... 207

Author Index •.•••••••.•...........••.......•..............•..•........... 229

Subject Index... •••... ..••. .• ..••.. ... . ... .. ..•.. .. . ... ....•... ... .•. .... 235

x
List of Contributors

Bowey, Judith
Institute of Special Education, Victoria College,
Burwood, Victoria 3125
Grieve, Robert
Department of Psychology, The University of Western Australia,
Nedlands, Western Australia 6009
Herriman, Michael
Department of Education, The University of Western Australia,
Nedlands, Western Australia 6009
Myhill, Marion
Department of Education, The University of Western Australia,
Nedlands, Western Australia 6009
Nesdale, Andrew
Department of Psychology, The University of Western Australia,
Nedlands, Western Australia 6009
Pratt, Christopher
Department of Psychology, The University of Western Australia,
Nedlands, Western Australia 6009
Tunmer, William
Department of Education, The University of Western Australia,
Nedlands, Western Australia 6009

XI