Language Education: Language Awareness

Originating in the 1970s with concerns about poor standards of literacy and L2 learning in U.K. schools, Language Awareness (LA) has since aroused interest among practitioners worldwide in various areas of language education, extending to issues such as the role of explicit learning and knowledge in language learning. It has established a substantial body of theory and research, and is particularly associated with inductive, discovery-based pedagogy. Goals and benefits of LA are generally considered across five overlapping dimensions: performance, cognitive, affective, social, and power. The broader social context, including language ideology, attitudes, and the implications of globalization, also is addressed