Metalinguistic knowledge of female language teachers and student teachers in an English Language department in Saudi Arabia; level, nature and self-perceptions

This study focuses on the metalinguistic knowledge (MLK) of experienced Saudi teachers (ETs) and fourth year student teachers (STs) who had graduated or would graduate from a particular University in Saudi Arabia. The main aim of the study was to investigate the overall level of the participants’ MLK (including their knowledge of grammar rules and metalinguistic terms), the more specific nature of the participants’ MLK, and their perceptions of their own MLK. Moreover, the study aimed to reveal any significant differences between the two groups. The study drew on a mixed methods research approach. The quantitative data involved an MLK test and questionnaires, and the qualitative data comprised semi-structured interviews, observations and role-playing. The ET group significantly outscored the ST group on the test, demonstrating a higher level of MLK. The study showed that, for both groups, a good level of MLK at sentence level did not guarantee an ability to apply it to more complex grammar items in text. It also revealed that both groups’ receptive knowledge of rules was better that than their productive knowledge. Moreover, the teachers in both groups lacked an understanding of phrases and clauses and were poor in their ability to produce the corresponding terms. Despite this, the ETs generally displayed substantially higher levels of confidence in their overall level of MLK and all its individual components, than their actual performance on the test instrument would justify and did not seem motivated to enhance their MLK. The STs, in contrast, generally lacked confidence in their overall level of MLK, and all the related individual components, with the exception of their productive knowledge of terms. For both groups, there was a gap between their awareness of limitations and their actual knowledge. They were aware of gaps in their knowledge, but not precisely what these were.