Integrating CALS and translanguaging to promote metalinguistic awareness: a study in the Southern Basque Country

This study investigates the effects of a pedagogical intervention combining Core Academic Language Skills (CALS) and pedagogical translanguaging on the development of metalinguistic awareness among first-year secondary students in the Southern Basque Country. Sixty-six multilingual students participated in a quasi-experimental design: 35 received a three-week intervention (experimental group), while 31 continued with standard instruction (control group). Metalinguistic awareness was assessed through pre- and post-tests involving both quantitative tasks and qualitative written reflections. Results showed a significant increase in metalinguistic awareness in the experimental group, with no such gains observed in the control group. Post-test comparisons revealed statistically significant differences between groups. Qualitative reflections further suggested increased awareness of linguistic features, cross-linguistic transfer, and metacognitive strategies among students in the intervention. Participants also reported greater recognition of language similarities, enhanced academic language skills, and deeper engagement with multilingual practices in both academic and cultural contexts. These findings underscore the value of integrating CALS and pedagogical translanguaging to promote metalinguistic awareness and support academic language development across students’ full linguistic repertoires.