Theoretical Considerations on the Literacy-Metacognition Nexus: Exploring the Linguistic-Cognitive Landscape of Young Multilingual Minds

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Research suggests that metalinguistic and cognitive/attentional-control processes are key variables in literacy development in young learners. Interactions between these variables are complex, and this complexity is increased in multilingual learners. With data on the interplay between metalinguistic and cognitive awareness, literacy, and multilingualism being scarce, it is far from clear how these variables interact and how they impact the individual child. This article sets out to shine some light on the interconnectedness and interactions between metalinguistic awareness, cognitive/executive functions, and (multilingual) literacy. Conclusions: We argue that the three dimensions are strongly correlated and that this correlation comes with important implications for language learning, language processing, and language development. However, the exact nature of these correlations is yet to be established.

Keywords

• multilingual literacy
• metalinguistic awareness
• (meta)cognition
• executive functions
• cognition-literacy-multilingualism triadic relationship
• multilingual development