Which term refers to thinking about language itself?

Which term refers to thinking about language itself?

• A. Communicative competence
• B. Fluency
• C. Metalinguistic skills
• D. Sociolinguistics

Answer: (C)

Metalinguistic skills describe thinking about language itself—reflecting on how sounds, words, and grammar work, and using that awareness to analyze, explain, or correct language. This kind of awareness helps learners notice why a sentence is correct, how rules operate, and how languages differ, which is exactly what it means to think about language as a system. By contrast, communicative competence focuses on using language effectively in social contexts, fluency emphasizes speed and ease of expression, and sociolinguistics studies language variation across groups and settings.

Metalinguistic skills describe thinking about language itself—reflecting on how sounds, words, and grammar work, and using that awareness to analyze, explain, or correct language. This kind of awareness helps learners notice why a sentence is correct, how rules operate, and how languages differ, which is exactly what it means to think about language as a system. By contrast, communicative competence focuses on using language effectively in social contexts, fluency emphasizes speed and ease of expression, and sociolinguistics studies language variation across groups and settings.