Norwegian students study several languages in school; in addition to two written standards of Norwegian, as well as other national languages for some, they learn English and a foreign language such as Spanish, German or French. When writing texts in these subjects, students often receive feedback from their teachers. But what does such feedback look like, and how do students make sense of it? This thesis explores Spanish and English teachers’ practices and students’ understanding of so-called metalinguistic feedback, in which teachers use language to describe language.
Metalinguistic feedback taps into students’ ability to focus on language as an object in itself. Since such language-general knowledge can be used across language subjects, it may be valuable in multilingual education. Still, experimental studies on the effectiveness of metalinguistic feedback have produced inconclusive results. One problem with this line of research is that it has not sufficiently taken into account that such feedback varies in nature. For instance, teachers may describe the same phenomena using advanced terms such as “syntax”, or more intuitively comprehensible ones like “word order”—making feedback more or less difficult to understand.
This thesis demonstrates that metalinguistic feedback is highly complex. It offers a detailed overview that may serve both as a research framework and as a “toolbox” for teachers. It also shows that students often struggle to understand feedback and proposes ways in which teachers can help them.
Trial lecture
Designated topic: Metalinguistic Feedback in L2 Writing: Pedagogical Potentials and Challenges in Classroom Practice.
Time and place: 3 June 2026, 10:15 AM, Sophus Bugges hus, Aud. 2
Evaluation committee
- Professor Jasone Cenoz, University of the Basque Country (first opponent)
- Professor Lise Vikan Sandvik, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (second opponent)
- Professor Hans Petter Helland, University of Oslo (committee administrator)
Chair of the defence
Supervisors
- Associate Professor Hildegunn Dirdal, University of Oslo
- Professor Eva Thue Vold, University of Oslo