The " Test d'Habiletés Métalinguistiques n°3 (THAM-3) " : What it has revealed and what is yet to come

Metalinguistic awareness is a crucial component of school achievement. To measure the development level of metalinguistic awareness, and hence predict success, the Metalinguistic Awareness Tests (MAT) by Pinto and her colleagues are considered the most comprehensive instruments (Jessner, 2006). In addition, they are available for three age groups and in various linguistic versions –Italian, English, Spanish, French and German. They can therefore be used in different linguistic and socio-cultural contexts. This paper will focus on the French version of the test designed for adult learners (16 years old and above): the Test d’Habiletés Métalinguistiques n°3 (THAM-3, Pinto & El Euch, 2015). The THAM-3 had been used in several studies before being validated in 2015 within the MATEL (Metalinguistic Awareness Tests in European Languages) project (www.matelproject.com). This paper aims at presenting, on the one hand, research results before and after the validation of the THAM-3; and on the other hand, the future possibilities on the teaching and research levels, whether related to the use of the THAM-3 or to metalinguistic awareness in general.