Cognitive and metacognitive correlates of metalinguistic abilities in young children.

Metalinguistic abilities have often been studied as correlates of metacognitive development, of bilingual development , or as predictors of second language learning, and at different ages. This study explores the relations between cognitive, metacognitive and metalinguistic abilities in the initial phase of metalinguistic development, in children aged from 4 to 6. Results showed a significant and constant increase of all the abilities with age, whereas gender proved irrelevant. Strong and positive correlations were found between all the measures of the tests. The exclusive incidence of age at a stage little affected by schooling and the correlations between tests that share cognitive abilities have been interpreted as an evidence of the cognitive nature of metalinguistic development since this early phase.