ABSTRACT
This chapter looks into the nature of metalinguistic awareness and identifies it as an emergent property in multilingual learners and users. It shows that a dynamic systems or complexity theory approach to language learning is a necessary prerequisite to make progress in the study of multilingual awareness. The importance of metalinguistic awareness in the language learning process seems to increase along with a growth in intensity and amount of exposure to other languages. The chapter discusses multicompetence approaches in multilingual teaching as an option to put a stronger focus on multilingual awareness in the classroom. The study of language awareness in multilingual learning and teaching is situated at the core of research on multilingualism. Multilingual awareness-raising in education concerns: learners, teachers and teachers as learners. The multilingual system is not only in constant change but the multilingual learner also develops certain skills and abilities that the monolingual speaker lacks.
