ABSTRACT
This study investigates the impact of metalinguistic reflection in the acquisition of the periphrasis ir a + infinitive, which in addition to the future tense, involves different meanings that are not normally recognized in instructional contexts of Spanish as a second language (L2). Given this goal, a series of assignments were organized as a Practical Project and were conducted during an academic semester. The participants, native speakers of English and university students enrolled in advanced L2 Spanish grammar courses, completed metalinguistic knowledge tests and tasks assessing the periphrasis meanings in an experimental design with pretest and posttest. Results show that the experimental group made substantial improvement in their knowledge about both meanings and uses of the periphrasis ir a + infinitive. This group was also able to use metalinguistic strategies in the analysis of a different grammatical structure. These results are consistent with earlier research on metalinguistic reflection that emphasizes their relevance in the L2 acquisition.
Key-words:
Spanish Acquisition as a Second Language; Teaching; Ir a + infinitive; Metalinguistic Reflection