The Language Awareness of Finnish and German EFL Senior High School Learners and Student Teachers Regarding English Grammar and Its Teaching

Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine and contrast the language awareness of Finnish and German EFL senior high
school students and student teachers regarding aspects of English grammar and its teaching. Data was collected from
Finland and Germany during the academic school years of 2015–16 and 2016–17. It consists of the responses to two
survey questions of 1st year EFL senior high school students (n = 200 from Finland, n = 200 from Germany) and
student teachers (n = 118 from Finland, n = 118 from Germany). The study utilizes both qualitative (content analysis)
and quantitative (frequencies, percentages, cross tabulation [χ2-test]) research methods. The results show that the
subjects’ awareness of English grammar and its teaching was mainly based on intuitive, implicit knowledge. It was
difficult for both senior high school learners and student teachers to build a cognitive understanding that would
increase their awareness of English grammar, and, as a result of this, its teaching, and respectively their
grammar-related didactical competences.