What is metalanguage?

Why is metalanguage important inVCE English Language?

Metalanguage is used to show an understanding for the area of study inVCE English language. By utilising metalanguage and labelling terms, you'reessentially showing that you have a good grasp of the content by showing thatyou're aware enough to identify them. However, the most important part ofmetalanguage is the stylistic effect. A stylistic effect is just a deeperanalysis of why the particular metalanguage is used. For example, what emotionsmight the use of the metalanguage evoke? What does it show about the person'scharacter or identity? Are there any ulterior motives for using that particularword? By answering those questions, it shows the marker that you have a deeperunderstanding of not just WHAT the metalanguage is, but also WHY it is used. Ifidentifying metalanguage is the "what", stylistic effect is the"why", and "how". Ultimately, in the final exam, whatdifferentiates a 40 study score and 45 study score is the stylistic effect -anyone can name and identify the metalanguage, it is the deeper analysis of itseffect of that that scores you big points.

How should I study for metalanguagein VCE English Language?

To learn how to study for metalanguage, I like to think about it like"stages" that you have to unlock, first starting from the most basic,and then slowly progressing into deeper analysis. There are 5 main stages.

Stage 1: Understanding what itrefers to

The first step to study metalanguage is to understand what it means inthe first place.  Have a goodunderstanding of what it refers to so that it comes to mind in a flash. Forexample, understanding that personification is the "projection of humancharacteristics into inanimate object". Creating a glossary will help. Separatethe metalanguage according to the area of study - the VCE English languagestudy design is a good place to start. This is what my glossary looked like:with a column for the metalanguage, what it refers to, and an example.

Stage 2: "Consciouscompetence"

So now that you've gotten the definition out of the way, you'rebeginning to use metalanguage effectively but you have to do so with deliberateeffort. For example, thinking if a particular phrase is a metaphor or simile.You're able to identify linguistic features in a text, and explain it in termsof metalanguage, but this requires focus and might not come naturally to youyet. To progress up to a higher stage, practice is the only option. Keeppracticing - even when doomscrolling on the internet, try to identifylinguistic features and label them with metalanguage - you might beprocrastinating, but at least still make it productive. (like how slay hasunderwent semantic shift from historically meaning to kill to now having apositive meaning in Gen Z slang)

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Stage 3: "Unconsciouscompetence"

Like how the title suggests, eventually with enough practice, the use ofmetalanguage becomes second nature. Seamlessly incorporating metalanguage inyour short answers, analytical commentaries, and essays, you don't even have toactively think about the terms. You apply them automatically in your analysis.

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Stage 4: Stylistic effects

This is the next stage and one of the most important stages -understanding the stylistic effect of the metalanguage. Stylistic effect refersto how the use of linguistic terms shapes the tone, mood, and overallimpression of a text. It tells you about the social purpose, social distance,power and other factors about the interlocutor(s). When analysing the stylisticeffect, you're mainly focusing on how certain features of language influenceshow a text is perceived or understood. There will always be one or morestylistic features linked to a certain feature. To study for this, I also madea table:

Step 5: Considering perspective andcontext

The final stage is to link stylistic effects to the context of the text.This is where you link the feature to the social purpose and identity of the interlocutor.I often struggled with analysing deeper into the text - but I realised thatasking myself questions in my head helped. What does this show about theidentity of the speaker? Did they utilise this phrase intentionally orunintentionally? What is their aim and objective here? Another tip here is touse the word "by" - as this addresses the "how" aspect ofthe analysis. (Depersonalises the discourse by…, or obfuscates by… you get thepoint)

Let's go through an example together:

In May 2023, a 95-year-old woman with dementia was carrying a knife at aslow pace, but was tasered by police officers at an aged care home,contributing to her eventual unfortunate death. The police announced that shemerely "sustained injuries during an interaction with police".

• Label the feature using metalanguage: interaction is a     nominalisation, euphemism and an abstract noun.
• Broad stylistic effect: depersonalises the discourse, manipulate     and obfuscate
• Link back to context: their identity as police officers, their     objective to try to minimise the severity of the attack given, and also to     maintain their reputation.
• Finally, add them all together: The nominalisation and abstract     noun “interaction” essentially depersonalises the discourse by     removing the police’s involvement and thus accountability in the tragedy.     “Interaction” also serves as a euphemism to manipulate and obfuscate the     severity of the attack, thus absolving the police of guilt and culpability     whilst salvaging their positive face needs from impending public backlash.

Key takeaways

Metalanguage refers to technical terms used in language analysis,helping you not only understand VCE English language content but also explorethe deeper effects of language, like emotions and identity. Mastering it is agradual process, starting with definitions and evolving into effortless usethrough practice. As you progress, you’ll move from identifying terms toanalysing their impact in specific contexts. Mastering metalanguage is ajourney, but with each step, you unlock a deeper understanding of language andits power.

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