Resumen

PEREZ L, María Nélida. Metalinguistic activity and use of the written language: The planning process of argumentative text. Letras [online]. 2008, vol.50, n.77, pp.01-24. ISSN 0459-1283.

This article reports a research work that aimed, as one of its objectives, at establishing the relationship between metalinguistic activity and the use of language during the production of an argumentative text, specifically during the planning stage. The sample consisted of twelve university students, divided into four groups. The students were recorded during the discussion held for the preparation of outlines. The analyzed corpus consisted of the student’s utterances that contained propositions with metalinguistic functions. Such propositions were classified as a) with/without metalanguage, or b) with/without justification. The results reveal the causes that led to the formulation of the propositions on the basis of the pragmatic and textual motivations that originate them, as well as the justification underlying the reformulation of these propositions and the use of a metalanguage. Conclusions are drawn with regards to the metalinguistic activity and to the re-description of knowledge, taking into consideration the differences between epiprocesses and automatized processes

Palabras clave : Metalinguistic activity; written language; argumentation; planning.