In the present contribution I provide a critical review of previous literature concerning morphological awareness and address the issue of how it can be fostered in German as a Foreign Language (GFL). Special attention will be devoted to word formation strategies like derivation, compounding, and conversion, but also to the mechanisms underlying word formation, given that they represent more general rules governing various linguistic domains. The article discusses possible definitions of “morphological awareness” and presents evidence of the learning benefits this offers for both L1 and L2 learners. Research conducted on the correlation between literacy skills and morphological awareness is critically evaluated and the results obtained from experiments in different linguistic areas are compared to verify possible language-specific factors impacting the role of morphological awareness. I show that word formation is often disregarded in GFL teaching practices, and unsystematic reflections in textbooks are sometimes inaccurate. Building on these premises, the article sketches some guidelines that should inform instructional intervention and highlight the necessity to elaborate reliable tests aimed at measuring morphological awareness for the German language.
Sabrina Bertollo (Sat,) studied this question.