One of the characteristics of additional language (AL) adult learners is that they have gained various levels of metalinguistic awareness (MLA) from learning their first language (L1) that can be used advantageously to orient to and understand how the new language works. However, a lack of first language literacy and fundamental alphabetic and script differences between their L1 and the AL can limit the usefulness of first language MLA for AL learning. Despite these difficulties, the importance of transferring MLA to AL learning is evidenced by empirical data showing emergent adult bilinguals making use of their metalinguistic knowledge to make sense of AL form and use. Pedagogic space and opportunity to use the students’ strongest languages is an important condition for being able to talk and think about the AL. However metalinguistic tasks need to be complemented by using the AL communicatively for fuller development of the AL language skills.