The purpose of this paper is to explore the use of a new coding system that incorporates the various types of metatalk that occurred during paired learners' engagement in a consciousness-raising task. On the basis of previous studies, metalanguage (e.g. with or without terminology), knowledge sources (e.g. intuition), and verbalisation strategies (e.g. rehearsal, reformulation) were integrated into a taxonomy that was used in this study. An analysis of the four dyads' audio-recordings revealed that learner proficiency appeared to have a moderating effect on verbalised strategy use. The importance for learners to sustain their focus on language in paired or small-group tasks is also discussed. This paper aims to extend the research field's understanding of how interactional data can be coded and provide an insight into the nature of how learners discuss linguistic forms in peer-peer classroom settings. (Contains 3 tables, 1 figure, and 10 excerpts.)