Abstract:

Metaphor, whether as a figure of speech or a cognitive process, holds an important position in language learning. Metaphor comprehension is a new perspective on language studies that approaches EFL and ESL settings from the holistic view of human cognition in the development of cognitive linguistics. Metaphoric competence, the ability to acquire, interpret and produce metaphors, is essential for language acquisition. Thus, learning a foreign language also means learning the metaphors in the target language and above all, learning to think metaphorically in the same way native speakers do. The present study investigated the effect of an enhanced learners’ awareness of the English language conceptual metaphors on development of their metaphoric competence through a systematic instruction of metaphor strategies which are mostly overlooked by the second language teaching programs. These strategies, based on a model proposed by Yu Ren Dong (2004) concern the linguistic as well as the cultural differences, the semantic as well as the thematic features, the etymological as well as the ethnographical application and the usage and the semantic properties of the conceptual metaphors. The study applied a strategic-based approach to develop the EFL learners’ metaphoric competence. To do so, based on the grammatical functions, semantic properties, cultural as well as the etymological origins, the thematic nature and the usage of the metaphors some strategies were planned to be applied in an EFL class so as to enhance the learners’ awareness of the metaphors. Furthermore, the study sought to investigate whether the learners’ enhanced awareness motivated by the metaphor-specific strategies would result in development of metaphoric competence. In so doing, the study, based on the model proposed by Littlemore (2001) intends to investigate the learners’ metaphoric competence in four developmental aspects namely, originality of metaphor production, fluency of metaphor interpretation, ability to find meaning in metaphor and speed in finding meaning in metaphor. This study was hence, based on the belief that the intrinsic complication of meaning in metaphors can be more effectively taught where their implicatures, purposes, backgrounds and conditions are taken into consideration as tell-tale strategies which possibly can raise the awareness of metaphors as well as the metaphoric competence in EFL learners. Two groups of EFL learners, male and female, were selected from among a population of about 120 junior and senior students. In next step, a test of TOFEL iBT was performed so that a more homogeneous sample of about 60 individuals qualified in terms of proficiency level was selected. Then, the qualified sample was randomly divided into two groups of 60 subjects representing treatment and control groups. The statistical analysis of the posttest results proved the superiority of the strategic based enhancement of the EFL learners’ metaphoric competence. The observed results were indicative that the metaphoric competence of the treatment group developed considerably such that they could obtain better scores on the posttest in comparison to the control group.

Keywords:

Metaphor, Conceptual Metaphor, Metaphoric Competence, Awareness Enhancement.