Abstract:

The study demonstrates supporting links between essential English conceptual metaphors which describe a modern world order and learning-by-doing techniques designed to boost active learning of the English language. Investigating two varieties of English – British and American – the author presents core metaphorical patterns that set the direction in which a new global reality is perceived being constructed in the English language of the last two decades. Research material comprises official papers and official website data of international organizations, particularly of the United Nations, – this type of scientific sources is critical to a better understanding of which English concepts define our knowledge about the world (from the English language perspective) and which are represented in other crucial discourses such as educational and media discourses. The author infers several metaphorical models shedding light on the way international relations and social interactions are constructed including NURTURANT PARENT METAPHOR, FAIRY TALE OF THE JUST WAR, INTERACTIONS AS GAME ACTIONS etc. The study shows that “mental doing” learning methods might hugely benefit from internalizing English basic conceptual metaphors which describe the main fragments of modern reality: by discovering them students can improve their conscious experience of the language and build their own knowledge of the English-language worldview, which is able to ease access to fundamental English linguistic structures. The methodology of the research includes discourse analysis, conceptual metaphor analysis, cognitive and semantic analysis, the analysis of communicative strategies and tactics of speech manipulation backed by quantitative analysis. The study was carried out within the scope of enactivism, evolutionary epistemology, conceptual metaphor theory, constructivism in language and education.

Keywords:

Cognitive linguistics, conceptual metaphor, semantic analysis, constructivist learning, learning by doing, discourse analysis, English language world view.