Developing EFL learners` metaphoric competence through cognitive-oriented methods

Abstract

This study evaluated two cognitive-oriented methods for learning figurative language in an EFL context to develop metaphoric competence. Sixty-eight Taiwanese university students participated in the experiment and were separated into two groups: one group received instruction involving conceptual metaphors, while the other group received instruction involving metaphoric mappings. A test was designed to measure the participants` ability to recognize metaphors and metonymies. The data collected from the pre-tests and post-tests were analyzed using a multiple regression model. The results demonstrated that both methods improved learners` awareness and retention of figurative language, confirming the beneficial influence of explicit instruction; in addition, the instruction on metaphoric mappings was more helpful in facilitating learners` awareness of expressions involving more abstract concepts with complicated mapping relationships. The findings shed light on the effectiveness of cognitive-oriented methods in the EFL teaching and learning of figurative expressions.