Applying Image Schema To EFL Pedagogy

This paper is an investigation into the effectiveness and feasibility of image schemas, a perspective from cognitive linguistics, in EFL pedagogy.As we know, English spatial particles such as prepositions or adverbs are well-known for their polysemous character, i.e. most of them have more than one sense, and even extensive senses. Traditionally, researchers tend to treat these various different senses as separate with one another. This atomic approach of analysis has posed much difficulty for both foreign language teachers and learners, since teachers usually provide the students with the literal meanings of the polysemous word in different contexts respectively; while learners tend to memorize the different senses without understanding why they are grouped under the single word.However, in terms of cognitive linguistics, multiple senses attributed to an English particle are regarded as internally related, forming a polysemy network organized around the central meaning(s) of the word. In most cases, the central meaning(s) refer to the basic physical relations between entities in space, the configurations of which are represented by image schemas. The central meaning(s) function as the core of the schematic network, from which the other abstract, non-physical senses of the polysemous word are derived and extended. Thus in our conceptualization, the image schemas play a fundamental role in structuring and representing the relations, both physical and non-physical ones. Inspired by the cognitive theory, many researchers try to apply the schematic approach to the language teaching practice, however its applicability or feasibility in EFL pedagogy is still under investigation.The current thesis makes the English word over a case study. Based on the analysis of the schematic representations of the semantics of over, the researcher investigates the effectiveness and applicability of the employment of image schemas in EFL pedagogy by carrying out an experiment and a survey. In the experiment part, two groups of senior high school students as the subjects were provided with different treatments about the multiple senses of over, one with image schemas, and the other without. A series of tests were given to the two groups to find out the pedagogical achievements. The test results were analyzed by SPSS. In the survey part, the subjects who received the schematic treatment were asked to fill in an attitude-related questionnaire. The study gives positive answers to the following two questions: 1. Can the application of image schemas in an EFL classroom for the target English word better the students' understanding and mastery of the word?2. How will the cognitive schematic approach be accepted by EFL learners?The findings of the study have significant insights for the practical EFL pedagogy, as well as for the further theoretical investigation into the area of Cognitive Linguistics.