Conceptual Metaphor Theory And Its Implications For EFL Vocabulary Learning

Traditionally, metaphor is regarded as a figure of speech, as more or less an ornamental device, which is related to poetry and rhetoric. The major theories on the nature of metaphor: substitution theory, comparison theory, and interaction theory, all can find their origins in Aristotle and Richards. However, with the birth and development of cognitive linguistics, metaphor is observed from a new and experientialist cognitive point of view.In the modern view, metaphor is far more than a rhetorical device. It is considered as a mode of thinking; a way of cognition and it plays an important role in structuring people's conceptual system:"Metaphor is pervasive in everyday life, not just in language but in thought and action. Our ordinary conceptual system, in terms of which we both think and act, is fundamentally metaphorical in nature"(Lakoff&Johnson, 1980). Conceptual Metaphor Theory advanced by Lakoff and Johnson is a more systematic and influential theory. According to this theory, metaphor is not only a prevalent language phenomenon but also an indispensable cognition tool to human beings, which bears close relationship with language learning, especially vocabulary learning.This thesis is intended to offer some implications of conceptual metaphor theory for English vocabulary learning and teaching since vocabulary has been a top concern for many EFL learners in China. It firstly explores the theoretical foundation, the definition, working mechanism, and classifications of Conceptual Metaphor Theory. Secondly, based on Conceptual Metaphor Theory and vivid linguistic evidence, it attempts to study the applications of this theory to vocabulary learning in analyzing polysemy, idioms and cultural implications in vocabulary and words connection, and further reveals the specific significance of metaphor in improving the vocabulary learning.