Metaphor And Foreign Language Teaching And Learning In Cognitive Linguistics

This thesis is trying to make an initial research on teaching metaphor in China from a cognitive theoretical perspective. Metaphor has been studied for over two thousand years. Traditionally, it was treated as a kind of linguistic ornament; however, with deep research into it, metaphor is now universally treated as a matter of thought and a way of cognition. This thesis mainly adopts the cognitive view of metaphor. Metaphor functions as a main working mechanism of cognition, a way to extend thought, an essential way of conceptualizing experience, and the generative mechanism of the language system. Language and human cognition interrelate with each other. That is to say, there must be a close relation between metaphor and English language teaching and learning. In recent years, some scholars began to pay attention to metaphor study in applied linguistics--practical use and language teaching study. It is believed that metaphor study in applied linguistics is one of the future directions on this topic and the application of metaphor in foreign language teaching is an important future study topic and by relevant studies on this direction. This thesis talks about metaphor from Aristotle's study to conceptual metaphor today and analyzes the philosophical basis for conceptual metaphor in cognitive linguistics. Conceptual metaphor plays a very important role in language teaching an learning, so it is necessary to introduce the concept and metaphorical teaching into classroom. The intimate relationship between metaphor and language can benefit the contemporary English teaching a great deal. Therefore, to study teaching metaphor in foreign language teaching practice is of significance and necessity.In this thesis, the first chapter briefly reviews and analyses the theoretical background, Lakoff and Johnson's main works on Conceptual Metaphor Theory, and the situation of research on foreign language teaching related to Conceptual Metaphor. Second chapter explores carefully its theory at home and abroad, the philosophical basis, working mechanism, basic types, and main characteristics. The third chapter illustrates the relations between conceptual metaphor and foreign language learning and teaching. The fourth chapter studies the cultivation of the conceptual metaphor competence and the teaching of metaphor in the process of foreign language teaching and learning. The fifth chapter shows some suggestions the author's claims. And the last chapter is a conclusion.