Metaphorical Awareness And Metaphorical Competence In Second Language Learning

Metaphor has long been studied as a figure of speech. As research in cognitivescience goes further, more functions of metaphor have been discovered. Cognitivetheory of metaphor is seen as the prelude to cognitive metaphor study in that it haschanged the understanding of metaphor from a type of figure of speech to a thoughtpattern to provide a new aspect for foreign language teaching and learning.In recent years, scholars and teachers in western countries have applied thetheory of cognitive metaphor to second language teaching and learning anddiscovered that the creativity aspect of metaphor plays an active role in languageoutput. Metaphor can not only help learners understand the abstract concepts bycreating concrete concept images, but can also reveal the differences and similaritiesbetween different cultures in values, communication and language learning patterns.Therefore, the development of metaphorical awareness and competence will enhancelearners’ understanding of the inner relationships of languages, and the metalprocesses in communication. It also contributes to the fluency and accuracy ofcommunication in second language.The advantages of metaphorical awareness and competence provide a newperspective for Chinese researches to find solutions to the problems in secondlanguage teaching and learning, such problems as ignorance of the importance ofmetaphorical competence, excessive concern about grammar or ignorance of theinfluences of metaphor and so on.This paper approaches these problems under the guidance of cognitive theory ofmetaphor. The analysis of the functions of metaphorical awareness and competence insecond language teaching and learning reveals the effectiveness of metaphoricalawareness and metaphorical competence in the promotion of the teaching andlearning of second language. This paper then combines the influences with thespecific aspects of second language learning and investigates the promotion ofmetaphorical awareness and competence for second language learning. It is discovered that metaphorical awareness and competence of learners can help themacquire various language skills more efficiently in listening, speaking, reading andwriting.