A Study Of Conceptual Metaphor From The Perspective Of Critical Metaphor Analysis

Since ancient Greece,metaphor has been considered a rhetorical device at the lexical level.It was not until the 1980 s that Lakoff and Johnson proposed conceptual metaphor theory in Metaphors We Live By,marking a shift in the study of metaphor from traditional rhetoric to cognitive linguistics.In 2004,Charteris Black introduced Critical Metaphor Analysis,an approach that for the first time combined pragmatics,cognitive linguistics,critical discourse analysis,and corpus linguistics to analyze the use of metaphor in texts,thereby revealing the underlying intentions,attitudes,and emotions behind the language.Since then,metaphor research has entered a new era.With the increasing variety of subjects studied,there are now many scholars who use critical metaphor theory to analyze metaphors in speeches,but the types of discourse are mainly focused on political and economic speeches,and there is a lack of research on other types of speech discourse.The public speeches of the champions are one of the most important events of Toastmasters International.The speakers talk about their experiences and values and convey the educational and business philosophy of Toastmasters International,which has a positive impact on all club members and on humanity as a whole.Therefore,to reveal educational and business philosophy of Toastmasters International,a non-profit educational institution in the United States,this paper uses 30 public speeches by champions from the past ten years as the research corpus and analyses the conceptual metaphors in these discourses using the three steps of metaphor identification,metaphor interpretation,and metaphor explanation included in Charteris Black’s Critical Metaphor Analysis,while answering the following questions:(1)What are the main types of conceptual metaphors employed in public speaking by champions of Toastmasters International?(2)What factors influence the choice of metaphor in public speaking by champions of Toastmasters International? How do these factors influence the choice of metaphors?(3)What is the leading role of conceptual metaphors in public speeches by champions of Toastmasters International? How do conceptual metaphors help Toastmasters International achieve its educational and business philosophy?The metaphors in the public speeches of the champions were found to include war metaphor,journey metaphor,building metaphor,body part metaphor,weather metaphor,and mythical metaphor.War and journey metaphors were the most frequent.The choice of metaphors in public speeches by champions of Toastmasters International is largely influenced by factors such as American culture,history,and international environment.These factors have influenced Toastmasters International’s educational and business philosophy.Meanwhile the ideology and values of the club members are affected and therefore choose metaphors that express their own ideas for public speaking.Through the use of conceptual metaphors,the speakers expect their speeches to inspire people who are in difficult situations and aspire to improve themselves,to help them achieve their ideal life and lifelong learning,to be able to face life’s challenges,and to take responsibility for creating an equal and free world.It also promotes Toastmasters International’s educational philosophy and strengthens its influence in international education.Therefore,the conceptual metaphors in the champions’ public speeches have functions such as persuasion,encouragement,and dissemination.By analyzing the use of conceptual metaphors in public speeches,this study enables readers to understand Toastmasters International’s educational and business philosophy,and also adds to the corpus of conceptual metaphors and Critical Metaphor Analysis studies,as well as demonstrates the broad applicability of Critical Metaphor Analysis.In addition,this thesis provides a new perspective on research related to public speaking discourse as a means of enhancing critical sensitivity to speech discourse.