A Study On The Application Of Conceptual Metaphor Theory In English Idioms Teaching And Learning

This research employed an experimental approach to investigate the feasibility and validity of applying conceptual metaphor theory in English idioms teaching and learning so as to explore a more effective idioms teaching method for Chinese EFL students.The study is based on the conceptual metaphor theory proposed by Lakoff (1980, 1993), and mainly draws on the result of Gibbs' empirical study (1990, 1992) that the meanings of many idioms are motivated by the conceptual metaphors underlying them.The question addressed in the research is whether there is a significant difference between the conceptual metaphor method and the traditional method in English idioms teaching and learning. Based on the question, the hypothesis was formulated that the conceptual metaphor method is more effective than the traditional method in English idioms teaching and learning.74 second-year non-English major students from two classes participated in the research. One was the control group; the other was the experimental group. They were compared with each other in terms of their levels on English idioms. Totally, 110 idioms were involved in the research, which were selected from the students' textbook Practical English Comprehensive Course (III), Lakoff and Johnson's Metaphors We Live By and Gibbs' experiments. A pretest was administered at the beginning of the experiment, showing the two groups were almost equally incompetent in their mastery of English idioms. During the following 10 weeks, the 110 idioms were taught to the subjects with two different methods, namely, the conceptual metaphor method and the traditional method. After teaching, a posttest was administered. The results indicated, both groups made progress, but the experimental group taught with the conceptual metaphor method became significantly better than the control group with the traditional method.Therefore, it was concluded that the conceptual metaphor method is more effective than the traditional method in English idioms teaching and learning; the hypothesis of the research was thus justified. And this finding also obviously demonstrated that it is feasible and valid to apply the conceptual metaphor theory in English idioms teaching and learning for Chinese EFL learners. Finally, implications of the research were clarified.