A Study On Chinese Non-English Majors' Cognition Of English Metaphor

Metaphor is not only a linguistic phenomenon and a rhetorical device,but also a fundamental way of thinking for humans.Metaphor is ubiquitous in life,such as in people's daily communication,on magazines and so on.Because of its importance and universality,language learners need to grasp these metaphorical expressions.Only when there is sufficient input can there be output.Reading is a way of language input.Understanding is the premise and purpose of reading.Therefore,it is necessary to study the current situation of Chinese non-English major? English metaphor understanding,so as to improve the college English teaching in China.Based on the similarities and differences between English and Chinese metaphors? linguistic expression and conceptual basis in terms of literal translation,this thesis classifies four types of metaphors:(1)equivalent linguistic expression and equivalent conceptual meaning;(2)similar linguistic expression and equivalent conceptual meaning;(3)equivalent linguistic expression but different conceptual meanings;(4)different linguistic expression but equivalent conceptual meaning.This thesis,by means of conceptual metaphor theory,explored the following three research questions:(1)Among the four types of English metaphors,which type of metaphor constitutes the most difficult metaphor for Chinese non-English majors to comprehend?(2)Does subjects? English proficiency have a significant influence on their comprehension of English metaphor?(3)What mental activities are involved in Chinese non-English majors? comprehension of English metaphor? To answer the above questions,an English Metaphor Comprehension Test was administered among 192 non-English majors who are from 8 academic schools or faculties of Wuhan University,and an interview was followed to inquire about ten subjects? mental activities during the English metaphor comprehension.The descriptive statistics and independent samples T-test by Statistics Package for Social Science(SPSS 20.0)were employed to analyze the collected data,the following findings were obtained:(1)Regardless of subjects? English proficiency,those English metaphors having equivalent linguistic expression but different conceptual meanings with its Chinese equivalent are the most difficult to understand.(2)Judging from the total scores and respective four types? scores of English metaphor,subjects from the high level group perform better than subjects from the low level group.However,the differences were only statistically significant in the second type of metaphor between the two groups? scores.(3)Through analyzing subjects? mental activities,the main reasons for their difficulty in understanding English metaphor are as follows: new words in the metaphorical expression or in the context,negative conceptual transfer of Chinese,and the lack of conceptual system and cultural knowledge in English-speaking countries.The findings of this study have some implications for English teaching in China.Firstly,teachers should cultivate learners? metaphorical awareness and make them realize that metaphor is not only a rhetorical device but also a way to experience the world.Secondly,when metaphor is involved in teaching,English teachers can extend its conceptual basis to learners while explaining the metaphor itself.Finally,teachers should encourage learners to read extensively after class and accumulate metaphorical expressions.In this way,learners can improve their English comprehensive competence on the basis of improving their metaphorical competence.