| This study relied on the assumption that literal meaning of some idiomatic expressions (i.e., their conceptual motivation) could have a positive effect on the comprehension of their correct figurative sense. To test this hypothesis, a Dual Coding elucidation technique, in which important elements of correct figurative meaning were mapped onto literal ones, was designed to facilitate the comprehension of 15 highly imageable idioms. This technique was administered in the form of an online questionnaire to Russian- and Korean-speaking EFL and ESL learners. The facilitative effect of this technique was assessed taking into account several relevant variables: the learners' levels of metaphorical competence, i.e., the amount of interaction that the learners had with authentic English content and speakers, the cognitive style preferences of these learners, and the amount of verbal contextual support accompanying each idiomatic expression.;The main finding of this study is that the proposed Dual Coding elucidation technique had a facilitative effect on the comprehension of unfamiliar idiomatic expressions in all groups of participants. A higher level of metaphorical competence, demonstrated in the metaphorical assessment task, did not correlate with a better interpretation of the idioms. However, the groups that especially benefitted from this technique were those that indicated plenty of interaction with the target language content on a regular basis, which is an integral aspect of the development of metaphorical competence. This connection between regular language use and better interpretation of unfamiliar idioms supports the tenet that the growth of metaphorical competence may be driven by extensive experience with the target language. Additionally, cognitive style preferences of the participants did not appear to affect the success of idiom comprehension significantly. However, the larger amount of verbal contextual support of the idioms had a slightly detrimental effect on the comprehension of idioms in this study. Lastly, learners with lower levels of metaphorical competence had the largest number of literal interpretations of the idioms, which shows a link between metaphorical competence and an analytical, decompositional approach to idiom comprehension.;Some implications for EFL and ESL language educators who incorporate idiom instruction in their curricula are discussed. |
