Journal
LANGUAGE LEARNING JOURNAL
Volume 47, Issue 1, Pages 49-63Publisher
ROUTLEDGE JOURNALS, TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD
DOI: 10.1080/09571736.2016.1185798
Keywords
Metaphoric mappings; conceptual metaphor; EFL; proficiency level; figurative language
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Funding
- National Science Council, Taiwan [NSC 101-2410-H-155-054-]
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The present study examines the effects of cognitive-based metaphoric mapping instruction (MMI) on English as Foreign Language (EFL) learners' retention and awareness of figurative language at different levels of English proficiency. Ninety-one Taiwanese EFL learners participated in the study, and were separated into a control group that received no instruction in MMI and two experimental groups consisting of high-intermediate and low-intermediate learners, respectively, who did receive instruction in MMI. The results of the pretests and posttests show that MMI significantly increased EFL learners' retention and awareness of figurative language; moreover, high-intermediate learners made greater progress in noticing expressions with more abstract mapping relations. Additionally, MMI assisted learners at a lower proficiency level to acquire more advanced language ability, beyond their current level. These findings support positive claims for a cognitive perspective on second language acquisition as well as the benefits of explicit instruction in the EFL classroom.
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