Teaching L2 metaphor through awareness-raising activities: experimental studies with Saudi EFL learners

Saaty, Rawan (2016). Teaching L2 metaphor through awareness-raising activities: experimental studies with Saudi EFL learners. University of Birmingham. Ph.D.

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Abstract

Cognitive approaches to language teaching recognize conceptual metaphor awareness-raising activities as techniques that aid the understanding of metaphors in second or foreign languages (L2) such as English. However, the benefits of these techniques do not extend to the retention, production or interpretation of metaphors. These are important skills that could help language learners in their use of metaphor in the real world. This thesis focuses on the embodied nature of L2 metaphors through awareness-raising activities that incorporate bodily actions and tactile contact.

Through four experimental classroom studies with university-level female EFL Saudi learners, this thesis explores the impacts of employing awareness-raising activities of conceptual metaphors and embodied metaphors. The first and second studies compare conceptual metaphor awareness to traditional semantic clustering and highlight the role of conceptual metaphor awareness in understanding metaphoric expressions. The third study introduces embodied metaphor awareness-raising activities through bodily actions and compares them to conceptual metaphor awareness and semantic clustering. The fourth study explores the benefits of using embodied tactile metaphor awareness-raising activities in the learning of linguistic and pictorial metaphors in advertising. The thesis finds that awareness-raising activities based on embodied metaphors have the potential to foster a deeper learning of metaphors in the L2.

Type of Work:

Thesis (Doctorates > Ph.D.)

Award Type:

Doctorates > Ph.D.

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