scholarly journals A Study of English Vocabulary Learning in China—From the Perspective of Conceptual Metaphor Theory

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 427
Author(s):  
Hongyan Hua
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Metaphor ◽  
Vocabulary Learning ◽  
Cognitive Activity ◽  
Chinese Students ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor Theory ◽  
Cross Domain ◽  
Metaphor Theory ◽  
Domain Mapping

Vocabulary plays an essential role in foreign language learning, and it is the same with Chinese students’ learning English. However, in China traditional ways of English vocabulary learning focuses on the recitation and analysis of the sound, spelling and meaning of English words without considering their cognitive motivations and thus makes understanding and memorization of them invalid and boring, which directly affects Chinese students’ English level of listening, speaking, reading and writing. Therefore, some effective methods of English vocabulary learning must be found so as to arouse students’ interests and facilitate their learning of English words. Conceptual metaphor theory reveals that metaphor is not only a universal cognitive phenomenon but also a cognitive tool of human beings, which can shed some lights onto English words learning, a kind of cognitive activity. Conceptual metaphor theory also depicts cross-domain mapping as its working mechanism by saying that cross-domain mapping is a kind of thinking link from source domain to target domain. And this thinking link is of great help to the memorizing processes of words and understanding of words’ connotation and can make English vocabulary learning systematic and flexible. This paper explores the application of conceptual metaphor theory into college English vocabulary learning from three aspects, namely, polysemous words, idiomatic expressions and word connections, aiming at cultivating students’ metaphorical awareness and improving their metaphorical competence in vocabulary learning.

The structure of our concepts: A critical assessment of Conceptual Metaphor Theory as a theory of concepts

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peer F. Bundgaard
Keyword(s):  
Meaning Making ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor ◽  
Abstract Concepts ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor Theory ◽  
Specific Domain ◽  
Conceptual Metaphors ◽  
Cross Domain ◽  
Metaphor Theory ◽  
George Lakoff ◽  
Experimental Findings

Abstract George Lakoff and Mark Johnson’s Conceptual Metaphor Theory is by and large a theory of what (abstract) concepts are, how they are structured, and how this structure is acquired — i.e., by mapping of structure from one more concrete or sensory-motor specific domain to another more abstract domain. Conceptual metaphors therefore rest on “cross-domain mappings.” The claims to the effect that our abstract concepts are metaphorically structured and that cross-domain mappings constitute one of the fundamental cognitive meaning-making processes are empirical and can therefore be put to the test. In this paper, I will critically assess Conceptual Metaphor Theory as a theory of concepts in light of recent experimental findings. Many such findings provide evidence for the psychological reality of cross-domain mappings, i.e., that structure activated in one domain actually can perform cognitive tasks carried out in another domain. They do not, however, support the claim that the structure of our (abstract) concepts is still metaphorical, as Lakoff and Johnson claim — that is to say, that our mind actually does perform cross-domain mappings when we process conventional conceptual metaphors such as “Death is Rest” or “Love is a Journey.” Two conclusions can be drawn from this: (1) it is necessary to distinguish between cross-domain mappings (which are psychologically real) and the metaphoric structure of our concepts (which is not, in the sense that such concepts do not any longer activate cross-domain mappings when processed); (2) Conceptual Metaphor Theory is not an adequate theory of concepts. I will therefore sketch another more viable theory of concepts where the structure of our concepts is defined as the full ecology of their situations of use, which includes the kind of situations (objects, agents, interactions) they apply to and the kind of emotional, cognitive, bodily, and behavioral responses they elicit. On this view, the contents of our concepts are to be considered as vague predicates, with vague extensions, which take on a specific form in their situation of use.

Kingdom of heaven versus nirvana: a comparative study of conceptual metaphors for Christian and Buddhist ideals of life

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiuping Gao ◽  
Chun Lan
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Study ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor ◽  
Systematic Investigation ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor Theory ◽  
Conceptual Metaphors ◽  
Kingdom Of Heaven ◽  
Metaphor Theory ◽  
Upcoming Event ◽  
The Ideal

Abstract This paper adopts Conceptual Metaphor Theory to compare the Christian ideal of life, i.e. the kingdom of heaven and the Buddhist ideal of life, i.e. nirvana. Through a systematic investigation of the metaphorical expressions bearing the two concepts in the Book of Mathew and the Lotus Sutra, we find that they share the static metaphor (the kingdom of heaven/nirvana is a container), i.e. both religions envision the ideal state of life as entering a container. Dynamically, the kingdom of heaven is conceptualized as an upcoming event while nirvana as the destination of a journey. The two dynamic metaphors reveal four major differences. Firstly, the kingdom of heaven is described as arrival into and nirvana as departure from the mundane world. Secondly, the arrival of the kingdom of heaven aims to eliminate the sin of human beings while the departure for nirvana aims to leave behind bitterness of the mundane world. Thirdly, the kingdom of heaven emphasizes the dichotomy between the good and the evil while nirvana emphasizes delivering all living beings. Fourthly, God acts as a king and judge in the final judgement of the kingdom of heaven while Buddha acts as a guide in the journey to nirvana.

Metaphor and Irony in the Public Criminological Discourse of Lithuania

2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 400-422
Author(s):  
Dalia Gedzevičienė
Keyword(s):  
Corpus Linguistics ◽  
Main Function ◽  
Social Functions ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor Theory ◽  
Social Phenomena ◽  
The Public ◽  
Discursive Strategies ◽  
Cross Domain ◽  
Metaphor Theory ◽  
Domain Mapping

This article discusses metaphor and irony as discursive strategies employed by the Lithuanian media while construing the imagery of crime, criminal, and criminality. The method applied to analyse metaphor and irony in Lithuanian criminological discourse combines the framework offered by conceptual metaphor theory with corpus linguistics. First of all, metaphorical and ironical expressions were inventoried, and then conceptual paradigms were reconstructed from them. The conceptual-level analysis revealed that the relations between the conceptual domains of metaphor and irony are processed by different types of mapping (similarity [metaphor] vs. dissimilarity [irony]). Despite differences in the processing of cross-domain mapping, metaphor and irony realised in public criminological discourse carry out the same or very similar rhetorical and social functions. The main function of these discursive strategies is the vivid expression of emotional attitudes and values directed at the criminal—the text adresser evaluates the criminal and crime negatively, dissociates from the offender, and isolates him symbolically from our community. In this way, the contemporary Lithuanian media constructs and shapes the community’s approach to particular social phenomena—crime, criminal, and criminality.

scholarly journals Didactic potential of metaphors used in medical discourse

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 102-116
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Karska ◽  
Ewelina Prażmo
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Metaphor ◽  
Medical Discourse ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Abstract Concepts ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor Theory ◽  
Conceptual Metaphors ◽  
Metaphor Theory ◽  
Cognitive Faculties ◽  
Multimodal Representations ◽  
The Impact

Specialist languages should be straightforward and unambiguous. In areas such as law, business or medicine precision and to-the-point wording is required. However, in order to facilitate the description of complicated matters, and especially in expert to non-expert communication, unexpected strategies, e.g. metaphorisation, are used. Conceptual metaphor theory, as initially introduced by Lakoff and Johnson (cf. Lakoff & Johnson, 1980) states that human beings tend to think in metaphors, i.e. we are engaged in constant search of similarities between concepts. This drive for pattern recognition helps us understand the unknown in terms of the familiar, the abstract in terms of the concrete. Most conceptual metaphors are grounded in our physical experience of the world, which means that we draw from this familiar experience while creating metaphorical mappings to the complex, abstract concepts. Controversial as it may seem, the same process applies to understanding professional terms and scientific notions, and as a result the language of law, business, medicine, etc. is heavily metaphorical in nature. In our presentation we focus on medicine alone and analyse a corpus of medical text in search of conceptual metaphors. We claim, that rather than obscuring the message, metaphors actually make it clearer and more precise. They enrich conceptualisation, structure the semantics of the message and serve a number of pragmatic functions, esp. in doctor to patient communication. By choosing a certain metaphor, the message may e.g. be softened in order to lessen the impact it has on the recipient. Moreover, it may be more easily understood if it is built on an adequate conceptual metaphor. Many metaphors used in the medical discourse are based on multimodal representations e.g. descriptions of diseases often invoke the imagery of food including its shape, colour, texture, and smell. Such multimodality of representation (cf. Forceville, 2009 and online) engages a number of cognitive faculties for the construction of a complex conceptualisation and in this way helps us gain better understanding of the concepts described. We claim that conceptual metaphor and esp. pictorial metaphor is a very effective tool used in didactics and its use is perfectly justified in scientific discourses, including the medical discourse. Therefore, in our presentation we analyse pictorial metaphors found in medical discourse and in the field of radiology in particular.

scholarly journals Interpreting the Human Being Metaphors in Ekegusii Pop Songs Using the Cognitive Semantics Framework

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 73-86
Author(s):  
Victor Ondara Ntabo ◽  
Naom Moraa Nyarigoti ◽  
Moses Gatambuki Gathigia
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Metaphor ◽  
Cognitive Semantics ◽  
Human Being ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor Theory ◽  
Identification Procedure ◽  
Conceptual Mapping ◽  
Metaphor Theory ◽  
Great Chain Of Being

The paper explores the human being metaphors in Ekegusii pop songs (EPS). Composers of EPS use human being metaphors to convey their message in different perspectives. It is possible for the meaning of the human being metaphors to elude the audience of EPS because language is both embodied and situated in a specific environment. Therefore, the meaning of the metaphors need to be objectively interpreted to reveal the message of the composers. The study purposively sampled Christopher Mosioma’s (Embarambamba) EPS amasomo (education) and the late Ontiri Bikundo’s obwanchani (love) based on the songs’ richness in metaphors. The Metaphor Identification Procedure Vrije Universiteit was used to identify 54 metaphors in the EPS by four coders (including the researchers). The concept of conceptual mapping, which is a fundamental tenet of the Conceptual Metaphor Theory, was employed to understand the source domains in terms of the target domains. The identified metaphors were classified into four conceptual domains of human being, animal, plant and object using the principle of the Great Chain of Being Metaphor. The paper then identified eight human being metaphors for the present study. The research found that human being metaphors are important ways of conceptualizing other human beings in society. In addition, metaphors are important tools of communication and should be explained using a cognitive semantics framework. The findings of the study will benefit the audience of the EPS, ethnographers and metaphor theorists to conceptualise EPS and culture.

scholarly journals A Metaphoric Analysis of Miriri’s Ekegusii Pop Song Ebunda

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-33
Author(s):  
Victor Ntabo ◽  
George Ogal Ouma
Keyword(s):  
Research Design ◽  
Cognitive Linguistics ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Specific Context ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor Theory ◽  
Identification Procedure ◽  
Descriptive Research ◽  
Metaphor Theory

The study undertakes a metaphoric analysis of the animal metaphors in Miriri’s Ekegusii pop song “Ebunda” (a donkey) to reveal meaning. The meaning of the animal metaphors in the song might be elusive to the majority of the fans because metaphor is principally a matter of thought and action which is often situated in a specific context. The study employed the descriptive research design to describe the metaphors as used in the song. First, four coders (including the researchers) were employed to identify the metaphors in the song through the Metaphor Identification Procedure Vrije Universiteit. Secondly, the metaphors in the song were classified into animal metaphors based on the levels of the principle of Great Chain of Being metaphor (GCBM). The animal metaphors in “Ebunda” were then explained using the Conceptual Metaphor Theory. The study reveals that animals are stratified source domains used to effectively conceptualize human beings as highlighted in the song. In addition, the animal metaphors in “Ebunda” are used on a cognitive basis to reveal the perceptions Abagusii (the native speakers of Ekegusii) have about some animals in society. Metaphors are crucial ways of communication and are best explained using the Cognitive Linguistics paradigm.  

scholarly journals On Embodiment of Predicative Metaphor: A Case of English Body-action Verbs

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 1114-1120
Author(s):  
Mingjie Huo ◽  
Jiaxuan Chen
Keyword(s):  
Human Body ◽  
Embodied Experience ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor Theory ◽  
Source Domain ◽  
Cross Domain ◽  
Cognitive Motivation ◽  
Metaphor Theory ◽  
Domain Mapping ◽  
Body Metaphor ◽  
Action Verbs

This paper presents an analysis of embodiment of predicative metaphor which is an important topic in cognitive linguistic study. Previous researches are mainly about the identification, classification and construal of predicative metaphor, while its cognitive motivation has not been discussed. Based on the conceptual metaphor theory and embodied philosophy, the cognitive motivation of the metaphorical usage of English body-action verbs is discussed. It is concluded that the metaphorical usage of English body-action verbs arises from the embodied experience. Concepts related to human body are preferred to be the source domain of the cross-domain mapping used to understand other concepts. The metaphorical usage of English body-action verbs is created through human body metaphor.

scholarly journals A Cognitive Approach to the Metaphors of Postpartum Depression in Elif Shafak’s Black Milk

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-44
Author(s):  
Yasir A. Al-Jumaili ◽  
Shaymaa F. Hasan ◽  
Safeen N. Arif
Keyword(s):  
Postpartum Depression ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor ◽  
Target Domain ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Cognitive Approach ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor Theory ◽  
Conceptual Structures ◽  
Metaphor Theory ◽  
George Lakoff ◽  
Domain Mapping

Despite the fact that postpartum depression has been explicitly referred to in Elif Shafak’s novel Black Milk (2007), there are many implicit references to this negative mental state. This paper aims to examine the metaphorical representations which are used to conceptualize the experience of postpartum depression. The study attempts to understand how the experience of postpartum depression is metaphorically constructed and conveyed via the use of conceptual metaphors. This study differs from previous studies which examined Shafak’s Black Milk; the current study attempts a cognitive approach to its metaphorical language. The study applies insights from Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT) by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson (1980; 2003) to selected metaphors from Shafak’s novel Black Milk. The study is the first of its kind; it offers a stylistic examination of the metaphors of postpartum. The application of conceptual metaphor theory, in our opinion, serves as a useful tool that allows better understanding of how the abstract state of postpartum depression is understood and communicated through the course of the novel. The study also discusses the cross-domain mapping process to see how conceptual structures are selected from different source domains and mapped onto the target domain of postpartum depression to unveil the negative effects of this distressing experience.

Euphemistic conceptual metaphors in epitaphs from Highgate Cemetery

2011 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 198-225 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eliecer Crespo Fernández
Keyword(s):  
Figurative Language ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor Theory ◽  
Value Judgment ◽  
Conceptual Metaphors ◽  
Human Mortality ◽  
Metaphor Theory ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Euphemistic Language

Death is a timeless taboo in which psychological, religious and social interdictions coexist. In consequence, human beings feel reluctant to deal with the subject of death using straightforward terms and therefore tend to soften the effect of what they really wish to communicate. With this in mind, it is the aim of this paper to explore the euphemistic language on a sample of epitaphs from the Eastern Highgate Cemetery in London. As figurative language constitutes a potent source for death-related euphemism, the present study proceeds to trace an account of the different conceptual metaphors in epitaphs within the framework of Lakoff and Johnson’s Conceptual Metaphor Theory. The results obtained support the idea that most of the conceptualizations of death observed in the gravestones imply a positive value-judgment of human mortality and aim at assisting those left alive in coping with the pain of loss and the fear of dying.

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