LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 14:7 July 2014
ISSN 1930-2940

Managing Editor: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.
Editors: B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
         Sam Mohanlal, Ph.D.
         B. A. Sharada, Ph.D.
         A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D.
         Lakhan Gusain, Ph.D.
         Jennifer Marie Bayer, Ph.D.
         S. M. Ravichandran, Ph.D.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         L. Ramamoorthy, Ph.D.
         C. Subburaman, Ph.D. (Economics)
Assistant Managing Editor: Swarna Thirumalai, M.A.

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A Study for Identifying the Cases of Metaphorical Expressions with Inappropriate Phraseology in
Argumentative Essays Written by Persian English Language Learners

Maryam Jafari, M.A. Student in TEFL
Vahid Mirzaeean, Ph.D.

Abstract

This study mainly investigated the cases of linguistic metaphor in a contextualized learner corpus data, which gathered the argumentative essays written by the Iranian EFL learners in one of the English Language Institute. Identified metaphors in this naturally-occurring data provided a good basis to find differences in applying metaphors across the assigned levels both quantitatively and qualitatively. In order to answer this question that is there any relationship between the amount of learners? incorrect metaphorical use with the amount of their strongly affected metaphorical expressions by their first language background, a learner corpora designed by the researcher which gathered the argumentative essays written by the selected English-learners. The learners selected according to the information acquired from the questionnaire and their score in the English Language proficiency test which is according to CEFR criteria. The answer to this question indicates whether learners are able to use metaphorical expressions presenting their own perspectives with appropriate phraseology or not. The result of this study point to the metaphorical inaccurate use founded at A2 and B1 levels. Generally the rate of first language-influenced errors and the metaphorical errors indicate the significant role of first language transfer in making such errors in this data.

Key Terms: Figurative Language, Metaphor, Linguistic metaphor, Conceptual metaphor, Corpus linguistics, Learner corpora

Introduction

In the area of Second/ Foreign Language teaching, still there are many under-researched areas need to be explored, such as metaphor among figurative languages. Recently, with the development of cognitive science, artificial intelligence and the study of the brain and the mind, the study of metaphor and the application of metaphor mechanisms in language education have attracted more attention of interdisciplinary researchers. Cognitive linguistics regards metaphorization as a natural feature of language, results from conceptual metaphorization, which is clearly and purposefully displayed in formation of words, semantic changes of words, collocation of words as well as learning of cultures. Accordingly, this feature of language brings us a great deal of enlightenment in English Language Teaching domain.

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

Maryam Jafari, M.A. Student in TEFL
Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch
Arak, Iran
Fatemeh_jafari110@yahoo.com

Vahid Mirzaeean, Ph.D.
Department of English
University of Science and Research, Markazi Branch
Iran
mirzaeian224@yahoo.com
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