Many vocabulary items that foreign language learners encounter involve figurative extensions of meaning. To understand figurative speech, learners often need to employ figurative thinking. This book examines figurative thinking, considers its contribution to language ability, and explores the implications for language teaching and learning.
This volume combines diverse research scenarios to present a solid framework for analysis of figurative language. Figurative Language, Genre and Register brings together discourse analysis and corpus linguistics in a cutting-edge study of figurative language in spoken and written discourse. The authors explore a diverse range of communities from chronic pain sufferers to nursery staff to present a detailed framework for the analysis of figurative language. The reader is shown how figurative language is used between members of these communities to construct their own 'world view', and how this can change with a shift in perspective. Figurative language is shown to be pervasive and inescapable, but it is also suggested that it varies significantly across genres.
Intersubjectivity and usage play central roles in figurative language and are pivotal notions for a cognitively realistic research on figures of thought, speech, and communication. This volume brings together thirteen studies that explore the relationship between figurativity, intersubjectivity and usage from the Cognitive Linguistics perspective. The studies explore the impact of figurativity on areas of lexicon and grammar, on real discourse, and across different semiotic systems. Some studies focus on the psychological processes of the comprehension of figurativity; other studies address the ways in which figures of thought and language are socially shared and the variation of figures through time and space. Moreover, some contributions are established on advanced corpus-based techniques and experimental methods. There are studies about metaphor, metonymy, irony and puns; about related processes, such as humor, empathy and ambiguation; and about the interaction between figures. Overall, this volume offers the advantages and the opportunities of an interactional and usage-based perspective of figurativity, embracing both the psychological and the intersubjective reality of figurative thought and language and empirically emphasizing the multidimensional character of figurativity, its central function in thought, and its impact on everyday communication.
This volume is intended to be a contribution to the rapidly growing field of research into Cognitive Sociolinguistics which draws on the convergence of methods and theoretical frameworks typically associated with Cognitive Linguistics and Sociolinguistics. The papers in this volume, written by internationally renowned scholars in the fields of sociolinguistics (e.g. Labov) and cognitive sociolinguistics, seek to explore and systematize the key theoretical and epistemological bases for the emergence of this socio-cognitive paradigm. More specifically, the papers, originally published in Review of Cognitive Linguistics 10:2 (2012), focus on terms and concepts which are foundational to the discussion of Cognitive Sociolinguistics such as the role of cognition in the sociolinguistic enterprise; the social recontextualization of cognition; variability in cognitive systems; usage-based conceptions of language; pragmatic variation and cultural models of thought; cultural conceptualizations and lexicography as well as cognitive processing models and perceptual dialectology. All the papers are anchored in instrumental empirical data analysis. The volume provides a welcome contribution to the field for anyone interested in Cognitive Linguistics and its new developments. The seven papers included in this book were originally presented at the 34th International LAUD Symposium on Cognitive Sociolinguistics, which took place in March 2010 at the University of Koblenz-Landau (Germany).
It has become increasingly clear that metaphor needs to be explored in terms of the social and discourse context in which it is used, especially where the aim is to address real-world problems. The notion of 'real world' metaphor research has been developed to describe this important area of investigation. This book starts by describing the nature and scope of real world metaphor research and then illustrates, through 17 detailed, mainly empirically-based studies, the different areas it can apply to, and different methodologies that can be employed. Research problems are explored in areas such as artificial intelligence, language teaching and learning, reconciliation dialogue, university lecture discourse, poetry and wine description. Methods include corpus analysis, experimentation, discourse analysis, cross-cultural analysis and genre analysis. In each case the empirical studies refer back to Gibbs's opening overview of real-world research. The result is an invaluable and cross-referenced collection of papers addressing real-world problems.
The comprehension, retention and production of idiomatic expressions is one of the most difficult areas of the lexicon for second language (L2) learners, even very advanced students, to master. This book investigates this under-researched and interesting aspect of language acquisition, shedding light on both conventional uses of idiomatic expressions as well as creative variant forms. The chapters in the book delve into different aspects of idiomatic mastery: students’ comprehension of canonically used idioms in both their first and second language; the effects of multimedia and visualization techniques on learners’ comprehension and retention of L2 idioms; students’ misinterpretations of L2 idioms; L2 learners’ comprehension of creative idiom variants and their use of idioms in free composition writing.
Conventional metaphorical expressions are widely used by native speakers in everyday language and have received extensive attention in theoretical semantics and cognitive linguistics. However, how a second language learner can acquire those expressions is left largely unknown. Researchers and language learners face the question: if one has acquired the literal meaning of a word, can they automatically derive the metaphorical meaning? This book provides the answer by placing the question of acquisition of metaphorical expressions in the framework of bilingual lexicon. Assessing whether metaphorical expressions are taken for granted by second language learners, it explores how the metaphorical meaning(s) of a word should be connected in a learner's mental lexicon, and how the cross-linguistic availability of a metaphorical expression could affect the outcome of acquisition of that expression. The book also provides a detailed comparison between metaphorical expressions and other figurative language from both the theoretical and experimental perspectives.
A Teacher's Guide to Using the Common Core State Standards With Gifted and Advanced Learners in the English/Language Arts provides teachers and administrators a blueprint for differentiating the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts for gifted and advanced students through the use of acceleration, depth, complexity, and creativity within and across grade levels. It illustrates the differences between learning experiences for typical and advanced students based on the same standard and provides an array of examples across five of the information text and literary text standards while integrating the other aspects of language arts teaching and learning. The book highlights implementation features, such as classroom management and assessment of student work, that allow teachers to make data-based decisions about instruction for particular students. It also offers guidance to teachers on reading selections for advanced learners at all grade levels.
A practical guide to identifying gifted underachievers and enabling them to fulfil their potential, raising whole school standards. Extensive new content includes the latest best practice in addressing able underachievement Explains the origins of underachievement, both overt and covert, especially in more able learners - provides a model that identifies a range of factors that conspire to lower achievement The UK Government's 2005 White Paper 'Higher Standards, Better Schools for All' set specific provision for Gifted and Talented (G&T) - there are similar programmes in all developed countries The editor is a leading researcher in G&T education - contributors include Belle Wallace, Barry Hymer and Ian Warwick, the foremost practitioners in the field
