Of Metaphors and Metaphorical Competence: Building on Materials for Vocabulary Expansion

Abstract

One of the features that distinguishes the communicative ability of a perfectly functional ‘learner’ of a language from a fluent communicative with a flair for language is a lack of ‘natural flavour’ and attendant imagery. This ‘natural flavour’ is evident in the almost casual use of metaphors, similes and analogies both in written and spoken forms. In approaching a perceived divide between the largely ‘colourless’ language of learners and the ‘colourful’ language of much of the materials to which learners are often exposed to, this paper explores the use of conceptual metaphors and the linguistic metaphors that are built from them, with a view to expanding the language in general use. It describes how a conceptual metaphor is used to provide a nucleus around which new and appropriate vocabularies are introduced. The paper represents the work done in designing related materials to be used in language classrooms with intermediate learners of English. It assumes that a combination of imagery with the functional use of language can and should be taught from the intermediate level and beyond.