Figurative thinking and foreign language learning / Jeannette Littlemore and Graham Low.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Littlemore, Jeannette.

Contributor:

Low, Graham.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Figures of speech--Study and teaching.

Figures of speech.

Metaphor--Study and teaching.

Metaphor.

Languages, Modern--Study and teaching.

Languages, Modern.

Thought and thinking.

Genre:

Festschriften.

Physical Description:

xvii, 239 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Basingstoke [England] ; New York : Palgrave Macmillan, 2006.

Summary:

Many of the vocabulary items that foreign language learners encounter involve figurative extensions of word meaning. For example, bottleneck, hard-headed and getting a foot in the door all involve figurative extensions of parts of the body. Although expressions like these are fairly easy for native speakers to understand, they present a particular challenge to foreign language learners. If there is no equivalent in their own language, the understanding and learning of such expressions may involve a degree of figurative thinking. This book examines the nature of figurative thinking, considers its contribution to communicative language ability and explores the implications for language teaching and learning. In particular, it looks at the contribution that figurative thinking can make to sociolinguistic, illocutionary, textual, grammatical and strategic competence, as well as vocabulary learning.

Contents:

Part I Figurative Thinking

1 What is 'Figurative Thinking'? 3

2 Why is Figurative Thinking Important for Foreign Language Learners? 23

3 Psychological Processes Underlying Figurative Thinking 45

4 Developing Learner Autonomy in Figurative Thinking 68

Part II Figurative Thinking and Communicative Language Ability

5 Figurative Thinking and Sociolinguistic Competence 89

6 Figurative Thinking and Illocutionary Competence 112

7 Figurative Thinking and Textual Competence 133

8 Figurative Thinking and Lexico-Grammatical Competence 156

9 Strategic Competence 177

10 Promoting Figurative Language Competence in the Foreign Language Classroom 197.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 212-233) and index.

ISBN:

1403996024

OCLC:

62331083

Publisher Number:

9781403996022