英文摘要 |
The study examined the metaphorical expressions, primarily metaphors and similes, used by EFL university students in their writing production. It also explored the conceptual and cognitive ideas that assist them in constructing these expressions. Possible background knowledge, influences, or reasons that contribute to their comprehension and visualization of the target concepts were investigated. Ultimately, this exploration resulted in a tentative categorization that aligns with Lakoff and Johnson’s two categories of conceptual metaphor:“universal metaphorical concepts”and“culturally variable concepts.”The study involved 26 English major juniors from a technological university in Taiwan. The inquiry employed a two-step qualitative research approach, commencing with a content analysis, followed by an interview survey. The essays, which were written by the aforementioned students and fell under the Comparison and Contrast genre, were closely analyzed to explore their use of metaphors and similes. Subsequently, students who had incorporated these literary techniques into their writing were interviewed face-to-face. This facilitated a more in-depth exploration of their conceptual and cognitive reasoning, as well as the factors influencing their use of metaphorical expressions in writing. The findings reveal three main categories resulting from students’conceptualization of their metaphorical devices: (1) Universal knowledge; (2) Personal perceptions of the world; (3) Influence of EFL education, with two subcategories, namely, Western references and Interlanguage, which are sometimes cross-referenced or cross-related. The students’use of metaphorical expressions demonstrates creativity and highlights instances of cross-cultural communication and interlanguage. |