隱喻在通識英文教學的理論與應用

Teaching Metaphors in General English Education: Theories and Practices

過去的研究指出英語學習者和英語母語者相較之下，較難掌握隱喻的用法和功能。本文闡述隱喻的認知層次教學對英語學習的重要性，並以實際的例子說明當代隱喻理論和範疇理論如何應用在大學通識英語教學活動。教師可帶領學生突破詞彙層次的學習，運用認知連結的方式促發學習者的理解和創造。材料上應多元選擇，除了結合文化背景和流行元素之外，應提醒學生注意隱喻的語用功能，理解不同的隱喻所創造的言談效果。此外，因應世界英語的學習趨勢，隱喻的學習可以鍛鍊學生對文化概念的理解和包容，並在接觸不同的隱喻表達之後體認到概念認知的跨文化異同，加強學生在多元文化語境中的學習成效。

Previous studies have shown that non-native learners of English, compared to native speakers, are less proficient in using the metaphoric sense of a linguistic unit. This paper expounds the importance of metaphor instructions in EFL contexts, especially at the conceptual level. Examples have been provided to show how metaphors can be instructed in college-level general English classrooms. First of all, learning of metaphors should go beyond the lexical level, and students should be encouraged to build cross-domain mappings for metaphor comprehension and production. In terms of class materials, authentic resources with rich traditional or popular cultural elements can be adopted. Metaphors can be framed in different ways to create intended effects, so students can be engaged in understanding their metaphoric meanings in connection with communicative purposes. Also, learning metaphors requires students to direct their attention to cultural similarities/differences and drill their comprehension and appreciation of cultural models. In today's EFL classrooms, instructions of metaphors can potentially increase learner awareness of the interculturality and multiculturality of second language learning.