Naslov
Conceptual metaphor LOVE IS WAR in English and Croatian idioms: A cross-comparative study

Autori
Jelčić, Jasmina

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Sažeci sa skupova, neobjavljeni rad, znanstveni

Skup
2nd International Symposium on Figurative Thought and Language

Mjesto i datum
Pavia, Italija, 28.10.2015. - 29.10.2015

Vrsta sudjelovanja
Predavanje

Vrsta recenzije
Međunarodna recenzija

Ključne riječi
metaphor, idioms, English, Croatian, EFL teaching

Sažetak
The potential facilitative role conceptual metaphors might play in the retention of figurative language in foreign language teaching has already been recognised by other researchers in the past (Irujo 1986, Kӧvecses and Szabό 1996, and others). Using evidence from English and Croatian corpora, a list was comprised including idioms which were found existent in both languages and were identified as instances of the conceptual metaphor LOVE IS WAR (LJUBAV JE RAT) by previous studies into the matter (Lakoff 1993, Stanojevic 1999). The hypothesis that shared conceptual metaphors between two languages might aid the retention of English idioms taught in Croatian EFL classrooms was put to a test in form of a two- part questionnaire which was then distributed to upper-intermediate and advanced students of English. The questionnaire included only those idioms motivated by the conceptual metaphor LOVE IS WAR (LJUBAV JE RAT) and for which equivalents were found evident in both languages. The participants of the study were made aware of the existence of conceptual metaphors and were given detailed examples of other metaphors and their respective realizations in both English and Croatian. The aim was to determine whether students were better equipped to elicit definitions for those idioms that were previously unfamiliar to them and shared an underlying metaphor they were made aware of. Participants’ previous knowledge of the idioms used in the study was controlled for so it would not interfere with the results. Taking into account the limited scope of the study and the fact that only one conceptual metaphor was investigated in the cross- comparative study, the results cannot be taken as evidence in favour of supporting the hypothesis ; however, the data obtained this way might serve as an initial step for further investigation into the potential facilitation of conceptual metaphors upon idiom learning.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Filologija

POVEZANOST RADA