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Psycholinguistic and Sociolinguistic Perspectives on Second Language Learning and Teaching pp 57–72Cite as

Metaphor in Language Education

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Part of the book series: Second Language Learning and Teaching ((SLLT))

Abstract

This chapter, situated in the interpretivist paradigm, seeks qualitative ways to arrive at an understanding of teachers’ and students’ approaches to education in general and language learning in particular. In the first part of the text, roots of modern approaches to language and education and their presentation through metaphor are sought in the Hasidic tradition developed in the eighteenth century in the territories of the then Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The analysis of the use of metaphor in Hasidic teaching is based on what Martin Buber calls legendary anecdotes and sententional answers. Recent views on the role of metaphor are then discussed in the second part of the article. Ways are also presented in which education can make use of metaphor and its manifestations in linguistic expressions within two models in which conceptualizations are explained, i.e. the conduit model or the blueprint model. In the third part of the text, the supportive value of metaphor in language learning processes is looked at and the role of metaphor in developing skills is analysed. Teacher education is also discussed with special emphasis on approaches to the development of linguistic and intercultural competence, encouraging motivation and creativity, as well as promoting teachers’ and learners’ autonomy and self-reflection. In the final part of the text, implications of using metaphor for the practice of language teaching and teacher education are discussed.

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  1. University of Social Sciences and Humanities; Warsaw University, Warsaw, Poland

    Hanna Komorowska

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  1. Hanna Komorowska
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Correspondence to Hanna Komorowska .

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  1. , School of English, Adam Mickiewicz University, Al. Niepodleglosci 4, Poznan, 61-874, Poland

    Krystyna Drozdzial-Szelest

  2. , Faculty of Pedagogy and Fine Arts, Adam Mickiewicz University, Nowy Swiat 28-30, Kalisz, 62-800, Poland

    Mirosław Pawlak

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Komorowska, H. (2013). Metaphor in Language Education. In: Drozdzial-Szelest, K., Pawlak, M. (eds) Psycholinguistic and Sociolinguistic Perspectives on Second Language Learning and Teaching. Second Language Learning and Teaching. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-23547-4_4

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