Serbia Elt Newsletter July 2006 Conference Proceedings Tatjana Djurovic Metaphors

8/12/2019 Serbia Elt Newsletter July 2006 Conference Proceedings Tatjana Djurovic Metaphors

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UPS AND DOWNS METAPHORS AND THEIR USE IN THE

CLASSROOM

Tatjana urovi, MA, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Economics, Belgrade

e-mail address [email protected]

AbstractThe paper tackles one of the most fundamental conceptual metaphors, the spatializationmetaphor MORE I !", #E I $O%& and tries to sho' ho' it can (e integrated intolearning and teaching process. The main aim is to highlight the pedagogical implications of theuse of metaphors for E" students in order to enhance )oca(ulary (uilding and semanticmemory.

Introduction

The metaphor has (ecome a dominant and 'idespread feature of natural language. This holds

true for not only e)eryday language or literature, (ut also for technical and academic

language, particularly 'ith regard to economics discourse. The analysis of metaphors in this

paper is set 'ithin the frame'ork of *ogniti)e #inguistics. In my )ie', insights from

*ogniti)e #inguistics can significantly impro)e the teaching and learning of figurati)e

language in (oth +eneral and usiness English. To demonstrate this, I-)e chosen one of the

most fundamental conceptual metaphors, the spatial or orientational, !"$O%& metaphor.

efore gi)ing some practical tips on ho' to integrate this metaphor into learning and

teaching process, it is necessary to (riefly outline the key notions of contemporary metaphor

theory. Therefore, the paper is di)ided into three parts. The first part summarizes the most

rele)ant ideas of *ogniti)e #inguistics pertaining to metaphor. In the second part, I-ll try to

illustrate my points 'ith e/amples and e/ercises. 0inally, I-ll stress the pedagogical

implications of the use of metaphors in the classroom.

1. A cognitive approach to metaphor

The (asic tenet of contemporary, cogniti)e theory of figurati)eness is that metaphor is

per)asi)e not only in e)eryday language, (ut also in all forms of communication, including

technical and academic language. The central characteristic of #akoff-s and 1ohnson-s theory


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234567, t'o most influential authors of contemporary )ie' on metaphor, is that the metaphor

is not a property of indi)idual linguistic e/pressions and their meanings, (ut of 'hole

conceptual domains. Thus, at the heart of their theory is the conce!tual meta!"or 'hich

consists of a source and target domain. #akoff and 1ohnson use a formula of T8R+ET

$OM8I& I O!R*E $OM8I& to descri(e the metaphorical connection (et'een the t'o

domains. More precisely, any concept from the source domain, i.e. the domain that pro)ides

the literal meaning of the e/pression can (e used to descri(e a concept in the target domain,

i.e. the domain that the sentence is actually a(out. The source domain is al'ays concrete

'hile the target domain is a(stract, so 'e understand a(stract concepts in terms of concrete

e/periences and feelings. In order to decode the meaning of target domain a 'hole set of

metaphorical relations or ma!!ings (et'een conceptual domains is used. Therefore,

according to cogniti)e linguists the metaphor is not just a matter of language, (ut of thought

and reason. #akoff 234497 emphasizes that :contemporary metaphor theorists commonly use

the term meta!"orto refer to the conceptual mapping, and the term meta!"orical e#!ression

to refer to an indi)idual linguistic e/pression that is sanctioned (y a mapping:. o, metaphor,

as a phenomenon, in)ol)es (oth conceptual mappings and indi)idual linguistic e/pressions.

%hat is the link (et'een metaphor regarded 'ithin the frame'ork of *ogniti)e

#inguistics and E"; imply put, if the core principle of contemporary theory of

figurati)eness regarding per)asi)eness and naturalness of metaphors is accepted, that means

then that metaphor is a 'idespread feature of, in this case, economics discourse. The

corollary is that figurati)e language should (e an important component of E0# and E"

curricula.

2. Practical solutions

In this part of the paper I-ll try to pro)ide e)idence of the usefulness of cogniti)e approach to

metaphors and the adaptation of this approach for pedagogical purposes. The metaphor that

I-)e chosen is spatial or orientational metaphor, in #ako)ian terms, MORE I !", #E I

$O%& 'hich pro)es to (e a rich source of many metaphorical e/pressions in +eneral and

usiness English. The MORE I !"metaphor is one of the most primary metaphors (ecause it


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is grounded in our e/perience in the common e/periences of pouring more fluid into a

M$%Ecorresponds in such e/periences to&'andLESScorresponds to($)*.

0or a start, the students of economics need to (e instructed that 'ords and e/pressions

'hich can (e used to descri(e money mo)ements or num(ers in general refer to up'ard and

do'n'ard mo)ements, i.e. are the metaphorical realizations of !"$O%&metaphor. 0or

e/ample,

MORE IS UP

Stoc+s'ith large di)idends rose strongly.

Sales of handheld computers keep going up.

The company-ss"areof o)erseas assets reached a peakin .

To most 8mericans, the sky-ig !rice of petrol may (e the clearest sign of 'hat ishappening.

ad ne's for (orro'ers.nterest ratesareskyro!ke"ing#

LESS IS DOWN

If the go)ernment fails to cut its (udget deficit, t"e dollar'ill $a%%more sharply and (ondyields 'ill rise.

S"are !ricesde!%ined sharply last 'eek.

?o' %o& mightthedollarsink;

container and seeing the le)el go up, or adding more

things to a pile and seeing the pile get higher. These

are our )ery per)asi)e, e)ery day e/periences. They

are also e/periences 'ith a structure or

correspondence (et'een the conceptual domain of

uantity and the conceptual domain of verticality


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Thedollarhas no' started to s%ideagain this 'eek it hit A3.


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SIC(NESS IS DOWN

The ne/t e/ercise can (e a (lend of t'o conceptual metaphors 'ith underlying !"

$O%& scheme. The e/ercise instruction goes as follo's

UP can (e conceptualized as a7 CONTROL IS UP, (7 HI)H STATUS IS UP 'hileDOWNcan (e conceptualized as c7 SU*ORDINATION IS DOWN, d7 LOW STATUS IS

DOWN. Match the follo'ing e/amples 'ith the corresponding metaphor.

They ha)e po'erCcontrol overtheir staff. A

he-s completely underhis thum(. C

?e-s at the!ea+.!innacleof his career. *

I am on to!of the situation. A

?is po'er is on the decline. C

hefellin status. D

%e can pro)ide additional e/amples of (oth conceptual metaphors together 'ith )isual

representation 'here possi(le.

CONTROL IS UP

?e $e%%ill.

?e-s sinkingfast.

he cameC'ent do&n 'ith theflu.

?is "ealt" is de!%ining.

he 'as %aid %o&for t'o 'eeks 'ith a )irus.

I ended up !o%%apsing'ith e/haustion.


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?e remained at the "opfor ten years, until his retirement.

?e-s in a superiorposition.

he holds the iges"position in the company.

?e-s at the eig" of his po'er.

?e-s in the igcommand.

?e-s in the upperechelon.

?is po'er rose.

?e ranks a+o,eme in strength.

SU*ORDINATION IS DOWN

?e-s undermy control.

I (egan my career as a %o&%y office 'orker.

The go)ernment $e%%from po'er.

?e is my social in$erior.

?e is %o&man on the totem pole.

They 'ere do&n"roddenand oppressed.

HI)H STATUS IS UP


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LOW STATUS IS DOWN

?e-s at the +o""o'of the social hierarchy.

he $e%%in status.

?is political am(ition led to his do&n$a%%.

?e-ll riseto the "opof the organization.

E)eryone in this neigh(orhood is up&ard%y mo(ile.

Many people commented on his rapid as!en" up the ladder.

he-s !%i'+ing'o,ing up the ladder.

They are riding igin the opinion polls.

They are riding on "e !res" o$ a &a,eat the moment.

&ot many people reach those di..y eig"s.

8 rising star is a person, especially a young one, 'ho isBuickly (ecoming important or famous.

8fter that, she hit ro!k +o""o'.

8 year later his career nosedi,ed.

8nother dot.com is a(out to +i"e "e dus".

%elfare cuts ha)e reduced the income of those at the+o""o' o$ "e pi%e.


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0inally, the follo'ing gapfilling e/ercise can (e found in the te/t(ook for students in

their fourth year of studies at the 0aculty of Economics, elgrade, and is related to

conceptual metaphor HONEST/ IS UP0 DISHONEST/ IS DOWN.

Fill in t"e /lan+s using 0ords from t"e /o#1

"ig" ground under"and 2lo03 lofty fall from grace a/ove

lo0 stoo! u!rig"t lo0do0n u!standing

3. he has )ery DD2#O%7DDDDDDDDDDDDDD standards.


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#O% T8T! I $O%& can (e found in the fact again from ordinary life that rich and

famous people rather li)e on the hills, 'ith the (est )ie's, or that :the pri)ileged in cities

such as &e' Fork li)e on the top floors of the tallest residential (uildings.: 2ro'n,

Serbia Elt Newsletter July 2006 Conference Proceedings Tatjana Djurovic Metaphors

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