Using The Conceptual Metaphor Theory To Teach Idiom: A Pedagogical Method To Teach Figurative Language In English As A Second Language (ESL) Classroom

Abstract

The paper examines the application of Conceptual Metaphor Theory and how it can be utilized to teach idiomatic expressions with particular reference to the benefits of metaphor-based teaching in learning idioms among ESL students. Generally, idioms are culturally tied and figurative expressions that are extremely hard to master by ESL learners because their meanings are not the same as the words used. In the conventional methods of learning and teaching idiom, the information is taught and used by rote learning and contextual awareness, and is not associated with the intricate storage mechanisms in the brain. By encouraging the assimilation of CMT that repositions the scene of thinking to the idea that metaphors are fundamental human thought processes where concepts are created, the idioms can then be instructed on the basis of the metaphors that the idioms have. The purpose of this paper is to identify the effect of CMT-based instruction versus direct instruction on intermediate level ESL students through the design of an experiment. Thus, teaching through metaphors leads to a higher level of mastering idiomatic expressions as students who received CMT scored higher in comprehending and using idioms. The present research contributes to the existing body of literature on the application of metaphor- based instruction in ESL classrooms; it also offers valuable insights into how CMT can be integrated into the teaching of idioms.