Abstract

The purpose of this thesis is to demonstrate that the cognitive theory of conceptual metaphor could be applied to English vocabulary teaching in junior high schools, memorizing and application of English vocabulary, and the awareness of metaphor can be raised among junior high school students and teachers in the process of English vocabulary teaching. 

Vocabulary teaching, which used to be ignored by language instructors, is an important component in English instruction. However, traditional methodologies fails to solve the fundamental problem: the comprehension of word meanings. Besides, during vocabulary teaching, the English instructors don’t pay enough attention to the cognitive factors. Metaphor is a tool as well as one of the essential ways of human cognition, but it is seldom used to the English vocabulary teaching in junior high school. So it will be quite meaningful to research the role of conceptual metaphor in English vocabulary teaching and learning. This thesis reveals the significant role of conceptual metaphor in vocabulary teaching and demonstrates that in junior high school the cognitive theory of metaphor can be applicable to English vocabulary teaching, and promote students’ understanding, memorizing and application of the English vocabulary. 

The metaphor is one of the specific approaches of human cognition and thinking patterns. From this perspective, this thesis first expounds that vocabulary teaching has always been the fundamental and difficult points in English teaching, then the author proposes that put the theory of conceptual metaphor into the English vocabulary teaching in high schools. Then the author reviews the studies on English vocabulary teaching at home and abroad, focusing on their importance, major defects and giving the systematic overview and comments on the teaching situation. Following are the theoretical basis of this thesis: the Conceptual Metaphor Theory, the image schema and the associative chain. By the analysis of the definition, nature and classification of conceptual metaphor of Lakoff, the author explores how to use it to learn English polysemy, and how to understand the relationship between some cultural connotation words, as well as how to have a better understanding of the correlation of different meanings. At last, the author shows some shortcomings which are still in this paper and endeavors to raise some expectations. 

Key words: conceptual metaphor; junior high school; English vocabulary teaching

Contents

Abstract

摘  要

Acknowledgments-2

1. Introduction-7

1.1 Purpose of the Study-7

1.2 Significance of the Study-7

1.3 Organization of the Thesis-8

2. Literature Review-9

2.1 Metaphor Theory-9

2.2 Conceptual Metaphor Theory-10

3. Practical application-14

3.1 The application of conceptual metaphor in classroom-14

3.2 Investigation and study after class-16

4. Conclusion-17

4.1 The findings of this study-17

4.2 The implications for teaching-17

4.3 Problems-17

Reference-19