Figurative Thinking and Foreign Language Learning

Many vocabulary items that foreign language learners encounter involve figurative extensions of meaning. To understand figurative speech, learners often need to employ figurative thinking. This book examines figurative thinking, considers its contribution to language ability, and explores the implications for language teaching and learning.

List of Tables List of Figures List of Boxes Acknowledgements Introduction PART 1: FIGURATIVE THINKING What is 'Figurative Thinking'? Why is Figurative Thinking Important for Foreign Language Learners? Psychological Processes Underlying Figurative Thinking Developing Learner Autonomy in Figurative Thinking PART 2: FIGURATIVE THINKING AND COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE ABILITY Figurative Thinking and Sociolinguistic Competence Figurative Thinking and Illocutionary Competence Figurative Thinking and Textual Competence Figurative Thinking and Lexico-grammatical Competence Figurative Thinking and Strategic Competence PART 3: CONCLUSIONS Promoting Figurative Language Competence in the Foreign Language Classroom Notes References Index

JEANNETTE LITTLEMORE is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of English at the University of Birmingham, UK. She has published widely on the teaching and learning of figurative language.

GRAHAM D. LOW is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Educational Studies at the University of York, UK. He is particularly interested in how figurative language is used in written discourse.