Metaphor (SLA) — the study of how metaphorical language is processed and acquired in a second language — including conceptual metaphor theory and the challenges of figurative language for L2 learners.

Definition

The study of how metaphorical language is processed and acquired in a second language — including conceptual metaphor theory and the challenges of figurative language for L2 learners.

In Depth

The study of how metaphorical language is processed and acquired in a second language — including conceptual metaphor theory and the challenges of figurative language for L2 learners.

In-Depth Explanation

Metaphor in SLA refers to the acquisition, processing, and use of figurative language — particularly conceptual metaphors — by second language learners. It draws on Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT, Lakoff & Johnson 1980) and applies it to the challenges of understanding and producing non-literal language in an L2.

Conceptual Metaphor Theory basics:

Metaphors are not merely rhetorical ornaments but fundamental cognitive structures through which humans understand abstract concepts in terms of more concrete ones:

• Source domain (concrete, familiar) → Target domain (abstract, unfamiliar)
• Time is money: spend time, waste time, save time, invest time, run out of time
• Argument is war: attack a position, defend a claim, shoot down an argument, win a debate

L2 challenges with metaphor:

Japanese-specific metaphor considerations:

• Temporal orientation: In Japanese, mae (前, front/before) can refer to past (historically in front of you), and ushiro (後, behind) to future — some research suggests Japanese speakers may conceptualise time differently from English speakers, though this is debated
• Colour metaphors: Jealousy is yakimochi (焼もち, literally “burning rice cake”), not “green with envy”— completely different metaphorical source
• Kotoba no ma (言葉の間): the spaces between words; metaphorical framing of communicative gaps differs from Western cognitive metaphors of communication

Metaphor awareness in L2 vocabulary learning (Boers 2000, 2001): Learners who receive explicit instruction on the conceptual metaphors underlying L2 idioms retain them better than learners who study meanings alone. The metaphorical motivation (even partially transparent) aids memory encoding.

History

Lakoff & Johnson’s Metaphors We Live By (1980) established CMT as a major paradigm in cognitive linguistics. SLA applications began in the 1990s with César Felix-Brasdefer and others applying CMT to L2 idiom learning. Boers (2000, 2001) produced influential experimental evidence for metaphor awareness in vocabulary instruction. Littlemore & Low (2006) Figurative Thinking and Foreign Language Learning synthesised the field. Hanks’ Lexical Analysis (2013) brought corpus perspectives to metaphor in L2 production.

Common Misconceptions

• “Learners can infer all metaphors from transparent motivations.” Many conventional metaphors have lost their transparent motivation through conventionalisation. “Kick the bucket” cannot be decoded from its components.
• “Conceptual metaphors are universal.” While some appear cross-culturally (LIFE IS A JOURNEY; ARGUMENT IS WAR), many are culture-specific and cannot be assumed to transfer from L1.
• “Metaphor is only a literary concern.” Conventional metaphorical language accounts for a significant proportion of everyday vocabulary and requires L2 attention as much as grammar.
• “Avoiding metaphors is possible in L2.” Much everyday language (come up with an idea, break a promise, seize an opportunity) is metaphorical. Avoidance severely limits L2 expressiveness.

Social Media Sentiment

Conceptual metaphor theory appears in popular linguistics content and academic social media with strong engagement — particularly visualisations of LIFE IS A JOURNEY or TIME IS MONEY metaphors, and examples of cross-cultural conceptual metaphor variation. Japanese-English metaphor contrasts (yakimochi vs. green with envy; time and money expressions) are a common “interesting linguistic difference” content format.

Last updated: 2026-04

Practical Application

• Idiom learning: When studying Japanese idiomatic expressions (怒りを買う, 山を越さない, 眼を障る), identify the underlying conceptual metaphor where possible. Connecting the expression to its source domain image improves retention.
• Colour metaphors: Learn Japanese emotional metaphor expressions explicitly — they don’t map onto English equivalents. 疾む、焼く, etc.
• Body-part metaphors: Japanese uses body-part-based metaphors extensively (kokoro, hara, hana) that reflect different conceptual mappings from English. Memorising both the literal and extended meanings simultaneously is efficient.
• Reading authentic Japanese: Attention to metaphorical language in authentic reading — noticing when a concrete word is used abstractly — develops figurative language awareness beyond the lesson context.

Related Terms

• Figurative Language
• Idiom Acquisition
• Vocabulary Acquisition
• Cognitive Linguistics

See Also

Sakubo – Study Japanese

Sources

• Lakoff, G., & Johnson, M. (1980). Metaphors We Live By. University of Chicago Press. The foundational work establishing Conceptual Metaphor Theory.
• Boers, F. (2000). Metaphor awareness and vocabulary retention. Applied Linguistics, 21(4), 553–571. Experimental evidence for metaphor-awareness-enhanced vocabulary retention.
• Littlemore, J., & Low, G. (2006). Figurative Thinking and Foreign Language Learning. Palgrave Macmillan. Comprehensive synthesis of CMT applications to L2 figurative language acquisition.