Conceptual Metaphor 3301-JF169
Descriptive issues taken up during the course cover, first of all, three basic experiential domains: life, emotions, and time, which – in terms of conceptual metaphor theory – constitute three different target domains of numerous conventional conceptual metaphors, such as: LIFE IS A JOURNEY, LIFE IS A GAMBLING GAME, EMOTIONS ARE FORCES, DESIRE IS HUNGER, TIME IS MOTION, TIME IS MONEY.
Many examples of linguistic realizations of conceptual metaphors are analysed; they are referred to as linguistic metaphorical expressions, or verbal/linguistic metaphors. Even though realizations of conceptual metaphors in everyday language constitute the main aim of analyses, their manifestations in poetry and fiction, as well as their non-linguistic (non-verbal) expression in gestures, print advertisements, paintings, sculpture, architecture are also considered.
The chief source of data: English.
Key terms and issues:
• the nature of metaphorical mappings.
• common source domains and target domains.
• image schemas as metaphorical source domains.
• kinds of metaphor (orientational, structural, image ("one-shot") metaphors.
• metaphorical entailments.
• coherence of metaphor.
• metaphor systems (The Great Chain of Being System; The Event Structure System).
• universality of conceptual metaphors.
• metaphor in language acquisition: primary metaphors (universal).
• cultural variation of metaphors.
Type of course
Mode
Self-reading
Prerequisites (description)
Course coordinators
Learning outcomes
Learning outcomes for students admitted before the academic year 2022/2023
Upon completing the course students will have:
Knowledge about:
• Lakoff and Johnson's (1980) theory of conceptual metaphor.
• metaphor in language and thought.
• non-linguistic (non-verbal) expression of conceptual metaphor.
Skills that will allow them to:
• analyse metaphorical expressions in language (i.e. verbal metaphors) as well as non-linguistic realizations of conceptual metaphors in, e.g.: print advertisements, paintings, architecture.
Competence that will allow them to:
• critically read the literature on Lakoff and Johnson's (1980) conceptual metaphor theory.
• further develop their interest in other cognitive approaches to metaphor, as well as cognitive linguistics in general.
• establish cooperation with specialists in natural language processing (NLP) technologies that would reside in development of systems for automatic recognition, production, and generation of metaphorical speech/metaphorical text.
• establish cooperation with specialists in natural language processing (NLP) technologies that would reside in improving machine translation systems.
Education at language level B2+
Learning outcomes for students admitted after the academic year 2022/2023
KNOWLEDGE
Students know and understand:
• foundations of the conceptual metaphor theory by Lakoff and Johnson (1980).
• distinction of metaphors in language and in thought.
•non-linguistic (non-verbal) expression of conceptual metaphor.
SKILLS
Students will be able to:
•apply theoretical tools of the theory of conceptual metaphor by Lakoff and Johnson (1980) to describe metaphorical expressions in language (i.e. verbal metaphors) as well as non-linguistic realizations of conceptual metaphors in, e.g.: print advertisements, paintings, architecture.
• critically read the literature on the description of metaphors in language and thought.
• recognize differences between diverse methodological approaches to research of verbal and on-verbal realizations of conceptual metaphor.
• present their knowledge in a coherent, precise and linguistically correct manner in English on level C2 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, using appropriate register and form.
• communicate with diverse groups of participants, and in particular about metaphorical expressions in language (i.e. verbal metaphors) as well as non-linguistic realizations of conceptual metaphors in, e.g.: print advertisements, paintings, architecture.
• further develop their interest in other cognitive approaches to metaphor and to cognitive linguistics in general.
• establish cooperation with specialists in natural language processing (NLP) technologies that would reside in development of systems for automatic recognition, production, and generation of metaphorical speech/metaphorical text.
• establish cooperation with specialists in natural language processing (NLP) technologies that would reside in improving machine translation systems.
SOCIAL COMPETENCE
Students will be ready to:
• critically assess their own linguistic knowledge and skills related to the collection, analysis, and interpretation of metaphorical expressions in language (i.e. verbal metaphors) as well as non-linguistic realizations of conceptual metaphors in, e.g.: print advertisements, paintings, architecture.
• venture on lifelong learning and personal and professional development, applying knowledge and skills obtained during the course, and in particular their abilities to critically study academic literature.
• take responsibility for performing their professional duties, with due respect for the work of others.
• strive at formulating their views in a precise and trustworthy manner.
• care about the application of ethical norms in professional and academic conduct, as well as about development of professional ethos and ethical principles and norms in academia.
Assessment criteria
• Form: Discussions and analytical tasks to be done individually and in small groups.
• The basis for the final grade is the result of the written mid-term (40%) and the final test (60%); types of test questions: multiple choice, filling-in blanks, one short open question.
• 10% extra can be gained from an optional written assignment; active participation in the discussions may also raise the final grade.
• Up to three absences are allowed.
Bibliography
Basic readings (textbook):
Kövecses, Zoltán. 2002. Metaphor. A Practical Introduction. New York: Oxford UP.
Further readings:
Benczes, Réka, and Bence Ságvári. 2018. “Where metaphors really come from: Social factors as contextual influence in Hungarian teenagers’ metaphorical conceptualizations of life”. Cognitive Linguistics 29 (1): 121–154.
Górska, Elżbieta. 2008. "Four arguments for patterns of metaphorical thought". Acta Philologica 35: 15-31.
Górska, Elżbieta. 2009. "On the diversity of linguistic evidence for conceptual metaphor". Studia Anglica Posnaniensia 45(2): 81-106.
Górska, Elżbieta. 2010. "LIFE IS MUSIC: A case study of a novel metaphor and its use in discourse". English Text Construction 3/2, 275-293.
Górska, Elżbieta. 2017. "The PATH schema in verbo-pictorial aphorisms on LIFE". In Route 66: From Deep Structures to Surface Meanings. A Festschrift for Henryk Kardela on his 66th Birthday, edited by Przemysław Łozowski, and Adam Głaz, 219–235. Lublin: Maria Curie-Skłodowska University Press.
Górska, Elżbieta. 2020. Understanding Abstract Concepts across Modes in Multimodal Discourse. A Cognitive Linguistic Approach. London and New York: Routledge.
Górska, Elżbieta. 2021. "Analysing language and multimodal discourse by means of the NEAR-FAR image schema". Prace Filologiczne 76: 129–150. https://doi.org/10.32798/pf.849
Kövecses, Zoltán. 2000. Metaphor and Emotion: Language, Culture and Body in Human Feeling. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Kövecses, Zoltán. 2005. Metaphor and Culture. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Kövecses, Zoltán. 2020. "An extended view of conceptual metaphor theory". Review of Cognitive Linguistics 18 (1): 112–130.
Lakoff, George, and Mark Johnson. 1980. Metaphors we Live by. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Lee, David. 2001. Cognitive Linguistics: An Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Pérez-Sobrino, Paula, Elena Semino, Iraide Ibarretxe-Antuñano, Veronika Koller and Inés Olza. 2022. "Acting like a hedgehog in times of pandemic: Metaphorical creativity in the #reframecovid collection". Metaphor and Symbol 37(2): 127–139.
Stockwell, Peter. 2019. Cognitive Poetics. An Introduction. 2nd Edition. London: Routledge.
Additional information
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