The Acquisition of Metaphorical Expressions by Jordanian EFL Learners

This study explored the acquisition of metaphorical expressions by Jordanian EFL learners at the University of Jordan. In particular, it investigated EFL learners' ability to comprehend and produce metaphorical expressions in English and whether using their conceptual and linguistic knowledge of their first language i.e. Jordanian Spoken Arabic (JSA) would assist them in comprehending and producing metaphorical expressions in English. The study adopted a contrastive model to compare and contrast metaphors in both English and JSA. The model consisted of six types of metaphor classified according to: (1) correspondence of conceptual metaphor and linguistic expression between the two languages (2) whether the conceptual metaphor and linguistic expression are culture-specific (opaque) or universal (transparent). On the basis of this model, the authors designed a multiple-choice test to assess the subjects'recognition of the metaphorical expressions and a completion test to measure the subjects' ability to produce metaphors in English. The study concluded with some pedagogical implications that may assist EFL learners to acquire metaphorical expressions in English.