A Study of the Role of Metaphor Instruction in English Education in Universities of China

Abstract

This study explores strategies to enhance college students' English second language (L2) reading abilities from the perspective of conceptual metaphor theory. Metaphors are pervasive in English reading, from vocabulary to syntax and discourse levels. This research aims to optimize students' L2 reading performance by systematically improving their metaphorical cognitive abilities. It employs language tests and cognitive tasks to reveal the current state and weaknesses of students' metaphor cognition, such as metaphor identification, lexical inference, and discourse coherence understanding. The study also investigates students' self-employed metaphor comprehension strategies through questionnaires and interviews and proposes an empirical data-based metaphorical cognitive optimization strategy framework. This framework includes a “metaphor cognitive barrier model” and a “three-dimensional metaphor training framework,” integrating high-scoring students' strategies and theoretical literature to guide teaching practices. The findings suggest that enhancing metaphor awareness and understanding can significantly improve students' reading efficiency and comprehension abilities, offering new insights and methods for L2 reading instruction.