Dos manuais didáticos à compreensão do aprendiz: a relevância da metáfora no ensino-aprendizagem de Inglês como Língua Estrangeira (ILE)

Abstract

Based on the fact that teaching/learning methods and approaches developed in previous centuries haven`t focused on metaphor and taking into account how important it has become to the teaching/learning of English as a Foreign Language (EFL), this study investigates the role of metaphor as an element which can favor this process.This investigation not only describes the treatment which is given to it in sets of books used in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) courses, but also evaluates if the instruction on metaphoric mappings and image schemas which belong in the figurative language contribute to a better understanding on the learner`s part. First, it presents the traditional view of metaphor, which emphasized logic and abstraction, in opposition to the experiential view, which considers metaphor an instrument of cognitive organization and production. This concept is based on Lakoff and Johnson`s (1980, 1999) Theory of Conceptual Metaphor, as well as on Grady`s (1997a) important contributions. The methods used in the documental investigation (which examines the approach in the sets of books), and those used in the semi-experimental one (which investigates if metaphor favors the learner`s understanding), as well as all the proceedings used to obtain and analyze the specific data are then described. Following that, the results are presented and discussed