Ibérica (Apr 2009)
A translation approach to metaphor teaching in the LSP classroom: sample exercises from a Business English syllabus
Abstract
Translation can provide a valuable contribution to the teaching of metaphor in the LSP classroom. Although all languages make use of metaphor, neither conceptual metaphors nor their linguistic renderings will necessarily always be the same across languages (Deignan et al., 1997). Thus the extent to which metaphor presents a hurdle for second language learners of professional discourse depends on the extent to which there is overlap between the metaphorical systems of the L1 and the L2. Hence it follows that a better understanding of the similarities and differences in metaphor use between language pairs can help L2 learners of different professional discourses overcome problems of transferring metaphors from one language and culture to another. In this paper I propose a translation approach to metaphor teaching in the LSP classroom, illustrating its use in a Business English syllabus in which some learner-centred cognitive translation activities have been used. The results of using this approach in that application, although still in need of further empirical research, seem to suggest that translation can constitute a valuable pedagogical and communicative means to teach metaphorical concepts and expressions to L2 learners of professional discourses.
