Cognitive Styles as Motivating Factors of Language Learners’ Metaphorical Competence: A Case Study Based on Riding’s CSA

Abstract

The paper aims to reveal the relationship between learners' cognitive styles and their metaphorical competence in English. The paper reviewed the influence of cognitive styles on SLA and the cognitive origin of metaphorical competence. The paper made a case study to look into the correlations; the case study investigated the participants' metaphorical competence in English by the designed tests, and examined their cognitive styles by Riding's CSA. The data analysis showed cognitive styles are motivating factors of metaphorical competence: the styles of verbal-imagery dimension have impact on metaphorical awareness, and holistic-analytic dimension have influence on metaphorical comprehension. Participants in the case study showed an obvious tendency of verbal style; participants tending toward holistic style were more sensitive to conceptual metaphor, and participants tending to be analytic performed better in metaphorical comprehension. Achievements in the field of cognitive styles provide new angles to researches into metaphorical competence.