Novel Metaphor Recognition, Interpretation and Construction: Barriers Face Kurds as Non-native English Speakers

Abstract

This study which is titled ‘Novel Metaphor Recognition and Interpretation: Barriers Face Kurds as Non-native English speakers’ considers the recognition and the interpretation process difficulty of English novel metaphors. Novel metaphor is one of the most problematic types of metaphor in which its creation, recognition and interpretation usually require a higher level of efficiency. This sort of metaphor is highly connected with personal established conceptual systems which probably cause misunderstanding among interactants: native and non-native ones. This study aims at identifying novel metaphor, determining the nature of problems that Kurds as non-native English speakers face in recognizing novel metaphors in English. Thus, it would be helpful for both non-native English learners and speakers to improve their English comprehension and construction competence. The current study makes use of both quantitative and qualitative approach in the process of data analysis; and it has come up with the conclusion that the insufficiency in English communicative language competence, cognitive analysis proficiency, and background knowledge are three main problems in the process of recognizing and interpreting novel metaphors.