Spatial Language, Polysemy, and Cross-Linguistic Semantic Mismatches: Cognitive Linguistics Insights into Challenges for Second Language Learners

Abstract

Spatial language has long been recognized as one of the most difficult challenges for second language (L2) learners. Recent advances in linguistics have begun to reveal the complexity and cross-linguistic variation in spatial language, thus offering us tools for better understanding of the difficulties L2 learners face. This article focuses on recent Cognitive Linguistic analyses of the complex, extended semantic networks (polysemy networks) commonly associated with spatial language that codes focus-ground relations. The investigation involves fine grained comparisons of the extended polysemy networks associated with the Russian preposition za and the English prepositions over and at, which are two standard translations of za. The analysis reveals, even though the central figure-ground configurations of za versus over and at are quite different, za has developed key extended meanings which overlap those of over and at. The result is what seems like cross-linguistic semantic mismatches. I hypothesize that L2 learners' difficulties with focus-ground spatial language stem primarily from these cross-linguistic semantic mismatches, rather than difficulties with the central, spatial meanings. The analysis serves as a case study, allowing us to pinpoint extended meanings which are most likely to cause difficulties for L2 learners and provide teachers and learners with systematic, motivated explanations for how these meanings are related to the central, spatial scene.