The Use of Metaphor in University Lectures and the Problems that it Causes for Overseas Students

Abstract

This article describes a study that looked at the presence of metaphor in lectures given in an International Development department at a British university, and at the problems that this caused for overseas students. It was found that metaphor was extremely prevalent and that it was used mainly for evaluative purposes. The interpretations given by overseas students differed significantly from those offered by university lecturers. The overseas students tended to focus on inappropriate connotations of the vehicle in the metaphor. This often meant that they misunderstood the main points of the lecture and, more importantly, misinterpreted the lecturer's stance towards the topic of the lecture. A number of ways are suggested in which this problem might be alleviated.