Using Metaphors to Investigate the Images of Countries

Abstract

This study researched the use of metaphor among students and teachers to determine the images they had in their minds regarding a specific set of developed countries, and in doing so, utilized a longitudinal design carried out over four stages between November 2015 and November 2018 within a large metropolitan city in Turkey. The study findings revealed that the mental images of both teachers and students contained various stereotypical views about these developed countries. The participants appeared to have the most negative mental images about France, the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US), while having the most positive images about Australia and Japan. It was concluded that there is a strong relationship between metaphor creation and age, and that metaphor production increases rapidly as the students get older and more knowledgeable. It was also determined that metaphor quality and production rate decreases as teachers’ professional seniority increased.