Cognitive Linguistic Approach Research Articles

How to Do “Ought” with “Is”? A Cognitive Linguistics Approach to the Normativity of Legal Language

How to Do “Ought” with “Is”? A Cognitive Linguistics Approach to the Normativity of Legal Language

How a Female Cartoonist Has Become Even More Famous Than Her Male Peers: A Cognitive Linguistic Approach

Political cartooning has always been a male-dominated profession. Though this could be partly explained by the fact that many female cartoonists suffer sexism at work, it reignites the dreaded “women aren’t funny” argument, a preconception that largely stems from the stereotype of a polite, reserved woman. Indeed, women such as star architect Zaha Hadid have launched their careers into the stratosphere in spite of discrimination. A systematic analysis of a female cartoonist’s work may thus not only shatter tired gender stereotypes―it may explain why there are apparently fewer female humorists in general. This study, informed by insights from cognitive corpus pragmatics, aims at explaining why Doaa Eladl is the Arab world’s most famous female cartoonist. Part of her success, it is suggested, lies in challenging some societal and cultural stereotypes that women are often pinned with, but also in having an idiosyncratic style. She frequently uses taboo metaphors and discusses sensitive topics such as FGM and sexual harassment. But far more interesting is her occasional resistance to the WOMAN AS OBJECT metaphor. To reach wider audiences, Eladl often publishes English-language versions of her cartoons and employs metaphorical source domains from Christianity. She has comic heroes that have become the reader’s dear friends, but also meme-like cartoons that contain photoshopped stills. All this has implications for gender studies, humor research, metaphor scholarship, and media (digital or otherwise).

Translating the event-structure concepts from Saudi Arabic into English: A cognitive linguistic approach

Translating the event-structure concepts from Saudi Arabic into English: A cognitive linguistic approach

Contrasting the semantics of prepositions through a cognitive linguistic approach

Abstract Many studies on cognitive-semantic analysis focus on the patterns of polysemy of prepositions and the explanation of how the multiple senses of prepositions are related in systematic ways. Only a few publications pay attention to the contrastive analysis of prepositions in different languages. The article addresses this gap in research literature and aims: to present a contrastive analysis of the English preposition on and its Italian and Russian partial equivalents in order to uncover the main areas of semantic asymmetry between them; to compare patterns of semantic extensions (from spatial to nonspatial senses) of these prepositions, and to determine how the similarities and differences in their spatial senses explain the similarities and differences in their nonspatial senses. The article follows a conceptual metaphor approach. Since most of the conceptual metaphors and metonyms are common cross-linguistically, similarities in patterns of semantic extensions of prepositions can be explained through the conceptual metaphors and metonymies on which these extensions are based. The article also demonstrates how the similarities and differences in spatial senses of the English preposition on, Italian su, and Russian na explain the similarities and differences in their nonspatial senses.

Teaching with Conceptual Metaphors: A Cognitive linguistic approach to Japanese Idioms Teaching

In recent studies, the importance of developing metaphorical competence for L2 learners has been highlighted by many cognition linguists. Applying metaphor instruction in language education is increasingly considered as an effective way of improving language teaching. This paper discusses the underlying metaphorical structures and semantic construction of Japanese idiomatic expressions centered on idioms of human body. Based on that, this paper attempts to explore some strategies for Japanese idioms teaching to Chinese JFL learners from the basic perspectives of conceptual metaphors.

Multimodality in online animated lectures: A case study of TED-Ed from a cognitive linguistic approach

Multimodality in online animated lectures: A case study of TED-Ed from a cognitive linguistic approach

A new consonant-vowel architecture: Japanese borrowings from European languages from the viewpoint of Complexity Scales and Licensing

This study endeavors to undertake a comparative analysis of aspect in English and Moroccan Arabic, hereafter referred to as MA, adopting a cognitive linguistic approach, with special attention to the categorization of different situation types as proposed by Radden and Dirven (2007). It also aims to highlight the aspect areas that may challenge Moroccan EFL learners when acquiring this English grammatical construction. The study reveals that aspect is treated differently in English and MA. English aspect hinges on the viewing frame adopted. Therefore, the shift from one viewing frame to another results in the change from one situation type to another. By contrast, in MA, the perfective use calls for the adoption of a maximal viewing frame. However, the imperfective use calls for two interpretations: the event can be seen with either a maximal or a restricted viewing frame. In the absence of elements that co-determine the aspect in MA, general context is the only indication of the appropriate interpretation. The differences in the aspectual systems of English and MA may lead to difficulties in language acquisition. MA learners attempting to learn English, and vice versa, may face challenges in learning both the grammatical structure and its associated meanings.

A contrastive analysis of aspect in English and Moroccan Arabic

This study endeavors to undertake a comparative analysis of aspect in English and Moroccan Arabic, hereafter referred to as MA, adopting a cognitive linguistic approach, with special attention to the categorization of different situation types as proposed by Radden and Dirven (2007). It also aims to highlight the aspect areas that may challenge Moroccan EFL learners when acquiring this English grammatical construction. The study reveals that aspect is treated differently in English and MA. English aspect hinges on the viewing frame adopted. Therefore, the shift from one viewing frame to another results in the change from one situation type to another. By contrast, in MA, the perfective use calls for the adoption of a maximal viewing frame. However, the imperfective use calls for two interpretations: the event can be seen with either a maximal or a restricted viewing frame. In the absence of elements that co-determine the aspect in MA, general context is the only indication of the appropriate interpretation. The differences in the aspectual systems of English and MA may lead to difficulties in language acquisition. MA learners attempting to learn English, and vice versa, may face challenges in learning both the grammatical structure and its associated meanings.

A map of living: Moving through the variations of life with the guidance of metaphors

Metaphors are commonly used in psychotherapy, especially in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Moreover, people use metaphors spontaneously in their everyday lives when trying to understand and make sense of complex issues. Relational Frame Theory (RFT) allows an analysis of metaphors as relating relations, where establishing coordination between a more concrete or familiar semantic domain with a more challenging target domain has pragmatic effects. A total of 806 Spanish-speaking participants were asked to provide a metaphor about life and to explain how they understood this metaphor. Their responses were analysed using reflexive Thematic Analysis (TA). The RFT and contributions from the cognitive linguistics approach to metaphors were used to interpret the patterns identified in the discourse on life metaphors. Participants' metaphors were organised into four themes: (1) recognition of variation in life, (2) attempts to make sense of variation in life, (3) problems with variation in life, and (4) evaluation of life as essentially positive or negative. Metaphors to recognise the multiplicity of events within life use “container”-related source-networks. Meaning in life is denoted through using networks connected with “movement toward a destination”, “human/natural development”, “fiction”, and “game and sports”, whereas metaphors involving disruptions in such patterns of change denote meaninglessness. Metaphors may also use particular qualities of entities and objects to signal positive and negative aspects of life. A variety of experiences connected with the source-networks of metaphors may be involved in the transfer of stimulus functions to the target-network “life”. Qualitative analysis of life metaphors from the RFT perspective offers valuable insights on how metaphors function in everyday life and how they can be used in clinical work.

La competencia metafórica y la didáctica del español/L2

This study aims to examine the role of metaphor in the process of teaching and learning a second language (L2), more specifically, L2 Spanish. As part of one of the most popular research lines in the field of Ap- plied Linguistics, i.e., L2 teaching and learning, this research is based on a Cognitive Linguistics approach to language. It presents metaphors not as mere stylistic and rhetorical mechanisms, but as critical components of everyday language and fundamental mechanisms of conceptualization of the world (Lakoff & Johnson, 1980). After providing a summary of the literature exploring the relationship between metaphor and L2 pedagogy and learning, focusing on conceptual metaphor theory and metaphorical competence, we will present the results of a case study with intermediate learners. The empirical investigation exam- ines whether their metaphoric competence is enhanced after the intervention and whether there is a relationship between learners’ general metaphorical competence and linguistic competence –comprehension and production– of a complex metaphorical linguistic construction that expresses emotions.

Metonymic motivations behind paragonic uses of proper names in political discourse: a cognitive linguistic approach

Metonymic motivations behind paragonic uses of proper names in political discourse: a cognitive linguistic approach

The School Textbook and its Role in Strengthening the Reading and Writing Strategies of the Primary School Learner: A Cognitive Linguistic Didactic Approach.

This study tries to highlight factors contributing to ineffective teaching strategies of Arabic reading and writing skills in the 1st and 2nd cycles of basic education, namely in the Moroccan public schools. This study considers that such decay is basically related to school Textbooks designed to pupils at first and second grade. In our opinion, this can be seen through the absence of a systematic vision of the textbook that would develop some of the linguistic abilities and meta-linguistic shown by children in the preschool. According to the analysis provided by the interactive models of the learning processes of reading and writing in its early stages (first and second cycles of basic education), children acquire a large body of tacit knowledge of their mother tongue before (régularité phonologique) (cf.: Ecalle et Meganan.2002); They also develop important cognitive abilities to recognize the alphabet, some of which are supportive of building their future learning abilities of reading and writing. If the achievement of the linguistic competencies associated with the two components of Arabic reading and writing at the primary stage depends mainly on the extent to which the learners are aware of the peculiarities of the sub-lexical level of the language, as it is achieved by activating the procedural link to the lexical level as a basic procedure within the educational learning process, then the purpose of this scientific paper lies in an attempt to answer related questions, such as What are the implications of learning directed to achieve the linguistic competencies of the reading and writing pathways in the early stages of learning? To what extent do the pedagogical and dialectical directions included in the textbooks develop the linguistic abilities that the learners show, and which are specific to the components of reading and writing? Are the competencies of the learners of the first and second levels commensurate with what is supposed to be mentally represented by the learners of this stage about the alphabetical layout? And how can we benefit from the most important results presented by the interactive models to develop the course content of the first and second levels in a way that it becomes more effective in supporting the literacy strategies of the learners of this stage?

The fight metaphor in translation: From patriotism to pragmatism

Abstract The fight metaphors discussed in this article are linguistic expressions of physical conflict, a revolutionary legacy that still lingers in contemporary Chinese political discourse. This article takes a critical cognitive-linguistic approach to fight metaphors in translation, analysing a dataset comprising the Chinese governmental and Communist Party of China’s congressional reports and their official English-language translations from 2004 to 2020. The discussion highlights conceptual metaphor’s representational role and its ideological potential in discourse, and operationalises the English-based metaphor identification procedure (Steen et al. 2010) for Mandarin texts. Drawing on corpus-based evidence, the article argues that fight metaphors in the source texts (STs) legitimise and consolidate Beijing’s dominance of domestic power by generating positive representations and reproducing patriotic ideology. The translations of those metaphors transform Beijing’s image, assertive in the STs, into a non-aggressive one for the international readership. The target texts (TTs) also reproduce favourable representations from the STs to justify China’s unique political system and to satisfy a pragmatic need – that of constructing positive images for the Chinese authority and China internationally.

The Effect of Cognitive Linguistic Approach in Teaching English Vocabulary

Vocabulary is very crucial to language because without words, language has no meaning at all. There has been a history of thousands of years of research on vocabulary acquisition and teaching, however, language teachers are still facing a huge challenge now, that is how to help students acquire the words quickly and effectively. This paper puts forward cognitive teaching strategy which has a new approach into vocabulary teaching. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of cognitive linguistic approach in teaching English vocabulary at a public university in Vietnam. A total of 35 students participated in this study. The instruments of the study were pre-test, post-test. The study showed that CLA can give an effect on teaching Vocabulary because the score of students’ vocabulary after being taught CLA was higher than before applying CLA in the class. It is hoped that this study would offer educators and researchers a practical teaching strategy for increasing students' vocabulary in language classes.

Translations of overtones in classical Arabic poetry: Optimality theory as a quality assessment framework

Languages possess different tools to intensify speech overtones. While the resulting effect is semantic, grammatical, phonological, or lexical devices may be used. Words can be motivated in three ways: phonetically, morphologically, and semantically. Phonological motivation is part of the fabric of classical poetry. This study is concerned with the language used in Arabic poetry, which is made sufficiently sonorant to reflect the psyche and emotional status of the poet through the intensification of speech overtones. When translated into Western languages, the speech overtones of this poetry are not always evident. This study adopts the mechanisms of optimality theory, a cognitive linguistic approach. The mechanisms of this theory are adapted into assessment tools that can be used to evaluate the acoustic overtones of translations from classical Arabic poetry into English and French. The study uses a comparative strategy to assess a corpus of 13 French and English translations of a sample verse from classical Arabic poetry.

COVID-19 Vaccine Framing: The Case of Astrazenca and Twitter Users

Framing of health messages on social media can impact health choices and behaviour such as vaccine uptake. The present study aimed to examine how AstraZeneca has been framed on social media, characterize Twitter users who have engaged in the distribution of health-related information about the AstraZeneca vaccine, and demonstrate the impact of various frames on user engagement. Tweets with a collective total of more than 159,000 words were gathered from tweets posted during the second and third week of March 2021 and analyzed using a cognitive linguistics approach, i.e., frame semantics. In addition, social media mining tools were employed to investigate user engagement. The findings indicate the presence of negative vaccination framing with three sub-systems: the vaccine (i.e., vaccination politics), the government’s response to (in)effectiveness, and citizens (the vaccinated), which are known through public reaction. All frames represented AstraZeneca in a negative light and have implications for health professionals, policies, and practices. Furthermore, Twitter user analysis revealed a link between the condensed nature of the retweets about the AstraZeneca vaccine and the potential spread of health misinformation. The findings inform future research by providing a snapshot of how the public has dealt with recent news of the reported side effects of the AstraZeneca vaccine on social media. The study concludes that the findings provide useful information in understanding the impact of health messages on social media in influencing people’s vaccine uptake.  

The effects of a cognitive linguistic approach on college students’ learning English tenses in Taiwan

This study investigated the effectiveness of cognitive linguistics-based instruction (CLI), as compared to that of traditional instruction (TI), in classrooms where English present and past tenses were taught to Chinese learners of English as a foreign language (EFL). Seventy-nine non-English major freshmen at CEFR B1 level from a Taiwan university were divided into two groups: the CLI group ( N = 41) and the TI group ( N = 38). In CLI, the cognitive notion of immediacy/non-immediacy for the present/past tenses and how prototypical and peripheral senses of the English tenses are tackled in cognitive linguistics were introduced, and then interpretation tasks were given for familiarizing learners with the previously learned information. In TI, language facts were explained through grammatical taxonomies, such as generics encoded with simple present, and past events encoded with simple past, followed by interpretation tasks. To measure learning outcomes, a pretest, a posttest, and a delayed posttest were conducted one week before, one week after, and five weeks after the teaching intervention. A questionnaire was also given to explore learners’ learning awareness about English tense teaching. Results revealed that CLI could be a more efficient teaching method for tense selection than TI in both short- and long-term learning outcomes. In addition, learners receiving CLI, provided with tools for prospective autonomous learning, may make consistent progress, construct an ability to observe pragmatic contexts, and build better cross-linguistic awareness. These findings suggest positive implications for EFL teachers and researchers in integrating cognitive linguistics with grammar teaching.

Lost in Time? The Socialist Modernist Monuments of the Former Yugoslavia and Their Shifting Conceptualization

This paper explores the “lost language” of monuments erected in the former Yugoslavia from the 1960s to the 1980s—more precisely, the 25 national monuments captured by the lens of photographer Jan Kempenaers over the span of three years (2006−2009), and published in the monograph Spomenik [Monument] (2010). By combining the approach of cognitive linguistics and cultural studies, in particular that of Forceville (“Identifi cation”, “Metaphor”, “Agendas”), Kövecses (Culture, Context), Ortiz, and Kirn and Burghardt, this paper aims to explore the conceptual metaphors embedded in these monuments as part of a specifi c symbolic landscape, immanent to the countries of the former Yugoslavia at a historical point of their four-decades-long political, social, and cultural merger, as well as the current possibilities and limitations of the visual/multimodal decodifi cation of the memorials.

Metaphors of coming out in Polish: A cognitive linguistic approach

Abstract The following qualitative study focuses on the metaphors of coming out in the Polish language. Native Polish speakers were asked to define coming out and then describe their coming out experiences. Data from 94 participants were analysed. The results from the analysis show that, consistently with the previous study on English data (Dyrmo, 2022b), coming out metaphors are based on several different conceptual structures and meaning foci, for example the image schema of FORCE and CONTAINER, the concept of openness and visibility, the domain of MOVEMENT and TRANSFER, the frame of SHARING AN OBJECT and two discursively oriented metaphorical scenarios: COMING OUT IS MAKING YOUR ORIENTATION VISIBLE TO OTHERS and COMING OUT IS SHIFTING A HEAVY OBJECT OFF YOUR SHOULDERS. The present analysis lays ground for further multimodal analyses of coming out metaphors.

The Relationship between a Cognitive Linguistic Approach and the Right-Hemisphere

This study investigated the relationship between a metaphor-based approach to teaching English as a foreign language (EFL) and involvement of the brain’s right hemisphere. Specifically, it examined learners’ understanding of three levels of sureness associated with different expressions in English – those that are certain, probable, and possible items. The three target items were chosen because they are frequently used by native English speakers although Japanese EFL learners often fail to distinguish between them. The metaphor-based learners and the control group engaged in computer-based explicit learning based on the meaning of the target expressions with three-dimensional (3D) animated illustrations. The images were based on the spatial concept of distance for the metaphor-based learners and a list of target items for the control group. At post-test, it was found that the metaphor-based learners performed better than the control group in both comparison and speaking tests. Obviously, the participants better understood the degrees of certainty in relation to distance. This shows that teaching the degrees of certainty by applying the spatial concept of distance could help in second-language (L2) learning. The metaphor approach allowed participants to link the spatial concept of distance to the degree of certainty associated with expressions of certitude. In addition, recordings of lip movements showed that participants remembered the target items better by opening the left side of their mouths more than the right side. This indicates that the brain’s right hemisphere is involved in deep processing of expressions that reflect different levels of certitude and creating stronger memory traces.