Volume 4, Issue 4, 2023-2024, Pages 65 - 68

Author(s) : pejman karami* ¹

Abstract :
In this paper, I will contend that understanding the images and metaphors held by foreign language learners regarding the essence of the target language and its acquisition can offer significant insights to educators, aiding in addressing various language learning challenges. To uncover learners' perceptions, a questionnaire was distributed to 350 English learners across diverse locations in Iran, prompting them to complete the sentence: "Learning a foreign language is like . . ." After analyzing 200 responses, the obtained metaphors were categorized into broader themes. The implications of these metaphors and their categories, along with plausible theoretical interpretations, are explored within a cognitive-psychological framework.

Keywords :
conceptual metaphor, language acquisition, learners' perceptions, metaphorical analysis, beliefs about language learning