This paper is prompted by a ＂strange phenomenon＂ in L2 teaching and learning as related to listening： it is regarded as ＂easy＂ by teachers, but ＂difficult＂ by students. The paper tries to analyze the difficulti...This paper is prompted by a ＂strange phenomenon＂ in L2 teaching and learning as related to listening： it is regarded as ＂easy＂ by teachers, but ＂difficult＂ by students. The paper tries to analyze the difficulties encountered by the L2 learners in the process of acquiring listening skills and competence in an attempt to find out how these problems are related to classroom teaching, and their implications for pedagogical classroom practice.展开更多
Metaphor is both a phenomenon of language and of thought. Metaphoric competence, a component of language competence, is essential for the acquisition of a language. Difficulties in Metaphor comprehension and productio...Metaphor is both a phenomenon of language and of thought. Metaphoric competence, a component of language competence, is essential for the acquisition of a language. Difficulties in Metaphor comprehension and production lie in the fact that metaphors are culture-specific, manipulative and subjective. A comparative analysis of metaphors in English and Chinese will make Chinese learners aware of the linguistic and conceptual differences and similarities. In explicit classroom teaching, the process of vocabulary instruction, context analysis, culture teaching, speaking and writing practising is interactive with the cultivation of metaphoric competence.展开更多
The creative use of English idioms has led to heterogeneous idiom variants that are particularly problematic for L2 learners. Drawing on a cognitive linguistic perspective of idiom learning, this paper categorizes Eng...The creative use of English idioms has led to heterogeneous idiom variants that are particularly problematic for L2 learners. Drawing on a cognitive linguistic perspective of idiom learning, this paper categorizes English idiom variants into four major types, and reports on an empirical study that investigated the effects of variation type and proficiency level on Chinese EFL learners＇ comprehension of English idiom variants. Targeting non-English major college students of basic and intermediate English levels, the study confirmed the influence of proficiency level on learners＇ comprehension and evaluation of the difficulty of idiom variants. Structural change in idioms was found to be the easiest type and idioms modified in terms of literal imagery were the most difficult in comprehension. These findings suggest that the dominant ＂rote memorization＂ tends to limit learners＇ choices of comprehension strategies to literal translation and L1 transfer. The learning environment unsupportive of cultivating L2 learners＇ analytical ability is held accountable for the generally low success rates in comprehension of idiom variants.展开更多
文摘This paper is prompted by a ＂strange phenomenon＂ in L2 teaching and learning as related to listening： it is regarded as ＂easy＂ by teachers, but ＂difficult＂ by students. The paper tries to analyze the difficulties encountered by the L2 learners in the process of acquiring listening skills and competence in an attempt to find out how these problems are related to classroom teaching, and their implications for pedagogical classroom practice.
文摘Metaphor is both a phenomenon of language and of thought. Metaphoric competence, a component of language competence, is essential for the acquisition of a language. Difficulties in Metaphor comprehension and production lie in the fact that metaphors are culture-specific, manipulative and subjective. A comparative analysis of metaphors in English and Chinese will make Chinese learners aware of the linguistic and conceptual differences and similarities. In explicit classroom teaching, the process of vocabulary instruction, context analysis, culture teaching, speaking and writing practising is interactive with the cultivation of metaphoric competence.
文摘The creative use of English idioms has led to heterogeneous idiom variants that are particularly problematic for L2 learners. Drawing on a cognitive linguistic perspective of idiom learning, this paper categorizes English idiom variants into four major types, and reports on an empirical study that investigated the effects of variation type and proficiency level on Chinese EFL learners＇ comprehension of English idiom variants. Targeting non-English major college students of basic and intermediate English levels, the study confirmed the influence of proficiency level on learners＇ comprehension and evaluation of the difficulty of idiom variants. Structural change in idioms was found to be the easiest type and idioms modified in terms of literal imagery were the most difficult in comprehension. These findings suggest that the dominant ＂rote memorization＂ tends to limit learners＇ choices of comprehension strategies to literal translation and L1 transfer. The learning environment unsupportive of cultivating L2 learners＇ analytical ability is held accountable for the generally low success rates in comprehension of idiom variants.
