Teaching English Figurative Expressions to Young Learners

master's thesis

• Author: Petra Šaban
• Mentor: Jelena Parizoska (mentor)
• Committee member: Lovorka Zergollern-Miletić (predsjednik povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Silvija Hanžić Deda (član povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Jelena Parizoska (član povjerenstva)
• Granter: University of Zagreb; Faculty of Teacher Education; Zagreb
• Defense date and country: 2024-07-11, Croatia
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: HUMANISTIC SCIENCES; Philology
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: HUMANISTIC SCIENCES; Interdisciplinary Humanistic Studies; Teaching Methods in the Humanistic Sciences

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to explore how to teach English figurative expressions to young learners. Based on contemporary vocabulary teaching methods and the Cognitive Linguistic approach to figurative language, a lesson plan was created which provides research-based activities that serve as an introduction to figurative language for fourth-graders. Six idioms are included in the lesson plan, which describe people’s personalities and behaviour through animals.
The paper gives an overview of vocabulary teaching in L2 and teaching methods that could be used with young learners. Figurative language has not yet been explicitly included in the young learner classroom as it is believed to be too difficult for children. EFL textbooks for young learners include a small number of figurative expressions, all of which are taught implicitly. Only advanced learners get to learn figurative language explicitly. However, research has shown that children can understand figurative expressions in L2 from an early age. The Cognitive Linguistic approach to figurative language has been proved to be efficient for teaching figurative expressions to foreign language learners.
It was concluded that, in figurative language teaching, teachers should raise young learners’ metaphor awareness. The connection between literal and figurative meanings should be made explicit. The expressions taught should be transparent and based on young learners’ age and conceptual knowledge. Figurative expressions should have simple vocabulary and structure, and high frequency of use. It is important to select appropriate teaching methods to aid comprehension, such as contextual clues, verbal explanations, TPR, elicitation, translation, and peer-teaching.

Abstract (croatian)

Cilj je ovog rada istražiti kako poučavati figurativne izraze učenicima mlađe školske dobi. Na temelju suvremenih metoda poučavanja vokabulara i kognitivnolingvističkog pristupa figurativnom jeziku izrađena je priprema za sat koja nudi aktivnosti temeljene na istraživanjima i koje služe kao uvod u figurativni jezik za učenike četvrtog razreda. Šest frazema uključeno je u pripremu za sat. Oni opisuju ljudske osobine i ponašanja koristeći životinje.
U radu se daje pregled poučavanja vokabulara u stranome jeziku i metoda poučavanja koje se mogu koristiti s učenicima mlađe školske dobi. Figurativni jezik još nije izravno uključen u nastavu za učenike mlađe školske dobi jer se smatra da je prezahtjevan za djecu. Udžbenici engleskoga kao stranog jezika za niže razrede sadrže mali broj figurativnih izraza koji se poučavaju implicitno. Figurativni jezik eksplicitno se poučava samo naprednim učenicima. Međutim, istraživanja pokazuju da djeca mogu razumjeti figurativne izraze u stranom jeziku od rane dobi. Kognitivnolingvistički pristup figurativnom jeziku dokazano je učinkovit za poučavanje figurativnih izraza učenicima stranog jezika mlađe školske dobi.
Zaključeno je da, pri poučavanju figurativnog jezika, učitelji trebaju osvijestiti učenike mlađe školske dobi o postojanju metafore. Doslovna i figurativna značenja trebaju se izravno povezivati. Izrazi koji se poučavaju trebali bi biti transparentni i prilagođeni dobi i konceptualnom znanju učenika mlađe školske dobi. Figurativni izrazi trebaju imati jednostavan vokabular i strukturu te visoku čestotu upotrebe. Bitno je odabrati odgovarajuće metode poučavanja za bolje razumijevanje, kao što su kontekstualne naznake, usmena objašnjenja, metoda poučavanja pokretom, ilustracije koje traže usmeni odgovor od učenika, prevođenje i vršnjačko poučavanje.

• Keywords: figurative expressions; idioms; young learners; EFL; Cognitive Linguistics
• Keywords (croatian): figurativni izrazi; frazemi; učenici mlađe školske dobi; engleski kao strani jezik; kognitivna lingvistika
• Language: english
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:147:530299
• Study programme: Title: Integrated undergraduated university study with english language and german language; specializations in: English language, Deutsche sprache; Course: English language; Study programme type: university; Study level: integrated undergraduate and graduate; Academic / professional title: magistar/magistra primarnog obrazovanja (magistar/magistra primarnog obrazovanja)
• Type of resource: Text
• File origin: Born digital
• Access conditions: Open access
• Created on: 2024-10-09 09:18:35