PROMOTING METAPHORICAL THINKING IN THE EFL CLASSROOM THROUGH POPULAR CULTURE

The present study describes how an English learning activity with an emphasis on metaphorical thinking was taught in a class of 46 college freshmen in Taiwan. The activity investigated students' beliefs about love from their perspective. Conducted during the 2005 spring semester, this 2-week activity combined different types of learning input, including (1) an introduction to figurative language, metaphors, similes, and metaphorical thinking in general, (2) examples taken from Chinese song lyrics and from a weblog essay about a blind date, (3) classroom discussions, and (4) an English song, "Perhaps Love." Data included (1) my teaching entries, (2) students' discussion sheets, and (3) students' writing assignments about love. The process followed a general approach to metaphor analysis: (1) collecting examples of metaphorical expressions about love from students; (2) generalizing the figurative expressions that students used, and (3) eliciting thought patterns that expressed students' beliefs and actions. The study suggests that reader-based metaphorical responses to texts allow for the demonstration of specific cultural understanding and social consciousness. In addition, the study indicates that English instruction should involve a process in which students (1) discuss themes relevant to their lives and (2) read the texts reflectively through their personal experiences. With regard to second language learning, the present instruction provided a mix of skills (especially listening and reading abilities) and creativity drawing on students' reader-based responses to texts usually encountered outside the classroom. To sum up, EFL instruction should build on relevance, engagement, poetic possibilities, and language development.