The Acquisition and Development of the Concepts of English Modality Through Metaphors (Research Paper)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 ACECR Institute of Higher Education (Isfahan Branch) IUT University, Khomeyni Shahr, Isfahan, Iran

2 Islamic Azad University, Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch, Isfahan, Iran IAU Khorasgan university, Isfahan, Iran

Abstract

The current study attempted to investigate the effect of Systemic-Theoretical Instruction (STI) on English-language learners’ acquisition of the concepts of modal verbs through exploiting metaphors. To this end, the effect of the main treatment of the study, i.e. Concept-Based Instruction (CBI) was investigated through conceptual metaphors, in two gender (male vs. female) and language proficiency (Elementary vs. Intermediate) groups. To inspect the acquisition of modality concepts, the participants were given a pretest and a posttest. The results were statistically analyzed through independent sample t-test and Pearson Correlation Coefficient. The results of the inspection in learning modality revealed that participants in the Experimental, Intermediate and Female groups outperformed their counterparts in the Control group in the modal test. Further, the investigation of cognitive awareness on the concepts of modality and its development revealed that the learners’ definitions on the concepts of English modal verbs were theoretically functional before STI, while they were semantically based after STI.

Keywords


Article Title [Persian]

یادگیری و توسعه مفاهیم افعال مودال از طریق استعاره

Authors [Persian]

  • زهراسادات روزافزای 1
  • اکبر افقری 2
1
2
Abstract [Persian]

تحقیق حاضر اقدام به بررسی اثرآموزش سیستمیک-نظری (STI) بریادگیری مفاهیم از افعال مودال (معین) از طریق استعاره توسط زبان آموزان زبان انگلیسی می باشد. برای این منظور، اثر آزمایش اصلی این مطالعه که همان آموزش مبتنی بر مفهوم (CBI) از طریق استعارات مفهومی می باشد بر دو جنس (مونث و مذکر) و میزان تسلط به زبان انگلیسی (مقدماتی و متوسطه) مورد بررسی قرار گرفت. بمنظور بررسی یادگیری افعال مودال,از شرکت کنندگان در این تحقیق یک پیش آزمون و یک پس آزمون گرفته شد. نتایج آماری از طریق t-test و ضریب همبستگی پیرسون مورد تحلیل قرار گرفت. نتایج حاصل از بررسی یادگیری افعال مودال نشان داد که شرکت کنندگان در آزمون، در گروههای آزمایشی متوسطه ​​و گروه های مونث از همتایان خود در گروه های کنترل عملکرد بهتری در آزمون افعال مودال داشتند. علاوه بر این، بررسی آگاهی شناختی مفاهیم و توسعه افعال مودال نشان داد که تعاریف زبان آموزان از مفاهیم افعال مودال قبل از STI از لحاظ نظری, کاربردی بود. در حالی که تعارف زبان آموزان از همان افعال پس از STI بر ملاحظات معنایی استوار بود.

Keywords [Persian]

  • آموزش سیستمیک نظری (STI)
  • یادگیری افعال مودال
  • شکل گیری مفهوم از لحاظ نظریه ویگوتسکی
  • استعارات مفهومی
  • آگاهی شناختی
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