Metaphorical Conceptualizations of Language: Networks of Meanings and Meta-functions

This paper employs the innovative method of Elicited Metaphor Analysis to present original research in Malaysia into students’ metaphors for ‘language’. We summarize reasons why language and first/ second learning are centrally important education, show patterned features proverbs teacher talk about literacy. These may be one strand student socialization language-literacy conceptions. then report our study 408 university students who gave 977 Using a socio-cultural extension conceptual metaphor theory from cognitive linguistics, we analyse these data thematic clusters networks meanings. In voices, this presents surprisingly rich picture shows evidence linguistic meta-functions: can seen not only cognitively with affective meta-functions, but also moral-spiritual aesthetic functions. meta-functions accord some educational theories. To wider insider perspectives cite ‘teacher’ ‘learning’ Malaysia, ‘language’ findings China, Iran, Lebanon UK. The meanings broaden conception as medium strong implications teaching languages