Please join us for the next Centre for Linguistics, Language Education and Acquisition Research (CLLEAR) seminar.

When: Wednesday 18th November 2015, 4-6pm

Where: Avenue Campus, Lecture Theatre C

Who:  Prof Jeannette Littlemore, University of Birmingham

The Creative Use of Metaphor and Metonymy in Language Learning and Intercultural Communication

Studies of figurative language (particularly metaphor) have shown that it performs key functions, such as: the signalling of evaluation; agenda management; mitigation and humour; reference to shared knowledge; and topic change. An ability to use metaphor appropriately can thus contribute to a language learner’s communicative competence. In this talk I focus on the use of creative metaphor and metonymy by language learners and those who communicate with them, looking at the challenges it presents and the opportunities that it affords. I then move on to look at the creative use of metaphor and metonymy in advertising and in computer-generated tweets, and report on findings from two studies investigating how creative metaphor and metonymy are understood and appreciated by people with different linguistic backgrounds.

Please join us for the seminar and discussion.

There will be a wine and cheese reception afterwards.