10. The influence of conceptual differences on processing taboo metaphors in the foreign language
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Barbara De Cock
Abstract
In this paper, we analyze to what extent well developed multilingualism goes hand in hand with an adequate integration of conceptual differences between the different languages, with a focus on the comprehension of taboo metaphors in the second language (L2). Despite the growing body of theoretical approaches, empirical studies on the concrete functioning of mechanisms involving metaphor interpretation are not conclusive. In this study, we report on a pilot study among French-speaking students of L2 Spanish with a focus on the influence of the conceptual and sociocultural differences between the L1 and the L2, as well as the presence of context. The results show that the impact of context on the ability of students to infer the correct interpretation is less straightforward than suggested in the literature. In general, students perform as well at interpreting conceptually similar metaphors than conceptually different ones, suggesting that they rely on general embodied experiences. The triangulation with a questionnaire concerning their linguistic biography reveals that students who have spent a prolonged stay in a Spanish-speaking country are better at interpreting taboo metaphors, regardless of their overall language level.
Abstract
In this paper, we analyze to what extent well developed multilingualism goes hand in hand with an adequate integration of conceptual differences between the different languages, with a focus on the comprehension of taboo metaphors in the second language (L2). Despite the growing body of theoretical approaches, empirical studies on the concrete functioning of mechanisms involving metaphor interpretation are not conclusive. In this study, we report on a pilot study among French-speaking students of L2 Spanish with a focus on the influence of the conceptual and sociocultural differences between the L1 and the L2, as well as the presence of context. The results show that the impact of context on the ability of students to infer the correct interpretation is less straightforward than suggested in the literature. In general, students perform as well at interpreting conceptually similar metaphors than conceptually different ones, suggesting that they rely on general embodied experiences. The triangulation with a questionnaire concerning their linguistic biography reveals that students who have spent a prolonged stay in a Spanish-speaking country are better at interpreting taboo metaphors, regardless of their overall language level.
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Foreword V
- Table of contents IX
- List of contributing Authors XI
- Introduction 1
- 1. Lexicon, discourse and cognition: terminological delimitations in the conceptualizations of linguistic taboo 13
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Part I: Construal
- 2. The axiological and communicative potential of homosexual-related metaphors 35
- 3. Metonymy-based euphemisms in war-related speeches by George W. Bush and Barack Obama 55
- 4. Ambiguity and vagueness as cognitive tools for euphemistic and politically correct speech 79
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Part II: Cultural Conceptualization
- 5. Old age revolution in Australian English: Rethinking a taboo concept 99
- 6. Taboo subjects as insult intensifiers in Egyptian Arabic 117
- 7. Emotion concepts in context: Figurative conceptualizations of hayâ ‘self-restraint’ in Persian 141
- 8. A Cognitive Linguistics approach to menstruation as a taboo in Gĩkũyũ 161
- 9. The socio-cognitive aspects of taboo in two cultures: A case study on Polish and British English 179
- 10. The influence of conceptual differences on processing taboo metaphors in the foreign language 201
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Part III: Cognitive Sociolinguistics
- 11. Why do the Dutch swear with diseases? 225
- 12. Calling things by their name: Exploring the social meanings in the preference for sexual (in)direct construals 245
- 13. The perception of the expression of taboos: a sociolinguistic study 269
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Part IV: Interdisciplinary Approaches
- 14. Scrupulosity, sexual ruminations and cleaning in Obsessive – Compulsive Disorder 293
- 15. Swearing as emotion acts 311
- Index 329
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Foreword V
- Table of contents IX
- List of contributing Authors XI
- Introduction 1
- 1. Lexicon, discourse and cognition: terminological delimitations in the conceptualizations of linguistic taboo 13
-
Part I: Construal
- 2. The axiological and communicative potential of homosexual-related metaphors 35
- 3. Metonymy-based euphemisms in war-related speeches by George W. Bush and Barack Obama 55
- 4. Ambiguity and vagueness as cognitive tools for euphemistic and politically correct speech 79
-
Part II: Cultural Conceptualization
- 5. Old age revolution in Australian English: Rethinking a taboo concept 99
- 6. Taboo subjects as insult intensifiers in Egyptian Arabic 117
- 7. Emotion concepts in context: Figurative conceptualizations of hayâ ‘self-restraint’ in Persian 141
- 8. A Cognitive Linguistics approach to menstruation as a taboo in Gĩkũyũ 161
- 9. The socio-cognitive aspects of taboo in two cultures: A case study on Polish and British English 179
- 10. The influence of conceptual differences on processing taboo metaphors in the foreign language 201
-
Part III: Cognitive Sociolinguistics
- 11. Why do the Dutch swear with diseases? 225
- 12. Calling things by their name: Exploring the social meanings in the preference for sexual (in)direct construals 245
- 13. The perception of the expression of taboos: a sociolinguistic study 269
-
Part IV: Interdisciplinary Approaches
- 14. Scrupulosity, sexual ruminations and cleaning in Obsessive – Compulsive Disorder 293
- 15. Swearing as emotion acts 311
- Index 329
