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LING-374 Metaphor and the Mind
Spring only
Andrea Tyler
tyleran@georgetown.edu
MW 1:15-2:30
Traditional views of language and the mind hold that language and thought are inherently literal and that metaphor is a special linguistic anomaly, belonging to the area of literature and requiring different cognitive and linguistic skills than those employed in ordinary language. In this course we will examine an alternative view--conceptual metaphor theory. Conceptual metaphor theory argues that metaphor is a fundamental aspect of how humans understand and think about the world. Moreover, our understanding of the world is importantly influenced by the kinds of bodies and brains we have. This understanding, or cognitive representation, of the world is in turn reflected in everyday language. We will examine many examples of metaphor in everyday language taken from sources such as newspapers, popular TV shows, sports commentary, and political speeches. We will also consider research from psychology, experimental psycholinguistics, cognitive neuroscience, and child language acquisition that challenges the traditional view and establishes important links between everyday metaphor and cognitive structure.
Requirements:
Mid-term 20%
Final 25%
Exercises & short written assignment 25%
Questions for the daily readings 10%
Presentation of one outside reading 5%
Class participation 15%
Texts:
Lakoff & Johnson Metaphors We Live By
Gibbs Embodiment and Cognitive Science
Additional readings posted on Blackboard
Credits: 3
Prerequisites: None
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