Mechanisms for Teaching Metaphor to Learners of Arabic as a Second Language: A Cognitive Linguistic Approach

Abstract

This study aims to highlight the role of Arabic literature in enhancing the linguistic competence of learners of Arabic as a second language. In addition, it seeks to equip them with a range of linguistic patterns that enrich their expressive and communicative abilities. The research also focuses on illustrating how rhetorical styles in Arabic, particularly metaphor, can be taught to foreign learners of Arabic. Using a descriptive methodology, the study proposes a set of practical and procedural mechanisms designed to overcome the pedagogical challenges and difficulties encountered in this area, thereby improving the teaching and learning process for both instructors and learners of Arabic. One of the study’s key findings is its emphasis on the vital role of shared cognitive faculties in teaching Arabic rhetoric in general. It also highlights the potential of employing translation through metaphorical correspondences from the learners' target language as a means of mitigating the educational difficulties faced by learners of Arabic as a second language. This proposal, therefore, offers a valuable contribution to the development of curricula designed for this learner demographic and applying this approach to Arabic language learners in the context of academic lectures and future comparative linguistic studies.