Conference Call: 1st International Conference on ESP, EAP and Applied Linguistics

1st International Conference on ESP, EAP and Applied Linguistics 
University of Thessaly, Volos, 26-27 September 2020

Deadline for submission of abstracts: June, 30 2020 

We invite submission of papers for reporting empirical research, systematic reviews of the literature, as well as theoretical and practical demonstrations. 

• Practitioner-focused proposals in the following non-exhaustive but indicative areas are also invited:
• teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL)
• genre and discipline specificity
• educational technology
• teaching reading, writing, listening, speaking
• development of teaching materials
• teaching methodology
• inter-disciplinary writing
• corpus concordancing
• writing for publication
• reflective academic writing
• teaching in multi-cultural contexts
• semiotics
• teaching students with learning disabilities 
• teaching students with developmental disabilities 
• teaching students with physical disabilities
• English language and literature
• computational linguistics and NLP
• teaching a native language as a second language

(Article): The Conceptualization of English Phrasal Verbs by Greek Primary School Learners: An Empirical Cognitive Approach

Abstract: This study investigates the way Greek EFL elementary students conceptualize English phrasal verbs of the form component verb (take) plus component particle (up, down, in, out, back, off, on, apart). It is suggested image schemas play a facilitatory role in the conceptualization and interpretation of the figurative meanings of English phrasal verbs. The study argues that within the phrasal verb construct, the component particle prompts for the extension from literal to figurative meanings since the particle designates image schematic experiences (bodily-kinesthetic). The study conducted two types of test: (1) meaning of the sentence and (2) image-matching from the sentence. In test 1, participants were asked to read sentences which contained the verb take plus particles and they had to select the most appropriate meaning of the phrasal verb that matched the overall meaning of the sentence. In test 2, participants were asked to read sentences wherein phrasal verbs of the form take plus particles were highlighted. They were asked to match the meaning of the phrasal verb with one image. Each image represented a different type of image schema such as container, front-back orientation and proximity-distance.

Keywords: English phrasal verbs; figuration; young learners; cognitive processes; metaphor; image schemas

doi:10.3390/languages4030051

https://www.mdpi.com/2226-471X/4/3/51

citation: Tsaroucha, E. The Conceptualization of English Phrasal Verbs by Greek Primary School Learners: An Empirical Cognitive Approach. Languages 2019, 4, 51.

(Article): The Metonymicity of the Greek Deictic Adverbs εδώ [Here] and εκεί [There] in Politics

Abstract: 

This paper discusses the uses of the Greek deictic adverbs εδώ [here] and εκεί [there] in the language of politics. The paper draws examples from political speeches which took place in the Hellenic Parliament during 2011 and discussed the financial situation of Greece during that time. It is suggested that εδώ [here] and εκεί [there] have a high degree of metonymicity since they express ‘stand for’ relations. It is argued that the deictic adverbs have a referential function since they designate a range of concepts, namely, political parties, financial, political, and social situations, the Hellenic Parliament, political ideology, decisions, etc. It is also stated that the temporal and the spatial denotations of εδώ and εκεί are subject to image schemas. In particular, the paper discusses how the Greek deictic adverbs prompt for the image schemas of CONTAINMENT, PART FOR WHOLE, and CENTRE-PERIPHERY and suggests that these types of image schemas have a metonymic basis.

Keywords: politics; political speech; economic crisis; Greece; deictics; space; time; image schemas; metonymicity􏰔􏰒􏰃􏰅􏰫􏰃􏰄􏰔 􏰅􏰔 􏰮􏰃􏰑􏰑 􏰅􏰔 􏰤􏰎􏰄 􏰟􏰈􏰓􏰑􏰁􏰔􏰍 􏰑􏰅􏰈􏰓􏰆􏰅􏰓􏰃 􏰑􏰃􏰅􏰄􏰈􏰃􏰄􏰔􏰘 􏰟􏰈􏰓􏰑􏰁􏰔􏰍 􏰒􏰍􏰄􏰅􏰔􏰅􏰑 􏰗􏰃

https://www.mdpi.com/2409-9287/4/3/51

citation: Tsaroucha, Efthymia. (2019). The Metonymicity of the Greek Deictic Adverbs εδώ [Here] and εκεί [There] in Politics. Philosophies, 4(3): 51; pp.:1-11. doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/philosophies4030051 (This article belongs to the Special Issue Philosophies of Time, Media and Contemporaneity)

Phrasal Verbs & Conceptual Blending

The meaning of English phrasal verbs can be retrieved by means of conceptual blending because blending exploits counterpart connections between input spaces and such connections motivate the way speakers conceptualize the structure of grammatical patterns. Particularly, the semantics of the verb (Input space I) blends with the semantics of the particle (Input Space II) and gives rise to a unified construction (Blended space). For example, in a sentence like her playing the piano brought down the house the phrasal verb “bring down” means to impress. The semantics of the verb “to bring”, which means “to carry”, “to convey”, “to lead”, “to cause to occur” blends with the semantics of the particle “down”, which denotes downward motion in a container and at a more figurative interpretation “down is up”.

The central hypothesis for this blending process develops as follows:

1.     At a more abstract level, conceptual blending proceeds via the establishment and the exploitation of mappings (the semantics of the verb maps to the semantics of the particle).

2.      After the projection of input spaces I and II to the blended space, background knowledge is activated (the speaker is in a position to understand that someone who plays the piano cannot bring down a house literally, but rather metaphorically).

3.     The use of mental imagery is licensed (the speaker is in a position to understand that “bring down” has an idiomatic meaning because it denotes that something was caused/lead to occur, therefore “bring down” denotes the positive change of a situation ([bring = lead] + [down = up] à lead up à impress).

Note: Paper presented at the "Blending Teleconference 2015" in collaboration with Case Western Reserve University (USA). 

English Phrasal Verbs: A Case of Metonymy

Abstract

(forthcoming online by deGruyterOpen)

This paper argues that English phrasal verbs constitute a case of metonymy due to their special type of construction. The paper develops into three main arguments. Firstly, it is proposed that the semantics of the verb-particle construction denote spatial and temporal senses, which have a metonymic basis. Secondly, metonymic readings enable speakers to establish mental relations for the constituent parts of a sentence. Particularly, it is argued that due to the semantics of the verb-particle construction speakers can access the meaning of a sentence. Hence, there are certain connections between the actors interacting in an event, their activity, instruments, tools and affected objects or products. Lastly, the paper aims to that English phrasal verbs are rooted in image schemas that have a metonymic basis. 

Englishisation in Greek Ads; The Rise of a “Novel” Metaphor [Paper to be presented in the 1st ftl symposium 2014]

This paper attempts to discuss the impact of English on Greek ads, mainly TV commercials. It is argued that the continuous influx of English phrases prompts for the rise of novel metaphors that encompass social characteristics of Greek youth culture. The cultural and social context of Greek TV commercials encourages metaphors that permeate certain domains of experience (Kövecses 2008) for the above-named subgroup.

Specifically, many Greek TV commercials whose main trading product is “smart-phones” use the English verb “to hit” in order to promote the advertised product to their target audience, which in most cases is young people. The extensive use of this verb derives from social media and the way youth culture makes use of the web. For instance, when young people use social media they employ phrases like “I hit it” meaning that they have listened to a particular song, watched a video etc. As a result, the verb “to hit” was afterwards introduced to TV commercials appealing to the particular subgroup.

The semantics of the verb “to hit” shifts from the meanings “to touch something with force”, “have a bad effect”, “have a problem and/or difficulty” into the meanings “to start to affect”, “to reach a state” and “to achieve something” (Macmillan Dictionary). Hence, the usage of the verb “to hit” in Greek TV commercials dealing with the selling of “smart-phones” presupposes that the ones who “hit” the trading product manage to reach a particular goal, that is they buy the advertised product.

Moreover, the figurative interpretation of the verb “to hit” by means of the cognitive process of metaphor seems to encourage the afore-mentioned semantic extension (Radden & Dirven 2007). Particularly, the licensed metaphoric reading is ADVERTISED PRODUCTS ARE HITTING GOALS. This will be treated as a case of orientational metaphor (Lakoff & Johnson 1980) since consumers seem to orient themselves towards a particular spatial location (the physical space of buying the advertised product). Hence, the reaching of a destination means the reaching of a goal as well. It seems that the advertised product is positioned in a verticality axis, wherein the reaching of the UP part indicates the state of hitting (purchasing) this product. Lastly, it is argued that the emergence of such metaphors is descriptive of a certain kind of public space. Within this public space consumers (youth culture) are represented as a set of dispositions. Such dispositions generate practices, perceptions and attitudes and incline consumers to act and react on certain ways (Thompson 1991), that is “hitting” the advertised product.

Keywords: novel metaphors, semantic extension, ads, youth culture

References

Kövecses, Z. 2008. Universality and Variation in the Use of Metaphor. In the Selected

Papers from the 2006 and 2007 Stockholm Metaphor Festivals, eds., N.-L. Johannesson & D.C. Minugh. Stockholm: Department of English, Stockholm University, 51-74.

Lakoff, G. & Johnson, M. 1980. Metaphors We Live By. Chicago: Chicago UP.

Macmillan Dictionary. http://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/hit (last

accessed 29 September 2013).

Radden, G. & Dirven, R. 2007. Cognitive English Grammar. Volume II. Amsterdam:

John Benjamins.

Thompson, J. 1991. Ideology and Modern Culture. Cambridge: Polity. 

Natural Semantic Metalanguage_Introduction

1st International Symposium on Figurative Thought and Language; 25-26 April 2014

Thessaloniki Cognitive Linguistics Reading Group invites you to the 1st International Symposium on Figurative Thought and Language

http://www.enl.auth.gr/tclr/ftl.htm

Applying Embodiment to Idiomatic Expressions; A View from Metonymic Grammar (forthcoming online by Peter Lang Publishers)

In this paper I will attempt to propose that image schemas are rooted in metonymy and at a secondary point they extend into metaphoric readings. Idiomatic expressions, and particularly English phrasal verbs will be the area of my investigation. Specifically, it is argued that the image schemas reflected by means of the English phrasal verbs take up, take out, take up and take down license referential metonymies due to particles’ metonymic properties. Given that the particle represents multiple ways according to which the language user conceptualizes the world and, given that the particle reflects sensory-motor experiences, I further assume that in the case of English phrasal verbs the combination of the semantics of the verb along with this of the particle structures certain kind of representations —conveyed through image schemas— according to which the language user embodies the above-named experiences. Moreover, I view that these experiences are conceptualized and expressed through English phrasal verbs in such a way so as to indicate the presence of certain relations of continuity between metonymy and metaphor. As a consequence, the goal of this paper is to support the view that image are metonymic and any extensions into metaphor are subject to metonymy’s reason d’être: from a broader perspective, metonymy prompts for meaning extension. 

Conceptual Blending: The Case of Idiomatic Expressions

(Paper to be presented in the 7th APC; Athens 16-18 May)

This paper argues that conceptual blending motivates the conceptualization and expression of idiomatic expressions. Conceptual blending as a general cognitive process (c.f. Fauconnier & Turner 1994; 1996; 2002, Mendoza, 1998, Gibbs 2000) exploits counterpart connections between input spaces and such connections seem to motivate the way speakers conceptualize the structure of grammatical patterns. Given that within a particular context an utterance provides the language user signposts so as to exploit, retrieve or construct the intended meaning (c.f. Fauconnier & Turner 1996; Barlow 2000), I view that in the case of idiomatic expressions conceptual blending is rooted in metonymy and further extends into metaphor, and this type of co-instantiation may further suggest that metonymic readings are compressed and prompt for more metaphoric ones.

Specifically, the Metonymic Tightening Principle (Fauconnier & Turner 1998) states that when metonymically related elements are projected into the blended space, there is pressure to compress the “distance” between them (Coulson & Oakley 2000). In this paper, I will attempt to propose that when it comes to idiomatic expressions, the above-named principle operates in a dual axis: i) at a starting point, blending indicates the integration of different input spaces that interact in the speaker’s mind and, ii) at a more abstract level, conceptual blending proceeds via the establishment and the exploitation of mappings, the activation of background knowledge, and the use of mental imagery and mental simulation (Coulson & Oakley 2005). As a consequence, the already connected input spaces by means of the cognitive processes of metonymy and metaphor prompt for the interpretation of idiomatic expressions. For example, in a sentence like after what happened she decided to set her teeth on edge, two input spaces are connected: a) a specific event (a possible quarrel between the speaker and at least one more participant of the event) and b) speaker’s behavior/reaction (the speaker decided to act in a certain way after the event). The metonymy PART OF THE BODY FOR BEHAVIOR (anger= teeth [on edge]) indicates that set teeth on edge means to “irritate/upset someone”. However, the context of the given utterance seems to compress the metonymic reading of the idiomatic expression set teeth on edge and prompts for a more metaphoric one: teeth on edge could be interpreted as ANGER IS TEETH.