Abstract :
Metaphors and images, as part of the learnersʹ belief systems, seem to play a large
part in language learning (Cortazzi & Jin, 1999). So, awareness of them can be of
substantial value to teachers in dealing with language learning problems. Aiming to
contribute to this awareness, this study sought to explore the images/metaphors
English language learners hold about grammar learning. To elicit learnersʹ images,
a questionnaire was delivered to 350 adult English learners, including both males
and females, with at least one year of serious language learning experience. It
demanded the respondents to provide one or more images about learning grammar
of English as a foreign language. One hundred and thirty-nine completed forms
were content-analyzed and specific metaphors were identified and grouped under
descriptive rubrics. Next, the specific images were examined and general and
conceptually oriented categories were identified. The results of the content-analysis
and categorization are reported and discussed in terms of their implications for
language teaching practice.
