The development of figurative competence in narrative writing: A longitudinal case study

The primary aim of this study was to examine the development of figurative competence in one individual´s narrative writing from elementary school through high school and beyond. The examination included faded metaphors, rhetorical style figures, and the so-called sensual imagery (e.g., the depiction of a setting to create a certain atmosphere). A secondary aim was to investigate the figurative competence in light of language advancedness. To this end the elaborated noun phrase (length and complexity) was studied. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used. The results show that the development of figurative competence is a gradual and protracted process which continues well after graduation from high school, encompassing several, partly overlapping phases. The results also suggest that a number of both internal and external factors (e.g., linguistic repertoire, cognitive and emotional maturity, reader awareness, participation in literacy events and literary reading history) contribute to the development. As was hypothesized, the figurative competence follows a similar trajectory towards increasing maturity as does the elaborated noun phrase.