Metaphorical perceptions of ELT students at preparatory class about “learning english” and “teaching english”

Abstract

The study aimed at determining perceptions of English Language Teaching (ELT) students at preparatory class about the concepts of “learning English” and “teaching English” through metaphors. Phenomenological design and convenient sampling technique were used in the study. The study group consisted of 15 ELT students at preparatory class in 2021-2022 spring semester. Students were given a form and asked to fill in the form. The form contained two open-ended statements as “Learning English is like … because …” and “Teaching English is like … because ....” The data were analyzed through content analysis. The analyses showed that students created 14 different metaphors for “learning English” and 15 different metaphors for “teaching English”. The metaphors produced by students were grouped into three categories as “positive associations”, “negative associations” and “both positive and negative associations”. Based on the results of the study, some recommendations were made.