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All content following this page was uploaded by Regina Gutiérrez Pérez on 21 February 2018.
*Corresponding author: Regina Gutiérrez Pérez, Pablo de Olavide University – Philology and
Translation Department, Ctra. Utrera, km.1, Sevilla 41013, Spain, E ˗ mail: rgutper@upo.es
1 Introduction
The Council of Europe has been active in the area of languages for over fifty years
now. Its language education policies aim to promote plurilingualism, linguistic
However, the term “metaphor”, as Nacey (2013) points out, only appears three
times in the whole document, two of which are metalinguistic uses. The other is
part of the description of lexical competence (5.2.1.1), which includes, inter alia,
“phrasal idioms, often: semantically opaque, frozen metaphors” (2001:110). This is
an outdated view of metaphor simply as a rhetoric device or a figure of speech. The
contemporary understanding of metaphor, that of Lakoff and Johnson’s (1980)
Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT) (see Section 2), which states that metaphor is
a pervasive form of language and an intrinsic part of our conceptual system, does
not appear in the CEFR. According to Nacey, “the framework downgrades the
importance of metaphor for language users” (2013: 60). This figure has a “periph-
eral role in the language classroom, mainly limited to the study of idioms and
proverbs” (2013:61).
The CEFR (2001) does not mention conceptual competence. However, the ability
to turn cognitive schemata into linguistic and communicative structures is
considered fundamental in foreign language teaching. Language is not only
made up of sounds, morphemes and syntactic relations, but also by metaphoric
and conceptual networks. Learners need to acquire the specific concepts of a
foreign language in order to be able to identify and use the metaphors associated
to those concepts. Through conceptual competence, made up of metaphoric,
reflexive and cultural competences, the speaker can interact with other speakers,
transfer reality and thinking, and integrate other communicative codes such as
gestures and grimaces (Danesi 2004). A competent speaker, from the conceptual
point of view, should be able to understand and create metaphors in a given
linguistic community. In fact, a true indication that a learner has achieved
mastery in a foreign language is his/her ability to metaphorize (Danesi 1992a:
193).
Littlemore (2001: 461) suggests that four components make up metaphoric
competence: the original character of metaphor production, mastery of metaphor
comprehension, the ability to figure out the meaning of a metaphor and speed in
doing so. It is considered to be an essential component of communicative compe-
tence (Danesi 1986: 3; Littlemore and Low 2006b: 269). Thus, “figurative instruc-
tion arises as an indispensable feature of all skills a L2 learner needs to master in
order to acquire a high level of foreign language proficiency” (Andreou and
Galantomos, 2008a: 73).
Given that “effective communication in a second language involves the
ability to use … metaphors” (Littlemore 2001), this figure becomes of prime
importance to the teaching of languages. We therefore advocate for explicit class-
room attention to this figure, on the grounds that it is an integral part of language.
The main contribution of this paper is to provide some ideas about how to foster
second language (L2) learners’ metaphorical awareness. By developing this type
of awareness, learners become more autonomous in this area of vocabulary
learning, in tune with the tenets of the European Space of Higher Education
(ESHE).
1 “The study of polysemy has a venerable tradition in Cognitive Linguistics. Since the pioneering
work of Dirven (1981), Radden (1981), Brugman (1983), Lindner (1983), and Vandeloise (1984), the
Lexical Network approach to spatial prepositions has proved to be one of the most important
contributions of the cognitive paradigm” (Glynn 2009: 77).
1980: 117). In Metaphors we live by, Lakoff and Johnson (1980) made clear that
metaphor is not just a figure of speech, as was claimed by the traditional theory,
but a figure of thought that pervades our everyday language. This conception of
metaphor highlights its cognitive function to understand and structure experience.
The Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT) states that there is, on the one hand,
conceptual metaphor, for example the well-known metaphor “LOVE IS A JOUR-
NEY” (Kövecses 2002: 5; Lakoff and Johnson 1980; Lakoff 1993), and, on the other
hand, metaphorical linguistic expressions which are manifestations or instantia-
tions of that conceptual metaphor, such as:
– Look how far we’ve come
– Our marriage is on the rocks
– We are just taking off
– This relationship is a dead-end street
– They are derailed
– This relationship is foundering
If the vehicle breaks down, we have three choices: (1) we get out and try to reach our
destination by some other means; (2) we try to fix the vehicle; or (3) we stay in the vehicle
and do nothing. Correspondingly, if a love relationship does not work, we can (1) leave the
relationship; (2) try to make it work; or (3) stay in it (and suffer) (Kövecses 2005: 7).
Likewise, the meanings of many idioms2 are not arbitrary but partially composi-
tional motivated by three mechanisms: metaphor, metonymy, and conventional
knowledge (Kövecses 2002: 201). Thus, the expression “You are wasting your
time” is a linguistic manifestation of the conceptual metaphor TIME IS MONEY;
the idiom “heart to heart”, used to express sincerity3, is motivated by the concep-
tual metonymy THE HEART STANDS FOR THE PERSON, belonging to the metony-
mic model “THE BODY PART FOR THE PERSON”; finally, the idiom “to put one’s
hands in one’s pockets”, which means “deliberately do nothing”, is explained by
the common knowledge about the function of the hand: most human activities are
carried out with this body part. Therefore, if we put our hands in our pockets, we
stop performing any activity.
Teaching idiomatic expressions should be compulsory in order to develop
a desired proficiency for language learners. Wray (1999), Fernando (1996), and
Schmitt (2000) suggest that mastering of idioms is required for successful lan-
guage learning and native-like command of the foreign language. Moreover, Wray
(2000) points out that one important component of successful language learning
is the mastery of idiomatic forms of expressions, including idioms, collocations
and sentence frames. Students need to be sensitized about the pervasiveness
of metaphor in language before they are asked to apply this figure. In addition,
sayings, proverbs, phrasal verbs, idioms, etc., which at first sight may seem
unrelated to any conceptual domain, can be added in the vocabulary.
Language learners may find it easier to learn metaphors if they are taught
to think about the metaphors in their native language and compare them with their
usage and meanings in a foreign language. This is the reason why metaphor
deserves a special attention in teaching and learning idiomatic expressions. Even
though there is no complete predictability in the meaning of idioms, there is a great
deal of systematic conceptual motivation given that most idioms are based on
conceptual metaphors and metonymies (Kövecses 2002), as we have previously
2 This ambiguous term has been defined taking into account different criteria according to
semantic, lexical,syntactic, functional, and lexicographical approaches (Moon 1998: 9–18). The
chapters on Metaphor and Meaning in Ortony (1993 [1979]) are of interest for language teachers, in
order to distinguish between idioms and fixed expressions and metaphorical utterances, a
distinction that tends to be blurred after Lakoff and his followers. The chapter by Reddy (1993:
164–201), contains an appendix with “metalingual resources”, including phrasals and preposi-
tional verbs.
3 Cf. Gutiérrez Pérez, R. (2008, 2010) for a detailed analysis of heart metaphors and metonymies.
The author (2008: 49) states that “The “Idealized Cognitive Model” of the heart is composed of
several metaphors (and submetaphors derived from them) and metonymies, which are many
times related, and constitute the cognitive folk model of the heart as the seat of emotions, mainly”.
In 2000, Kövecses also published an interesting book on metaphor and emotion.
4 Cf. Barcelona (2000) about the difficulty of drawing boundaries between metaphor and meto-
nymy. Ruiz de Mendoza has also published widely on metaphor and metonymy (1997, 2000, etc.)
to their content … [usually] with respect to use,” and they “structure thought
and are used in forming categories” (1987: 13). As opposed to abstract classical
categories, they are said to be derived from our everyday interactions with the
world. The concept of ICM is understood as a complex structure which can be
composed of several metaphors and metonymies which can be related and can
constitute folk theories of specific abstract fields, as proven in Gutiérrez Pérez
(2008, 2010). In the same line, Dobrovol’skij (1995) proposes to use basic cate-
gories (taxa, in his terminology), what in Gutiérrez Pérez studies corresponds to
the target domains of “love”, “kindness”, “generosity”, “sadness”, “worry”, “in-
telligence”, etc., since they are basic level concepts, in the sense of Rosch (1973,
1975, 1977, 1978; Rosch and Mervis 1975; Rosch et al. 1976).
This section has reviewed the significance of application of the CMT tenets
in L2 teaching and learning. Given that gaining control over conceptual meta-
phors can enable language learners to deal successfully with idioms in the target
language, this paper suggests activities that can facilitate its acquisition by
raising awareness of the conceptual metaphors that underlie them.
3 Teaching procedure
Idioms are one of the major stumbling blocks in learning an L2/Foreign Language
(FL). For this reason in this paper we will try to provide some tips on how to teach
metaphors and idioms effectively in a foreign language context within the frame-
work of cognitive linguistics.
Andreou and Galantomos (2008a:73) claim that “the first stage, when learn-
ing materials are designed, is to define goals that are expected to be brought
about”. In the literature, three basic types are mentioned: overall, specific and
immediate (Rogers 1986: 146–148). The overall objective of every learning pro-
gramme is the achievement of communicative competence and communication
in general. Communicative competence is defined as “everything that a speaker
needs to know in order to communicate appropriately within a particular commu-
nity” (Saville-Troike 2006: 134, in Andreou and Galantomos, ibid.). Specific goals
refer to shorter-terms goals, which in our case is the development of L2 learners’
conceptual fluency (Danesi 1995: 5), that is to say, metaphoric competence
(Danesi 1992a: 190; Littlemore and Low 2006a: 79). It is understood as the “skills
needed to work effectively with metaphor” (Low 1988). It is important to decom-
pose the specific goal of the attainment of metaphoric competence into separate
and manageable units, that is, to plan everyday learning activities in order to
enhance figurative lexis acquisition in one abstract domain at a time (Andreou
and Galantomos 2008a: 73). Thus, the aim of a class (immediate goal) could be to
teach idioms and metaphors that English native speakers use to convey, for
instance, the concept of time or the emotion of happiness.
One of the books selected for instruction at Pablo de Olavide University
(Seville, Spain) in the Degree of Translation and Interpreting is Idiom Organiser
(Wright 2002). It includes the following conceptual metaphors: TIME IS MONEY,
BUSINESS IS WAR, SEEING IS UNDERSTANDING, LIFE IS A JOURNEY, LIFE IS
GAMBLING, A COMPANY IS A SHIP, MOODS ARE WEATHER, THE OFFICE IS A
BATTLEFIELD, A PROJECT IS A RACE, ECONOMICS IS FLYING, ORGANIZATIONS
ARE GARDENS, and PEOPLE ARE LIQUID. The other book selected is Meanings
and Metaphors (Lazar 2003). Through a variety of activities such as sentence
completion, fill in the blanks, multiple choice questions, matching and answering
the written questions communicatively, the selected metaphor type is introduced
and practiced. The interactive vocabulary activities enable the students to en-
hance their language learning much more effectively than traditional ways of
teaching words.
Students are first told what conceptual metaphors are, and how it is possible to
generate plenty of idioms out of conceptual metaphors. To show them what it
means for a concept to be metaphorical and how such a concept structures
everyday language, students are given examples of metaphorical expressions
related to the concept of IDEA which belongs to the conceptual metaphor
IDEAS ARE FOOD. This metaphor is reflected in English by the following
expressions:
There are too many facts here for me to digest them all.
I just can’t swallow that claim.
That argument smells fishy.
Let me stew over that for a while.
That’s food for thought.
This is the meaty part of the paper.
All this paper has in it are raw facts, half-baked ideas, and warmed-over theories.
The teacher explains that we can talk about “ideas” in terms of “food”. We
actually digest, bake or swallow “ideas.” “Ideas” are partially structured by the
concept of “food.” Though there is no physical eating, there is an abstract eating.
Therefore, the IDEAS ARE FOOD metaphor is one that we live by in English; this is
the ordinary way of talking about “ideas”.
Each unit of the book Idioms Organiser (Wright 2002) deals with a conceptual
metaphor such as TIME IS MONEY. Firstly, students are instructed that conceptual
metaphors usually employ a more abstract concept as target and a more physi-
cal or concrete as their source. The domain of “time” (abstract) is understood in
terms of the domain of “money” (concrete). We draw metaphorical expressions
from the source domain in order to understand the target domain, and this reflects
the way we think. In today’s society, time is conceived in terms of money, since it
is something valuable. In the domain of “money”, there are literal words such as
spare, spend, save, waste, run out of, etc. When talking about “time,” the same
words could be used metaphorically. We have expressions like “I think I’m
running out of time”, “If you want to get to college quicker, save time: don’t drive,
buy a bike!”, “I hate airports. You waste so much time just queuing” – to name a
few. Then, students practice the various idioms generated from the concrete
domain of money through a series of exercises, as we will show in the next section
with respect to the conceptual metaphors “MOODS ARE WEATHER”.
After working with the proposed exercises, students can reach the following
conclusions:
– Talking about moods in terms related to weather is systematic and forms a
coherent network of metaphorical expressions. If expressions are divided into
two groups, one describing bad weather and the other describing good weath-
er, it can be proved that there is systematicity when we talk about moods in
terms of weather. For example, the expressions “to feel (a bit) under the weath-
er”, “to look gloomy” and “to be dull” refer to a bad mood, whereas expressions
like “to warm up”, “to brighten up” and “a sunny smile” refer to a good mood.
– The expressions have a common experiential basis related to weather condi-
tions. Good weather is associated to a cheerful mood (summer, vacations,
sun, beach, etc.). In contrast, bad weather equates to a gloomy mood (staying
in, cold, work, etc.). Thus, weather constitutes a clear experiential basis for
conceptual metaphors.
– The teacher can also point out that the structure of the metaphor MOODS ARE
WEATHER is partial, i.e., not all words related to bad weather can be used to
talk about a sad mood, for example: floe, downpour, and drizzle are not found
in expressions with this meaning.
Once students have internalized the mechanism of the metaphor “MOODS ARE
WEATHER”, a step forward is to present other metaphors related to weather. In
most of them, the source domain of “weather conditions” is used to talk about
“presence or absence of problems” (target domain). Different parts of speech are
used to form metaphorical expressions: adjectives (hazy, stormy, gloomy, frosty),
nouns (shower, cloud, wind), and verbs (breeze, brighten up, cloud over, cool). The
appendix collects exercises dealing with metaphors such as:
– STORM IS AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOUR
– STORM IS HARD TIMES
– CLOUD IS PRESENT OR FORTHCOMING PROBLEMS
– CLOUD IS CONFUSION
– WHIRLWIND IS SUDDEN ACTION
– SHOWER IS TOO MUCH OF SOMETHING
– SNOW IS LACK OF TIME
– HAIL IS AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOUR
– BREEZE IS CONFIDENT BEHAVIOUR
– FOG IS CONFUSION
– SUNNY IS CHEERFUL
– WARMTH IS AFFECTION
– COLD/FROST/ICE IS LACK OF AFFECTION/UNFRIENDLINESS
– HAZE IS CONFUSION
– WET IS LACK OF ENTHUSIASM OR ENERGY
4 Conclusion
As acknowledged in numerous studies and in our own teaching experience,
foreign language learners encounter difficulties using metaphorical expressions in
everyday language. In this study, efforts have been made to provide an effective
way for teaching metaphorical expressions following the tenets of CL, since the
teaching of conceptual metaphors can accelerate the learning of idioms and long-
term retention of them. If they are classified according to conceptual metaphors,
the possibility of learning them better and remembering them in the long run will
be higher. It has also been suggested that students may find it easier to learn
English metaphors if they are encouraged to think about metaphors in L1 and
compare them to English ones. The book Idioms Organiser (Wright 2002) is a good
example.
The present paper has reviewed the scope of metaphor and metaphoric compe-
tence in the context of second-language teaching and learning, and has provided
some tips on how to teach metaphors and idioms effectively in a foreign language
context. Specifically, we have focused on the metaphor “MOODS ARE WEATHER”
and other conceptual metaphors associated to weather. For that purpose, exercises
which contain idiomatic expressions, phrasal verbs, collocations and polysemous
words have been selected and classified according to those conceptual metaphors.
We acknowledge that the approach described here is intellectually demand-
ing. However, our own experience with intermediate and advanced students in
English (B2 and C1 levels according to the CEFR) at Pablo de Olavide Universi-
ty (Seville, Spain) has led us to believe that this can be an enjoyable and motivat-
ing practice, and that the increased awareness developed can help learners to
become more autonomous in this area of vocabulary learning, keeping in line
with the guidelines of the European Space of Higher Education (ESHE), which
pursues a more critical, reflective and autonomous learner which is the centre of
a lifelong learning process.
Figurative language is not peripheral and of trivial importance but rather it is
ubiquitous in everyday, conventional language. We therefore advocate explicit
inclusion of the conceptual competence in the CEFR, since to be “conceptually
fluent in a language is to know how that language reflects or encodes its concepts
on the basis of metaphorical structuring” (Danesi 1992b: 490).
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APPENDIX 1
Activities to practice the metaphor “MOODS ARE WEATHER” and other con-
ceptual metaphors associated to weather.
– Activity 1
Literal meanings
Words which describe weather are often used to talk about people and
their moods or emotions. Use these words to complete the following defini-
tions:
– Activity 2
Underline the correct word in the sentences below:
1. It was obvious that Charles was angry. He came storming/breezing into the
room, threw the contract on the table and demanded to know why he had not
been consulted.
2. It was obvious from the way Peter breezed/stormed in this morning that Mary
had said yes to his proposal.
3. I think I drank too much last night at dinner. I’m afraid I’m feeling a bit under
the sky/ weather this morning.
4. They used to be crazy about each other, but I think their relationship has
cooled/frozen recently.
5. Meeting Jane’s parents for the first time was a bit worrying, but they gave me
a very sunny/warm welcome. Her mother was lovely.
6. The car broke down on the way to my husband’s parents. We were two hours
late for Sunday lunch. You can imagine we got a very frosty/ wet recep-
tion.
7. Ladies and gentlemen, can I start by thanking you for giving me such a warm/
hot welcome.
8. What’s the matter? Cheer up! You look a bit foggy/ gloomy.
9. I wish Dave was more dynamic. He always seems to be half sleep – he’s a bit
damp/ wet, really.
10. My students really annoy me sometime – particularly when they never do
their homework. They really are a shower/ storm!
– Activity 3
Match the following adjectives to their moods:
1. frosty 2. warm 3. hazy 4. stormy 5. gloomy
a. angry b. unfriendly c. sad d. confused e. friendly
– Activity 4
Fill in the correct word in the dialogues below:
– Activity 5
Discuss in pairs when was the last time you felt a bit under the weather?
– Activity 6
Put the following pairs of words into the sentences below:
a. stormed, room d. soon, when
b. feeling, weather e. given, frosty
c. gave, welcome f. hazy, do
– Activity 7
Breezy cold dull foggy frosty hazy icy stormy sunny warm wet
These adjectives all have metaphorical, as well as literal meanings. Suggest some
metaphorical meanings for them. Check them in a dictionary.
– Activity 8
Use the adjectives in activity 1 to complete this conversation. (One of the adjec-
tives should be used more than once).
Happy holidays
Characters:
Anne: a woman of about 40. Pleasant, enthusiastic, cheerful and friendly with
1 …………… and a2 …………… smile.
Peter: Anne’s husband. In contrast to her, he does not show his feelings easily, and
can sometimes seem rather 3 …………… .
ANNE: So, have you had any more thoughts about where we should go on
holidays this year?
PETER: (with a4 …………… look) I’ve told you, Anne, I’ve been far too busy to think
about it.
ANNE: I Know you have, darling, but I do think we need to start planning.
PETER: Oh all right. Well, what about Greece? They always give us such a
5 …………… welcome on the island – they really are friendly people.
ANNE: It’s just the heat, though, in the summer. I really find it unbearable.
PETER: Well, what about Italy then? Although I suppose that could be hot too! I
know we went about 20 years ago, but I’ve only got a 6 …………… memory of it. All
I can remember was the food and that museum in Florence. Can you remember
what I was called? You know, the one with those wonderful paintings?
ANNE: I haven’t got the 7 …………… idea what it was called, Peter! I found it rather
8 …………… to tell you the truth.
PETER: (in a 9 …………… voice) You should show more interest in art, dear. Life
isn’t just about animals and the countryside.
ANNE: But that’s what I’m most interested in! In fact, what about a camping
holiday this year?
PETER: Ugh! It’s so uncomfortable.
ANNE: Oh Peter, don’t be so 10 ……………! Can’t you be a bit more enthusiastic? If
we went camping, we’d be so close to nature.
PETER: (with 11 …………… contempt) Too close, as far as I’m concerned.
ANNE: Oh dear! Why does our relationship always become so 12 …………… when
we have to decide about holidays?
– Activity 9
Write the rest of Anne and Peter’s conversation
– Activity 10
Rehearse Anne and Peter’s conversation by reading it aloud a few times. Then act
it out!
– Activity 11
Read the sentences. Are they true or false? Explain why.
1. The opposite of a “warm welcome” is “a frosty reception”
2. “A stormy meeting” is one in which people cannot agree with each other, and
become angry and emotional with each other.
3. A person who is “wet” is strong and decisive.
– Activity 12
Choose one of the following and either act it out for other students or write down
a short conversation to illustrate it. The other students guess which one you have
chosen.
1. a sunny smile
2. a warm welcome
3. a frosty look
4. a frosty reception
5. an icy look
6. a breezy manner
7. a stormy relationship’
– Activity 13
Think of weather words in your own language. Are any of them used to talk about
things which are not weather? Compare these uses with English.
– Activity 14
Underline the words or expressions connected with the weather in these
sentences.
1. Since we sent out the advertising brochure we have been really snowed under
with work.
2. We were all enjoying the party very much until my dear brother arrived to
cast a cloud over it.
3. The musical has taken the city by storm, and it’s impossible to get tickets for
it.
4. Now that they have finally moved into their new home, the only cloud on the
horizon is her cousin’s illness.
5. The storm was gathering for months, and it eventually broke when the two
candidates in the election admitted taking bribes.
– Activity 15
Complete the sentences with the words in the box. (Some words can be used more
than once).
– Activity 16
Choose one of the following and act it out for the class. They should guess
which one you are acting out.
– To shower somebody with praise
– To storm out of the room
– Activity 17
Think about recent events and choose two or three of these ideas. Tell
another student about:
– a storm that gathered and broke (in public life)
– something that took the country by storm (e.g. a new craze/ a new film)
– a whirlwind tour (e.g. by a pop star)
– a storm of controversy (e.g. over a new law/ over a book)
– a storm of protest (e.g. over a new highway/ over a television programme)
– a hail of abuse (e.g. at footballers who lost a match/ at a bank manager who
defrauded his customers)
Answer key
1: 1 breeze, 2 shower, 3 hazy, 4 frosty, 5 gloomy, 6 cloud over, 7 storm, 8 cool
2: 1 storming, 2 breezed, 3 weather, 4 cooled, 5 warm, 6 frosty, 7 warm, 8 gloomy,
9 wet, 10 shower
3: 1b, 2e, 3d, 4a, 5c
4: 1 cloud, 2 warmed up, 3 warmed, 4 hazy, 5 clouded, 6 wind, 7 brighten up
5: Encourage students to do this in pairs before you go over it with the whole
class.
6: 1d, 2e, 3c, 4a, 5 f, 6b
7: To help students speculate about the metaphorical meanings of the words, give
them an example of one of the adjectives, e.g. stormy. Ask them to think about the
literal meaning, and then to guess what it could mean figuratively. Some of the
meanings will be easier for students to guess than others, e.g. those words
involving ideas of “hot” and “cold” (e.g. frosty, sunny, icy, cold, warm) might be
easier to guess than e.g. breezy and wet. Encourage students to use dictionaries to
check the words they find especially difficult.
8: When doing feedback, encourage students to make connections between the
literal and figurative meanings of the words. Also, encourage them to note down
important collocations for the words, e.g. an icy voice/icy contempt, or any
idiomatic expressions, e.g. not to have the foggiest (idea) about something.
1 breezy, 2 sunny, 3 cold, 4 frosty, 5 warm, 6 hazy, 7 foggiest, 8 dull, 9 icy, 10 wet,
11 icy, 12 stormy
9: Before students write the rest of the conversation, brainstorm some ideas with
them, e.g. Do Anne and Peter finally agree on a holiday? Do they go on separate
holidays?
Ask students to complete the conversation, while you monitor unobtrusively,
helping with any grammar, vocabulary, etc.
10: This can be done in stages:
– Students practice reading aloud the conversation (with their ending) in pairs.
– Students read the conversation aloud a second time with more expression
and intonation, closely following stage directions like in an icy voice.
– Students use gestures, etc. to act out the conversation, but still reading their
scripts.
– Students act out the conversation, with improvisations allowed, without the
scripts.
11: 1 T, 2 T, 3 F
12: Explain to students that in this activity they should convey the meaning of
the phrase, without mentioning the phrase itself. For example, to illustrate a
frosty reception they can act out somebody giving somebody else a frosty recep-
tion through body language, facial expressions and polite but cold language,
without mentioning the phrase itself.
13: Students brainstorm in pairs/groups before reporting their cross-cultural
comparisons to the whole class.
14: Explain to students that the rest of activities in this unit focus on how weather
vocabulary can be used to describe different feelings, behavior or situations.
Ask students to complete the activity in pairs, using their literal knowledge of the
vocabulary to help them understand the metaphorical meanings of the words. Do
an example with them to illustrate this.
1 snowed under 2 to cast a cloud over 3 taken … by storm 4 the only cloud on the
horizon 5 the storm was gathering…broke 6 time 7 positive/happy 8 successful 9
problems 10 trouble/trouble
15: Explain to students that this activity practices common collocations (words
with go together) for weather vocabulary. Encourage them to learn these colloca-
tions as set phrases.
Ask students to check the meanings of the words in a dictionary if necessary,
and/or by discussing the words in pairs.
1 compliments, gifts, praise 2 judgement, mind, thoughts 3 house, room 4 exam,
difficult situation 5 house, room, exam 6 bullets, stones, abuse 7 romance, tour 8
controversy, criticism
16: Give students some time to think of their “act”. Make it clear that they should not
actually mention any of the phrases in 3, but should demonstrate their meaning.
Note: When the weather is breezy, the wind is fairly strong, but pleasant and refreshing. Thus, in
English the metaphorical meaning of breezy suggests a person who is confident, relaxed and
optimistic. Wet, on the other hand, has come to mean a weak and spineless person, who lacks
enthusiasm and energy.