Tuesday, June 2, 2009

What's happening...the first session.

Here's a sneak preview of Angela Goddard's talk for the opening session on Wednesday 17th June.

I'll update this blog over the next few days with more info about each speaker, and we'll be emailing all of you have booked places with directions and running orders (which will also appear online here next week).

Metaphors Я Us: How everyday metaphors construct the world we live in.

My talk will focus on how we create worlds from words.

Metaphor is often seen as an elaboration of language use associated with literary texts. I will be arguing against this view and suggesting that metaphor is a very basic form of daily communication that creates a sense of reality for its users.

My research – on computer-mediated communication – has shown that metaphor is a powerful strategy for creating shared worlds. However, that same strategy can act to inhibit alternative interpretations of ‘reality’ and so produce discourses that impact strongly on our personal and social lives.

While the topic of metaphor will have obvious relevance to teachers of English Language, those also teaching English Literature can benefit from re-thinking how other subject areas might view one of English Lit’s basic ‘toolkit’ items. Analysing metaphor can also form an important part of any subject area that concerns itself with different discourses – for example, the Social Sciences, Business Management, etc. Students who can apply their English Language studies to their work in other subject areas gain tremendously in their understanding and confidence as learners.

Professor Angela Goddard works at York St John University as a Head of Subject for Languages and Linguistics. She has worked in every phase of education, teaching and researching aspects of language in use. She has been involved in developing English Language A Level curricula since the beginning of the first course in 1983; she is now Chair of Examiners for AQA’s two English Language A Level Specifications. Angela was awarded a Higher Education Agency National Teaching Fellowship in 2008. She has written many books and articles on language, including writing and editing the Routledge Intertext series, which consist of a core book for language study plus 22 satellite titles on different language topics.

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