Metaphor in college lectures

Topic and scope	This project investigates the use and function of (deliberate) metaphors in relation to the communication of knowledge in different text types of US-American college lectures. It first identifies the different text types and structures of each lecture. It then identifies occurrences of (deliberate) metaphors in those text types that are most relevant to communicating abstract (scientific) knowledge. In order to examine the role of deliberate metaphors in knowledge mediation in particular, their functions will be analyzed in relation to the nature and goals of the text types they occur in.
Duration	2010-2016
Research question	What kinds of (deliberate) metaphors are used in the communication of abstract concepts in college lectures, and in how far do their different functions aid the negotiation of knowledge?
Method	Corpus analysis
Status	External PhD dissertation in progress
Researcher and supervisors	Researcher: Anke Beger Supervisors: Olaf Jäkel (Flensburg University, Germany) and Gerard Steen