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The relationship between topic and metaphor in second-language learners’ essays


 In this article I investigate to what extent the use of metaphorical expressions in language learners’ texts vary
 according to the topic they have chosen to write about. The data come from the Norwegian learner corpus ASK, where the texts are
 from written assignments produced by adult second-language learners as part of an official Norwegian test and texts. Texts from
 two different prompts are selected, which are related to friendship and nature. Metaphors are defined according to conceptual
 metaphor theory and a triangulation of methods is used, alternating between a manual and an automatic extraction method.
 The results confirm the hypothesis that the two different prompts given to the learners in a language test not
 only triggers different metaphorical expressions but also influences the amount of metaphor used in the learners’ writing. This
 knowledge is important to researchers for comparing the use of metaphors between different groups, such as between different
 learners or between students in different stages of education. It is also important for test designers who decide on topics to be
 used in tests and teachers who help learners prepare for their tests. In addition, it is of interest for researchers, educators in general and the learners
 themselves who are interested in the effect the use of metaphors in texts have on raters’ evaluations in high-stake tests.