AJL52020 Basic Issues in Cognitive Linguistics: Metaphors We Live By

Faculty of Arts
Autumn 2025
Extent and Intensity
0/2/0. 6 credit(s). Recommended Type of Completion: zk (examination). Other types of completion: z (credit).
Teacher(s)
doc. Wei-lun Lu, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
prof. Mgr. Jan Chovanec, Ph.D.
Department of English and American Studies – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Tomáš Hanzálek
Supplier department: Department of English and American Studies – Faculty of Arts
Prerequisites
None.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

The capacity limit for the course is 20 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/20, only registered: 0/20
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
This course provides an overview of The Contemporary Theory Metaphor, a central branch in Cognitive and Cultural Linguistics, and some possible applications of the CTM. In this course, we will go over some selected chapters of Metaphors We Live By (Lakoff and Johnson 1980), followed by supplementary articles that demonstrate how this analytic framework can be applied to examine real-world language. Students will develop an individual project of their research interest and will present it in-class. After taking this course, students will be equipped with basic skills of uncovering hidden conceptual and inferential patterns underlying real-world language via a CTM approach. The students are encouraged to work with their native language or languages of their major, including but not limited to Czech, Slovak and English. The course is taught in English.
Syllabus
  • Week 1: Introduction Week 2: Cognitive semantic analysis Week 3: Metaphorical coherence Week 4: Metaphor in politics and society Week 5: Metaphor in time Week 6: Final presentation
Teaching methods
A combination of lectures and class discussion. An individual project is required. A final presentation is required.
Assessment methods
- 6 one-page assignments (10% * 6 = 60%) - Contribution to class discussion (20%) - Final presentation of own’s project (20%) - Punctual attendance expected, with two excused absences tolerated. - No late assignment accepted. - No written exam or term paper, although the students are invited to turn in a write-up draft of their class project for the instructor’s comments if interested.
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course is taught once in two years.
The course is taught every week.
General note: This course is NOT designated for Erasmus students! List of courses offerd by the Department of English and American studies for Erasmsus students is available at http://www.phil.muni.cz/wkaa/ under "Information for Erasmus students".
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