- Tong Deng & Dr. Ruifeng Lyu*
- School of Foreign Studies, Guangdong University of Finance and Economics, Haizhu, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17948850
Introduction:
Conceptual metaphors are pervasive in economic discourse, acting as
cognitive bridges that shape readers’ understanding of complex trade
activities. However, systematic analyses of their patterns in authentic journalistic
texts, particularly from a pedagogical perspective, remain limited. This study
addresses this gap by investigating the conceptual metaphors in CNN trade news
and exploring their implications for English language teaching, especially in
the context of English for Specific Purposes (ESP).
Methods: Within the
framework of Conceptual Metaphor Theory (Lakoff & Johnson, 1980), this
study employed a corpus-based approach. A specialized DIY corpus was compiled,
consisting of 100 CNN trade news articles totaling 32,446 tokens. Key corpus
tools were utilized: Sketch Engine for corpus compilation, Wmatrix for
automated semantic domain annotation (USAS tagger), and AntConc for the
extraction of keywords and analysis of collocational patterns. The semantic features
of high-frequency, genre-specific vocabulary were examined to identify
underlying metaphorical mappings.
Results: Analysis of
the semantic domains associated with key economic terms revealed four
predominant source domains structuring the discourse: WAR, JOURNEY, HUMAN, and
UP-DOWN. These correspond to the conceptual metaphors TRADE IS WAR, ECONOMIC
ACTIVITY IS A JOURNEY, THE ECONOMY IS A HUMAN BODY, and QUANTITATIVE CHANGE IS
VERTICAL MOVEMENT.
Discussion: The findings confirm that CNN trade news consistently employs metaphors grounded in universal human experiences to conceptualize abstract economic processes. This metaphorical structuring significantly contributes comprehension by mapping the unfamiliar onto familiar domains. Consequently, this research highlights a direct pedagogical application: explicit instruction of these recurrent conceptual metaphors can be a powerful tool for instructors to facilitate learners’ comprehension of specialized economic texts and enhance vocabulary acquisition.
