Exploring the dynamic metaphor patterns in describing English public speaking anxiety among Chinese learners

Abstract This study aims to explore the dynamic metaphor patterns in describing English public speaking (EPS) anxiety among Chinese learners. Metaphor is frequently used to describe complex emotional states, mental processes, and difficult experiences (Kövecses, Zoltán. 2003. Metaphor and emotion: Language, culture, and body in human feeling . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press). This investigation is based on the discourse dynamics approach (Cameron, Lynne & Robert Maslen (eds.). 2010. Metaphor analysis: Research practice in applied linguistics, social sciences and the humanities . Toronto: University of Toronto Press). Fifteen Chinese learners were interviewed to present their EPS anxiety experiences in three speech types. A blended approach (combining naturalistic and elicited metaphors) was employed in the interviews. A total of 2006 metaphor vehicle terms were identified from the transcripts of interviews. The fitted log-linear model did not retain the highest level of the three-way interaction between VEHICLE GROUPING, TOPIC TERM and SPEECH TYPE. However, two possible bivariate associations (i.e., VEHICLE GROUPING * TOPIC TERM, and SPEECH TYPE * TOPIC TERM) were retained and discussed as metaphor patterns. In terms of the topics, metaphors of ANXIETY and OTHER (classroom environment, task demands, teacher feedback, peer pressure, emotional states of other people) were used more to describe EPS anxiety in the first informative speech but less in the third persuasive speech.