Development of an e-learning program to learn idiomatic expressions based on the analysis of metaphorical thinking of Japanese intermediate learners of English

一系列关于日本英语学习者如何识别英语形容词和动词的多义词的实验结果表明，他们倾向于将自己的母语视为一种独特的语言，并且不愿意构建L1=TL策略。研究还发现，即使是在母语中，也没有多少学习者意识到词义的隐喻扩展。本研究旨在开发一个电子学习程序，帮助那些对可迁移性持怀疑态度的学习者注意到母语和外语之间潜在的跨语言相似性，培养学习者在隐喻思维过程中的自主性，从而捕捉外语的核心意义或图式。验证了该方案的有效性，并对进一步研究的问题进行了讨论。

Results of a series of experiments on how Japanese learners of English recognize polysemous senses of English adjectives and verbs indicated that they tend to regard their L1 as a unique language, and are discouraged from constructing a L1=TL strategy. It was also revealed that not many learners are conscious of the metaphorical expansion of word senses even in their L1. This study aimed to develop an e-learning program to help encourage learners who are suspicious of transferability to notice underlying cross-linguistic similarities between L1 and TL, to develop learner autonomy over their metaphorical thinking process, and consequently to capture TL's core meanings or schema. The effectiveness of the program was examined, and some points for further study were discussed.