Metaphors and their relevance to special education

Abstract

In this article, metaphor as a phenomenon in figurative language will be examined from the perspective of special education. The article will show how the use of metaphor can be associated with contextual understanding. The first part of this article addresses the place of metaphor in interaction and as interaction. The point of departure is the interaction theories of Richards and Black, which were later criticized by Davidson. By bringing in a number of symptom markers from various diagnosis-related groups, I will show in the second part of the article that Black's theories may still have validity. The third part of the article is based on interviews with an adolescent with an acquired brain injury who employs figurative language to a greater extent after the injury. The metaphors used by the adolescent are analyzed in relation to their value in the interaction between the participants in the interview. Metaphor is a key component of our communication, and it is therefore important – including in the field of special education – to note how the impact of metaphors on the communicative abilities of different people can vary.

Keywords:

• metaphor
• special education
• traumatic brain injury
• communication
• language disorder
• aphasia
• Asperger syndrome

Notes

1. The interviews were made in Norwegian, and have been translated in the best way into equivalent English. Sometimes it is difficult to find equivalent expressions in another language, especially for metaphors. Interested readers are invited to contact the author for access to the original text.