Constructing Theoretical Notions of L2 Writing Through Metaphor Conceptualization
During the last forty years, the teaching of writing, both in the first language (L1) and in the second (L2), has been affected by constant shifts in theoretical approaches (Grabe & Kaplan, 1996; Raimes, 1996). An important question is how teachers internalize all these changes and what beliefs they develop as they are exposed to the different approaches to writing. As ESL teacher educators, we are particularly interested in the process by which student teachers form and develop ideas about the teaching of L2 writing in the course of their training. We are also very interested in observing the processes and outcomes of instruction when learning is viewed as a first interpersonal–then intrapersonal phenomenon, subject to the intervention of various forms of social and self-mediation. In this study, we examine the impact of intervention in the construction of theoretical notions of writing and the teaching of L2 writing among a group of MA-TESL students. Specifically, we analyze the effects of using metaphor conceptualization as the chief mediator in the fostering and challenging of beliefs on L2 writing among the participants.
Sociocultural theory, based on the work of Vygotsky (1986, 1978) and others (Lantolf, 2000; Wells, 1999; Wertsch, 1991) provides a theoretical rationale for intervention in the construction of metaphorical conceptualizations of writing. Three important sociocultural theory concepts inform our research. One is an “enlarged” notion of the zone of proximal development (ZPD) as a site of potential learning that is created when participants of all ages and levels–and not just children and adults, or novices and experts–collaborate in understanding a concept or solving a problem (Wells, 1999, p. 331). This enlarged notion of the ZPD suggests that teachers, both in practice and in training, can develop an understanding of teaching through reflective practice and collaboration with other teachers. Furthermore, as Wells (1999) put it, an enlarged notion of the ZPD implies that mediation is not limited to assistance by other human beings but may come in the form of socially constructed semiotic artifacts, such as books, maps, and diagrams (p. 331). We believe metaphor is one of these semiotic artifacts that can serve as a mediational tool in helping teachers progress in their thinking about writing and the teaching of writing.
Another sociocultural theory concept that is relevant to our research is the notion of internalization, that is, the process by which intermental functioning in the form of social relations among individuals and interaction with socially constructed artifacts is turned inwards and transformed into intramental functioning (Vygotsky, 1978). According to Ball (2000), teachers internalize theoretical concepts as they appropriate what others say and make it their own. Internalization implies going beyond the mere parroting of others’ words to adopting positions of commitment to action and to envisioning the application of new theoretical concepts to practice (Ball, 2000, p. 246-248). One way of studying internalization among teacher trainees is through the observation of teachers’ changes in discourse practices (Ball, 2000, p. 229).
A third related idea is that higher intellectual processes are mediated by psychological tools (Wertsch, 1991). The view of metaphor as a mediating psychological tool is consistent with the approach to metaphor as cognition (Lakoff & Johnson, 1980), which holds that metaphors are more than just ornamental ways of using the language; they are ways of knowing and thinking. Metaphors organize and shape the way we perceive our world by consistently linking one mental domain to another. Metaphors are also excellent tools for comprehending what is complex and incomprehensible in nature and experience (Gibbs, 1994). Recognizing the critical role metaphors play in conceptualizing fields of knowledge, educational researchers have been using metaphor as a research tool to investigate teachers’ cognition (Cameron & Low, 1999). Studies have shown that metaphor is a useful way of bringing implicit assumptions to awareness, encouraging reflection, finding contradictions, and fostering change in educational beliefs and practices (see, for example, Guerrero & Villamil, 2000, 2002; Munby, 1987; Tobin, 1990).
To sum up, metaphor, in this study, functions as the chief mediator in the formulation and reformulation of notions on writing. An enlarged notion of intervention within the ZPD suggests, however, that internalization and progression in cognitive development are also accomplished through reading and reflection, making beliefs explicit, and sharing ideas among classmates. Intervention, in our study, is thus seen as the whole of those principled actions and resources taken up in order to foster change, reorient thinking, and broaden the understanding of writing. With this notion in mind, we asked ourselves the following question: What is the impact of intervention, through metaphorical conceptualization and reflection, on student teachers’ theoretical beliefs about L2 writing? We pursued this objective by means of collecting data from two perspectives: (a) our own observations as teachers and researchers about the students’ changes in their original, alternate, and adopted metaphors and (b) the participants’ own views about the impact of metaphor on their conceptualization of writing.
