Cross-Modal Metaphor Processing: A Cross-Language Comparison Study

Thesis Abstract

Cross-Modal Metaphor Processing involves the interaction of perceptual-motor experiences with linguistic representations across different languages). This study addresses the problem of how cross-modal metaphor comprehension and production vary across languages with distinct typologies (analytic vs. synthetic morphology) and how modality (visual, auditory, and gestural cues) influences cross-language metaphor processing. The aim is to examine whether cross-modal metaphor processing is universal or language-specific, and to identify mechanisms that underlie cross-language transfer of metaphorical meanings. Specific objectives are (1) to compare processing times and accuracy in recognizing cross-modal metaphors across English and Mandarin Chinese; (2) to examine the influence of perceptual priming and gestural congruency on metaphor comprehension; (3) to test whether bilinguals show reduced cross-language metaphor processing costs relative to monolinguals; (4) to investigate the role of conceptual metaphors and embodied simulation in cross-language metaphor integration; and (5) to assess the predictive validity of theoretical constructs from Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT) and Embodied Cognition in cross-language contexts. The methodology adopts a mixed-methods, cross-sectional design combining experimental tasks and qualitative interviews. The population comprises proficient bilingual adults (English–Mandarin) aged 20-35, with normal or corrected-to-normal vision and no history of language or neurological disorders. A stratified sample of 120 participants will be recruited, including 60 English–Mandarin bilinguals and 60 monolingual controls (30 English monolinguals and 30 Mandarin monolinguals) to isolate language-specific effects. Data collection instruments include (a) a cross-modal metaphor processing battery consisting of rapid lexical decision and semantic judgment tasks embedded with simultaneous visual, auditory, and gestural stimuli; (b) a perceptual priming task to manipulate congruency between embodied cues and target metaphors; (c) a bilingual proficiency assessment and language dominance questionnaire; and (d) semi-structured interviews to capture subjective strategies in metaphor interpretation. Validity and reliability are ensured through pilot testing, parallel-forms, and internal consistency checks (Cronbach’s alpha > .80 for instruments). Stimuli are curated from parallel corpora to ensure cross-language equivalence of metaphorical mappings (e.g., “time is a resource” and gesture representations of motion as time). Data analysis employs a hierarchical Bayesian mixed-effects modeling approach to handle within-subject and between-subject variability, with fixed effects for language, modality, metaphor type (abstract vs. concrete), congruency, and proficiency, and random effects for participants and items. Regression analyses will determine the influence of proficiency and dominance on processing efficiency, while ANOVA and planned contrasts will test cross-language differences in accuracy and response times. Thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke) of interview data will elucidate strategies and cognitive mechanisms underlying cross-language metaphor processing. A conceptual model integrating CMT and Embodied Cognition will be tested through structural equation modeling to assess indirect effects of perceptual-motor simulations on comprehension across languages. Key expected findings include (i) faster processing and higher accuracy for congruent cross-modal cues within a language than across languages, with bilingual participants showing reduced processing costs in cross-language metaphor tasks; (ii) stronger embodiment effects in Mandarin due to visuo-spatial gestural schemas associated with tonal and character-based processing, compared with English; (iii) evidence that perceptual priming and gestural congruency amplify cross-language metaphor integration, supporting embodied simulation as a mediator; (iv) partial mediation by proficiency and language dominance, indicating that higher bilingual proficiency correlates with more efficient cross-language metaphor processing. The study contributes to knowledge by extending Cross-Modal Metaphor Processing research to cross-language contexts, clarifying the role of embodied cognition in language transfer, and refining the applicability of Conceptual Metaphor Theory across typologically diverse languages. Practical implications include informing bilingual education and translation training by highlighting modality-specific cues that facilitate metaphor comprehension. The main conclusion anticipates that cross-language metaphor processing is modulated by embodied simulations and language dominance, with bilinguals leveraging shared conceptual mappings more efficiently than monolinguals; recommendations include the integration of multimodal cues in language pedagogy and further longitudinal studies to examine development of cross-language metaphor competence over time.