Teaching metaphor and idiom to bilingual children using conceptual key model

Figurative language, which can be thought as a constitution of speech figures like metaphor, metonymy, and stereotypes like idioms and proverbs, is a fundamental element of both literary and daily language. Therefore, there has been a considerable increase in figurative language research. This study also deals with this subject focusing on developing figurative language skills by means of the Conceptual Key Model which is based on the Conceptual Metaphor Theory. The scope of this study is to explore the efficiency of the Conceptual Key Model, particularly in metaphor and idiom teaching under the framework of emotion metaphors and idioms.The study was carried out in the province of Limburg in Belgium during the spring semester of the 2008-2009 academic year with 32 Turkish-Dutch bilingual pupils between the age of 10-12. The pretest-posttest experimental design was used. 16 of the 32 pupils were assigned randomly and evenly as the experimental group and the other 16 as the control group. The experimental group was thought metaphor and idioms according to the Conceptual Key Model through 8 weeks, while the control group received the same education according to classical methods and approaches. Data were collected using Emotion Metaphors Retention Test, Emotion Idioms Retention Test, Emotion Idioms Interpretation Test, Emotion Idioms Retention Test in the Context of Mini-Text, Idiom Interpretation Test. The SPSS 16 was used to describe the data. The following results were obtained from the study:Between the experimental and the control groups;1. There is no statistically meaningful difference on account of metaphor retention, in the domain of emotions.2. There is statistically meaningful difference in favor of the experimental group, on account of idiom retention, in the domain of emotions.3. There is statistically meaningful difference in favor of the experimental group, on account of idiom interpretation, in the domain of emotions.4. There is statistically meaningful difference in favor of the experimental group, on account of idiom retention in the context of mini-text, in the domain of emotions.5. There is no statistically meaningful difference on account of idiom interpretation except the domain of emotions.6. There is statistically meaningful difference in favor of the experimental group, on account of figurative language development.