Conceptual Metaphors and the Teaching–Learning Process of Languages: The Case of Nahuatl and Latin

Abstract

This article examines how learners construct linguistic concepts in the study of Nahuatl and Latin through a qualitative methodology based on classroom observation and discourse analysis, including recorded lessons, examination of peer interactions, and identification of conceptual metaphors emerging from everyday language use. The primary objective is to determine how students structure complex linguistic concepts by drawing on prior experiential knowledge and culturally shared cognitive models, demonstrating that scientific understanding emerges from preexisting conceptual networks rather than from memorized definitions. The study reveals, as its scope, that students interpret abstract linguistic notions—such as agglutination, declension, grammatical cases, or meaning—through spatial, material, and motion-based metaphors, including “words are extensions,” “declension is a journey,” “grammatical cases are places,” and “meaning is identity.” These recurring patterns across both observed classes indicate coherence within students’ conceptual systems and confirm the applicability of Lakoff and Johnson’s theory to academic-scientific contexts. The analysis further suggests that linguistic learning depends heavily on cognitive schemas rooted in everyday experience, highlighting the influence of community culture on school-based knowledge formation. The study concludes that these metaphorical mechanisms should be considered in the development of more effective teaching strategies for language acquisition.