Metaphoric and metonymic thinking in college english reading instruction

The traditional model of college English reading instruction emphasizes exam-oriented reading comprehension skills and the deconstruction of complex sentence structures, while relatively neglecting the cognitive rationale behind the formation of vocabulary outlined in the syllabus and the appreciation of rhetorical expressions in texts. Using the first four units of New Horizon College English (3rd Edition, Volume 1) as examples, this study attempts to analyze words, sentences, and texts to demonstrate that metonymic and metaphoric thinking constitute common cognitive rationales for English vocabulary meaning. Additionally, metonymy and metaphor as rhetorical devices exist to enhance the expressive effect of language.