Conceptual Metaphors to Foster Students’ Vocabulary Learning Outcomes in English for Business Purposes

Background: Metaphors are found to have positive impacts on vocabulary teaching and learning. However, further investigations into the existing literature disclosed a lack of thorough research regarding the utilization of conceptual metaphors in teaching business vocabulary. In addition, while these studies have shed light on the impact of orientational metaphors in teaching vocabulary, there remains a lack of consensus concerning the effects of teaching vocabulary through structural metaphors or ontological metaphors. Purpose: To examine the effectiveness of utilizing the Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT) in teaching English vocabulary for business purposes to enhance students' vocabulary learning outcomes, including vocabulary acquisition, retention, and lexical inference. Method: A quasi-experimental study was designed and conducted over a duration of 10 weeks with the participation of 58 second-year students specializing in International Business. The participants were randomly and equitably allocated to the experimental group, which utilized the CMT-based teaching method, and the Control group, which employed traditional teaching methods. The data were collected via a pre-test, immediate post-test, and delayed post-test, thereafter, analyzed using IBM SPSS software version 26.0. Results: While the pre-test scores exhibited their homogeneity in their English proficiency before the experiment, the students in the experimental group achieve a mean score of 7.662; 1.228; and 7.429, surpassing the control group's mean score of 6.710; 0.510; and 6.476 regarding the results gained in the overall Immediate post-test, Inference questions, and Delayed post-test respectively. Conclusion: CMT-based teaching approach significantly enhances students’ vocabulary learning outcomes, including vocabulary acquisition, lexical inference, and vocabulary retention. The current study contributes to the literature relating to vocabulary instructional approach. The study indicates that instructors can facilitate business vocabulary learning by explicitly emphasizing the conceptual frameworks that support key lexical elements. Furthermore, the findings suggest that future classroom applications may be improved by integrating metaphor education into case studies, presentations, and real-world business situations, enabling students to utilize metaphors in contextually relevant manners. These pedagogical insights can assist educators in designing more cognitively engaging evidence-based practice programs that promote long-term vocabulary growth.