Introduction to Cognitive Linguistics
Fall 2025-2026
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Alper Kumcu (Visiting Professor)
Email | Website
Course Description
This course offers an introductory overview of Cognitive Linguistics, a discipline that examines language as a cognitive function and the mind through language. Key topics include categorisation, metaphor, image schemas, mental spaces, the mental lexicon, conceptualisation in grammar, the representation of language in the mind, and embodied language processing.
Drawing on insights from text analysis, language acquisition, psycholinguistic experimentation and neurolinguistic evidence, the course provides students with an understanding of the relationship between linguistic structure, thought, and embodied human experience, as well as its implications for education and language teaching.
Weekly Schedule
| Week | Date | Topic | Content | Readings | Task |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | October 2, 2025 | Course Introduction | – | – | |
| 2 | October 9, 2025 | Foundations of Cognitive Linguistics | Language as a cognitive function // Usage-based and meaning-as-conceptualization perspectives // Why CL matters for language teaching and education | Croft & Cruse (2004, ch.1) Optional: Evans (2019, ch.1) | – |
| 3 | October 16, 2025 | Categories, Prototypes, and Frames | Prototype theory (Rosch, Lakoff, Taylor) Radial categories, frames, and cultural models Implications for vocabulary learning and conceptual development in L2 | Evans & Green (ch.2) | – |
| 4 | October 23, 2025 | Embodiment and Image Schemas | Embodied experience as the basis of conceptual structure Core image schemas: CONTAINER, PATH, FORCE, BALANCE Applications in teaching difficult concepts like prepositions | Evans & Green (2006, ch.6) Optional: Bergen (2012, ch.2–3) | – |
| 5 | October 30, 2025 | Conceptual Metaphor Theory | Lakoff & Johnson’s framework of conceptual metaphor Primary metaphors and metaphorical systems Raising metaphor awareness in language learning | Lakoff & Johnson (2003) Optional: Kövecses (2010, ch.1–2) | – |
| 6 | November 6, 2025 | Embodied Language Processing | Embodied semantics and sensorimotor simulation Neural and behavioural evidence for embodied meaning Classroom implications: gestures, action-based learning, multimodal teaching | Gibbs (2006, ch.5–6) Bergen (2012, ch.4–5) | – |
| 7 | November 13, 2025 | Midterm | |||
| 8 | November 20, 2025 | Mental Spaces and Conceptual Blending | Conceptual blending and emergent meaning Examples in literature, humour, and problem-solving Educational applications for creative thinking and storytelling | Fauconnier & Turner (2002, ch.1–2) Optional: Evans & Green (2006, ch.7) | – |
| 9 | November 27, 2025 | The Mental Lexicon and Polysemy | Network view of word meaning and sense relations Polysemy and meaning extension Strategies for vocabulary teaching based on CL | Langacker (2008, ch.2) Optional: Evans & Green (2006, ch.4) | – |
| 10 | December 4, 2025 | Cognitive Grammar: Grammar as Conceptualization | Langacker’s view of grammar as meaningful Construal, perspective, and reference-point constructions Rethinking grammar pedagogy through CL | Evans & Green (2006, ch.8) | – |
| 11 | December 11, 2025 | Discourse, Pragmatics, and Education | Figurative language and metaphor in discourse Cognitive approaches to texts, narratives, and classroom language Integrating CL into materials design and teacher practice | Cameron & Low (2004, ch.1) Kövecses (2010, ch.7) | |
| 12 | December 18, 2025 | Selected articles | Student Presentations I | ||
| 13 | December 25, 2025 | Selected articles | Student Presentations II | ||
| 14 | January 1, 2026 | Holiday |
Assigned Readings
- Evans, V., & Green, M. (2006). Cognitive Linguistics: An Introduction. Routledge.
- Croft, W., & Cruse, D. A. (2004). Cognitive Linguistics. Cambridge University Press.
- Lakoff, G., & Johnson, M. (2003). Metaphors We Live By. University of Chicago Press.
- Langacker, R. W. (2008). Cognitive Grammar: A Basic Introduction. Oxford University Press.
- Fauconnier, G., & Turner, M. (2002). The Way We Think: Conceptual Blending and the Mind’s Hidden Complexities. Basic Books.
Recommended Reading
- Gibbs, R. W. (2006). Embodiment and Cognitive Science. Cambridge University Press.
- Kövecses, Z. (2010). Metaphor: A Practical Introduction. Oxford University Press.
- Bergen, B. (2012). Louder than Words: The New Science of How the Mind Makes Meaning. Basic Books.
- Talmy, L. (2000). Toward a Cognitive Semantics. MIT Press.
- Taylor, J. R. (1995). Linguistic Categorization: Prototypes in Linguistic Theory (2nd ed.). Clarendon Press.
- Evans, V. (2019). Cognitive Linguistics: A Complete Guide. Routledge.
- Cameron, L., & Low, G. (2004). Researching and Applying Metaphor. Cambridge University Press.
- Taylor, J. R. (2003). Linguistic Categorization (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press.
Requirements
- Midterm (40%) – Week 7
- Student Presentation (20%) – Weeks 11-12
- Final Exam (40%) – January 8, 2026