Page 61 - Studia Universitatis Hereditati, vol. 4(1) (2016)
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ia universitatisto the last decades of the 20th century. Besides meanings and values (Zhao, 2004; Wu & Dou,
the intensification of publications on the learn- 2011).14 Lexical competence implies the knowl-
lear ners of italian as l2 and the awar eness of the cultur al connotation of wor ds 61 ing and teaching of lexis, we also experienced a edge of the semantic borders that each word in
multiplication of theories, reference models and the target language contains, as well as various
terminological systems often inconsistent and pragmatic aspects assumed in the speech acts
discordant. In general, the debates and the the- and the conversational implications in relation
oretical discussions concerning the lexis are fo- to the context and the interlocutors. Therefore,
cused in particular on the study of the concept semantics is integrated with pragmatics, which
of lexical competence, on the nature and struc- is the study of the usage of language in context.
ture of mental lexic, on the strategies of lexical
learning, on the role played by the individual dif- Connotative and denotative meaning
ferences and the context of learning. According The absence of a common theoretical basis of
to the theorethical assumptions, scholars agree reference for the study of lexis and lexical com-
about considering lexical competence, or the abil- petence in L2/FL leads to a terminological con-
ity to acquire, produce and interpret the conno- fusion, due partially to the nature of the stud-
tative meaning of words and expressions, as a key ied phenomenon. Besides the notion of lexical
factor for achieving intercultural competence in competence in relation to the adopted approach
the L2/FL. Considering the interactional set- (semantic, pragmatic, psycholinguistic, glotto-
tings, the knowledge of the norms of the tar- didactic and so forth), there are other relevant
get culture sharpens the dialogical intercultural concepts such as: metaphoric competence, intend-
competence (Morlicchio, 2002).10 Let us consid- ed as the ability to acquire, produce and interpret
er the whole set of lexical units, idiomatic phras- the methaphoric speech in the target language
es and expressions, metaphors and routinized (Littlemore, 2001; Littlemore & Low, 2006)15
forms used in everyday interactions, all deep- and figurative competence, which assumes the
ly immersed in idiomaticity (Cardona, 2008),11 ability to comprehend and produce metaphors,
with which the learner of a L2/FL has to deal be- idiomatic forms and figurative speech in gener-
fore (s)he interiorises the norms and grammati- al (Levorato, 1993).16 At the same time, there is
cal structures of the target language. According a frequent indistinct use of terms related to the
to Bachman (1990),12 a determinant aspect of the same conceptual sector, but not always assimila-
sociolinguistic competence resides in the skill ble, including: metaphorical speech, idiomatic
of using and interpreting the cultural referenc- expressions, formulaic language usage, figurative
es and the figures of the spoken language. The speech, idioms, connotations, etc. To overcome
author underlines that “the conventions govern- the absence of the theoretical and the conceptu-
ing the use of figurative language as well as the al basis of reference, it has been decided to incor-
specific meanings and images that are evoked, porate the concepts listed above under the more
are deeply rooted in the culture of a given soci-
ety or speech community”.13 That is shown in all 14 Jun Zhao, “EFL Students’ Awareness of Cultural Connotations
the words having a strong cultural connotation, of Words,” Arizona Working Papers in SLAT, 11 (2004): 37-55; Shu-
which in different languages convey different jing Wu and Tongpei Dou, “An Experimental Study on Transfer
of Cultural Connotation of Vocabulary,” Cross cultural Communica-
10 Elda Morlicchio, “ Plurilinguismo e interculturalità,” in Europa, lin- tion, 7 (2011): 97-111.
gue e istruzione primaria, ed. P. Marzotta (Torino: UTET, 2002), 3-29.
15 Jeannette Littlemore, “Metaphoric Competence: A Language
11 Mario Cardona, “La comprensione e produzione di idioms: aspetti Learning Strenght of Students With a Holistic Cognitive Style?”
psicolinguistici e riflessioni glottodidattiche,” Studi di Glottodidatti- TESOL QUARTERLY, 35(3) (2001): 459-491; Jeannette Littlemore
ca, 3 (2008): 45-64. and Graham Low, “Metaphoric competence and communicative
language ability,” Applied Linguistics, 27(2) (2006): 268-294.
12 Lyle Bachman, Fundamental considerations in language testing (Ox-
ford: Oxford University Press, 1990). 16 Chiara M. Levorato, “The Acquisition of Idioms and the Develop-
ment of Figurative Competence,” in Idioms: Processing, Structure and In-
13 Bachman, Fundamental considerations in language testing, 98. terpretation, eds. C. Cacciari and P. Tabossi (Hillsdale, N.J.: Lawrence
Erlbaum Associates, 1993), 101-128.
the intensification of publications on the learn- 2011).14 Lexical competence implies the knowl-
lear ners of italian as l2 and the awar eness of the cultur al connotation of wor ds 61 ing and teaching of lexis, we also experienced a edge of the semantic borders that each word in
multiplication of theories, reference models and the target language contains, as well as various
terminological systems often inconsistent and pragmatic aspects assumed in the speech acts
discordant. In general, the debates and the the- and the conversational implications in relation
oretical discussions concerning the lexis are fo- to the context and the interlocutors. Therefore,
cused in particular on the study of the concept semantics is integrated with pragmatics, which
of lexical competence, on the nature and struc- is the study of the usage of language in context.
ture of mental lexic, on the strategies of lexical
learning, on the role played by the individual dif- Connotative and denotative meaning
ferences and the context of learning. According The absence of a common theoretical basis of
to the theorethical assumptions, scholars agree reference for the study of lexis and lexical com-
about considering lexical competence, or the abil- petence in L2/FL leads to a terminological con-
ity to acquire, produce and interpret the conno- fusion, due partially to the nature of the stud-
tative meaning of words and expressions, as a key ied phenomenon. Besides the notion of lexical
factor for achieving intercultural competence in competence in relation to the adopted approach
the L2/FL. Considering the interactional set- (semantic, pragmatic, psycholinguistic, glotto-
tings, the knowledge of the norms of the tar- didactic and so forth), there are other relevant
get culture sharpens the dialogical intercultural concepts such as: metaphoric competence, intend-
competence (Morlicchio, 2002).10 Let us consid- ed as the ability to acquire, produce and interpret
er the whole set of lexical units, idiomatic phras- the methaphoric speech in the target language
es and expressions, metaphors and routinized (Littlemore, 2001; Littlemore & Low, 2006)15
forms used in everyday interactions, all deep- and figurative competence, which assumes the
ly immersed in idiomaticity (Cardona, 2008),11 ability to comprehend and produce metaphors,
with which the learner of a L2/FL has to deal be- idiomatic forms and figurative speech in gener-
fore (s)he interiorises the norms and grammati- al (Levorato, 1993).16 At the same time, there is
cal structures of the target language. According a frequent indistinct use of terms related to the
to Bachman (1990),12 a determinant aspect of the same conceptual sector, but not always assimila-
sociolinguistic competence resides in the skill ble, including: metaphorical speech, idiomatic
of using and interpreting the cultural referenc- expressions, formulaic language usage, figurative
es and the figures of the spoken language. The speech, idioms, connotations, etc. To overcome
author underlines that “the conventions govern- the absence of the theoretical and the conceptu-
ing the use of figurative language as well as the al basis of reference, it has been decided to incor-
specific meanings and images that are evoked, porate the concepts listed above under the more
are deeply rooted in the culture of a given soci-
ety or speech community”.13 That is shown in all 14 Jun Zhao, “EFL Students’ Awareness of Cultural Connotations
the words having a strong cultural connotation, of Words,” Arizona Working Papers in SLAT, 11 (2004): 37-55; Shu-
which in different languages convey different jing Wu and Tongpei Dou, “An Experimental Study on Transfer
of Cultural Connotation of Vocabulary,” Cross cultural Communica-
10 Elda Morlicchio, “ Plurilinguismo e interculturalità,” in Europa, lin- tion, 7 (2011): 97-111.
gue e istruzione primaria, ed. P. Marzotta (Torino: UTET, 2002), 3-29.
15 Jeannette Littlemore, “Metaphoric Competence: A Language
11 Mario Cardona, “La comprensione e produzione di idioms: aspetti Learning Strenght of Students With a Holistic Cognitive Style?”
psicolinguistici e riflessioni glottodidattiche,” Studi di Glottodidatti- TESOL QUARTERLY, 35(3) (2001): 459-491; Jeannette Littlemore
ca, 3 (2008): 45-64. and Graham Low, “Metaphoric competence and communicative
language ability,” Applied Linguistics, 27(2) (2006): 268-294.
12 Lyle Bachman, Fundamental considerations in language testing (Ox-
ford: Oxford University Press, 1990). 16 Chiara M. Levorato, “The Acquisition of Idioms and the Develop-
ment of Figurative Competence,” in Idioms: Processing, Structure and In-
13 Bachman, Fundamental considerations in language testing, 98. terpretation, eds. C. Cacciari and P. Tabossi (Hillsdale, N.J.: Lawrence
Erlbaum Associates, 1993), 101-128.
