The roles and functions of metaphors in the Malaysian Education Blueprint / Linggatharani Kesavan

Linggatharani , Kesavan (2021) The roles and functions of metaphors in the Malaysian Education Blueprint / Linggatharani Kesavan. Masters thesis, Universiti Malaya.

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Abstract

Abstract: The Malaysian Education Blueprint (2013 - 2025) seeks to revamp the entire education system in Malaysia, targeting institutions of learning and the stakeholders via a series of radical changes in policy and governance. Upon scrutiny, it was also found to contain several metaphors that are carefully constructed and layered to deliver the contents to the readers. Metaphors have been identified as an effective linguistic tool that can be used to achieve cognitive, semantic and pragmatic goals effectively. More importantly, they are also found to create or alter realities and evoke powerful emotions. This research applies the Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT) developed by Lakoff and Johnson (1980) to explore the metaphorical concepts in the Malaysian Education Blueprint (2013 – 2025). Additionally, Charteris-Black’s (2004) framework of analysing metaphorical data in a corpus was employed to study the functions and the role metaphors play in the document. This research found that the metaphorical concepts in the blueprint were systematically employed to represent complex policies and the changes proposed for the next twelve years in the education system. The document also effectively used metaphors to present the issues and challenges faced by the education system in a more palatable way. Moreover, by using military metaphors, the document was found to conceptualize the seriousness of the government in creating an improved education system for the future by taking on current issues.

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