ABSTRACT
Cognitive linguistics aim to recognise both the social, contextual and psychological dimensions of language, and provides different ways for teachers to think about language and how some key aspects of grammar and meaning might be taught to students. The main principles of cognitive linguistics is that all aspects of the linguistic system are meaningful, and consequently grammatical forms are as important in shaping meaning as lexical ones. By contrast, cognitive linguistics views metaphor as an important ubiquitous phenomenon by which people organise and understand complex abstract concepts in terms of more physical ones. Cognitive linguistics offer a way for teachers to draw on the physical and experiential bases of meaning in the design and delivery of classroom activities, and in particular the use of learning and teaching strategies and methods that make use of the body as a powerful semiotic resource. Finally, cognitive linguistics sees communication in broad terms that stress the importance of both human cognition and social interaction.
