EFL TEACHERS AND STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF TEACHERS’ ROLES THROUGH METAPHOR ANALYSIS AT A PRIVATE UNIVERSITY

Authors

  • Dao Thi Thai Faculty of Foreign Languages, Nam Can Tho University, 168 Nguyen Van Cu Street, An Binh Ward, Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho City, Vietnam
  • Tran Thi Truc Hien Faculty of Foreign Languages, Nam Can Tho University, 168 Nguyen Van Cu Street, An Binh Ward, Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho City, Vietnam

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46827/ejel.v10i2.6115

Keywords:

metaphors, teacher roles, professional identity

Abstract

The use of metaphor in analyzing teachers’ identity of their profession and their roles has been explored in many studies. However, the investigations into teachers’ and students’ perceptions of the roles of EFL teachers are rare. This descriptive study with a qualitative approach examined the perceptions of 200 students and 30 teachers towards teachers’ roles through Metaphor Analysis at a private university in the Mekong Delta. The data were collected through a questionnaire and semi–structured interview in which the participants were asked to use metaphors to identify teachers’ roles. The results indicated that participants image English teachers in a wide range of metaphors, for example, “a chef”, “an artist”, “a compass”, “a mother”, “a star”, and “a bridge”. This study not only provides opportunities for students to reflect on the images of teachers and teaching but also highlights some implications for education and further exploration.

 

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Author Biographies

  • Dao Thi Thai, Faculty of Foreign Languages, Nam Can Tho University, 168 Nguyen Van Cu Street, An Binh Ward, Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho City, Vietnam

    Ms. Dao Thi Thai is a lecturer of English at Nam Can Tho University, Vietnam. She is passionate about teaching practices. She has been interested in teaching productive skills and linguistic courses to English majors.

  • Tran Thi Truc Hien, Faculty of Foreign Languages, Nam Can Tho University, 168 Nguyen Van Cu Street, An Binh Ward, Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho City, Vietnam

    Ms. Tran Thi Truc Hien is a lecturer of English at Nam Can Tho University, Vietnam. She is interested in the field of teaching and learning English. She has been particularly involved in teaching various courses for English-majored students.

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Published

2025-07-06

Issue

Vol. 10 No. 2 (2025)

Section

Articles

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