FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE COMPREHENSION: EXAMINING THE PROCESSING LOAD AND CONTEXTUAL EFFECTS ON INFERRING FIGURATIVE MEANING IN HIGH- VS. LOW-APTITUDE L2 ENGLISH READERS IN PAKISTAN

Abstract

Figurative language processing is a key component of communicative competence, placing a significant cognitive burden on learners, particularly those of a Second Language (L2). This paper explored the interplay between innate reading ability (a surrogate for cognitive resources), the support provided by the context, and the processing load necessary to derive the meaning of figurative expressions (Familiar and Novel Metaphors) by L2 English readers in a Pakistani academic context. A mixed-factors design with stratification was used to study 120 undergraduate students (high aptitude-HA and low aptitude-LA groups). Processing load was measured in terms of Reaction Time (RT) using a Self-Paced Reading task and comprehension accuracy. The findings demonstrated a strong interaction among aptitude, Context, and Stimulus Type. The processing load penalty of Novel Metaphors among LA readers was significantly higher than among HA readers, indicating the strain of dual cognitive processes (L2 processing and conceptual integration). More importantly, high levels of contextual biasing provided unfair facilitation to the LA group, which processed novel metaphors 400 ms faster, resulting in significantly lower cognitive cost and reduced susceptibility to literal interpretation errors. This evidence can be empirically used to refine the Graded Salience Hypothesis (GSH) in L2 situations and highlight the importance of context-based pedagogy in Pakistan that should be able to decrease extraneous cognitive load and promote pragmatic competence.

Keywords: Figurative language, Cognitive load, Reading comprehension, Reaction time, Contextual effects, L2 English, Graded Salience Hypothesis, Pakistan.