Acquisition of Metaphors and Idioms during Childhood: Implications for School Life

Abstract

This article reviews literature produced between 1970 and 2020, in the field of language ontogenesis, to know how metaphors and idioms are acquired during the first 11 years of life and what factors enhanced and enriched their development. Literature considers 3 to 11 years of age to be the period in which a sufficient understanding of various figurative expressions is progressively acquired. Findings indicated that metaphors and idioms carry different acquisition paths. While metaphors are largely dependent on alternative naming ability and analogical reasoning, idioms require theory of mind skills, particularly if they are non-compositional in nature. All of the above is discussed in terms of the relevance of these two figurative uses for school learning.