本研究在国内外研究的基础上旨在探索高中英语教师课堂话语中的隐喻的使用情况。Lakoff & Johnson (1980)曾揭示隐喻普遍存在，Cameron (2003: 2) 则进一步宣称正是由于这种普遍性才把隐喻带到了应用语言学的研究范畴。近年来国内外的学者对这一领域也逐渐表现出浓厚的兴趣，但是教师话语中的隐喻研究在国内却鲜有人触及。鉴于此，针对教师课堂话语中的隐喻的研究确有必要。本研究以Lakoff & Johnson (1980) 的概念隐喻理论为基本理论出发点，以2006年在山东省青岛市召开的“第六届全国中学（高中）英语教学观摩暨研讨会”中来自全国的优秀教师的20节获奖课为语料，以隐喻识别程序（MIP）为研究工具，采用一种广义的而非狭义的视角来阐发隐喻的使用,结合实例对课堂话语中的概念隐喻进行实证性的研究，以期揭示高中优秀英语教师在优质课评比课堂中隐喻的运用状况。具体研究结果如下：1)在这全国20节优质课大赛获奖课中，教师话语中隐喻的使用是一种普遍现象。就隐喻使用频率而言，20位优秀教师无一例外地全都使用了隐喻，但是隐喻使用的频率各不相同，呈不均衡分布。就隐喻使用类型而言，隐喻使用类型多样，但是在各种隐喻使用的比例方面，教师使用较多的是结构隐喻；2）课堂教师话语中隐喻使用的目的和功能呈现多样化，概念隐喻的使用主要蕴含了8种目的和功能：（1）表达复杂的含义和解释抽象的概念；（2）添加课堂效果；（3）对学生的表现给予反馈；（4）提问；（5）课堂指令；（6）标志话语分界和话题转换；（7）增加课堂互动；（8）通过计算机和互联网隐喻语言来表达共有的相关经历。 文章最后探讨了本研究带给同类研究和外语教学的启示及意义，指出了其局限性以及今后同类研究的方向。

Based on the framework of conceptual metaphor theories, the present study aims to explore metaphor use in English teacher spoken discourse in senior middle school. Pervasive as metaphor is, an empirical study of metaphor within teacher discourse is left almost untouched in domestic studies. This study attempts to bridge such a gap between the theoretical study of conceptual metaphor and the practical applications of such theories in applied linguistics. The starting point of the present study will take a broad perspective on metaphor rather than a narrow view and examine metaphor in both its mundane and poetic forms so as to produce an overall picture of metaphor use in teacher discourse. Data collected for this study comes from 20 periods of classroom videos by excellent English teachers from all over China who were awarded the prizes in the Sixth National Secondary School (High School) English Language Teaching Observation & Symposium which was held under the guidance of the New English Curriculum Standard of Senior School in Qing dao in 2006.This study will identify metaphor in teacher discourse by adopting a version of the metaphor identification procedure (MIP) developed by the Pragglejaz Group in 2007.A combination of quantitative and qualitative analysis yields the following major findings: 1) Metaphor use is common in the 20 periods of classroom teacher spoken discourse. Relating to the frequency of metaphor occurrence, metaphors occur with different frequency throughout the 20 periods of classroom teacher spoken discourse and show a fairly uneven spread. Concerning the types of metaphors employed in teacher discourse, the teachers’ use of these three types of metaphors is unbalanced. Structural metaphors are of strikingly high frequency (626 cases) and they take up the main share (58.34%) of the total occurrence (1073 cases); 2) As regards to different aims and functions of metaphor use, there is a diversity of the major aims and functions of metaphor use within teacher discourse, in that the aims and functions embodied in the metaphorical expressions are generally distributed in eight dimensions: (1) Expressing complex meaning and explaining abstract concept; (2) Adding dramatic effect; (3) Giving feedback on student performance; (4) Questioning; (5) Giving classroom directions; (6) Marking discourse boundaries and topic changes; (7) Inviting interaction; (8) Linked interrelated experiences via computer and internet metaphorical language. Based on the above findings, the present study gives rise to some theoretical and pedagogical implications. In addition, it offers some limitations and suggestions for future research.