Abstract:

The aim of this study is to expose perceptions of teacher candidates about the concept of the relationship between language and culture through metaphors. The study was designed as a phenomenological study within the qualitative approach and the data were collected through metaphors. The participants for this study included 71 teacher candidates from department of Turkish Language Teaching Erciyes University Faculty of Education in the spring semester of 2012-2013 academic year. In order to collect data, teacher candidates were asked to complete the prompt “the relationship between language and culture is like ... because ...”. The data obtained from interviews with Turkish student teachers was analyzed with using the content analysis technique. When analyzing the data the following steps were followed: the naming stage, screening and purification stage, compile and category development stage, and to ensure the validity and reliability of the stage. According to the data, teacher candidates produced 66 valid metaphors about the concept of the relationship between language and culture. Analyzing the metaphors which were investigated in terms of qualifications, different conceptual categories were identified. According to the result of this study, Turkish teacher candidates developed 38 metaphor about the relationship between culture, and language. From metaphors, emphasized the importance of the language transmission of culture to the future. Besides were ignored an important source of culture on the development of language. Metaphors created by Turkish teachers' are grouped under 9 categories such as 'Relationship between whole and part', 'indissolubility', 'functionality', 'tool' and 'harmony'. Consequently teacher candidates have high levels of positive perceptions towards the relationship between language and culture.

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