A Bibliometric Analysis of Research on Child Metaphor

Abstract

Utilizing CiteSpace and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) visualization tool, the present study performed a bibliometric analysis of both Chinese and international research on child metaphor from the past three decades, examining trends and focal points. The study indicates that there is a consensus on the emergence, developmental trajectory, contributing factors of metaphoric competence, and the functions of child metaphor. However, several aspects remain underexplored, including the characteristics and developmental tendencies of metaphor production, the representation and processing mechanisms of various abstract concepts, and the rhetorical features in children’s written language. Additionally, there is a gap between the findings of international research and the verified results in the Chinese context. This study suggests that future research hotspots may include investigating the characteristics of metaphors produced by Chinese children of all ages, the creative use of language in L1 classroom discourse, and the cultivation of metaphorical ability. Chinese scholars may benefit from enhancing interdisciplinary cooperation in the study of metaphors of atypical children and exploring the common rules of human cognitive development.