The Role of Visual Representation in the Construction of Meaning

Abstract

The main focus of this thesis is to analyze verb-particle constructions in the English language and their relationship with strategic construal. This is achieved through the analysis of visual depictions of such constructions by Croatian and Omani high-proficiency speakers of English. The thesis first provides a theoretical background covering the most important topics related to this subject: verb-particle constructions, strategic construal, conceptual blending, and decoding images. The research was carried out by analyzing the participants’ pictoral output, dividing the drawings into categories, and studying emerging patterns. Furthermore, focus was placed on speakers’ strategies for visually depicting verb-particle constructions and individual images that merited further analysis