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Due to the bewildering array of spatial configurations that languages build around spatial relations, the acquisition of English spatial prepositions is a daunting task for learners of English as L2. For instance, while the embodied meanings of contact and containment are expressed in English through on and in, respectively, Spanish conveys such configurations through en (in). Furthermore, spatial prepositions bear non-geometric senses, especially those imbued with metaphorical configurations. Accordingly, in addition to its spatial configuration of motion, to, for example, may denote a metaphorical (He gave a questioning look to someone) or attachment sense (The building next to the hospital). Teaching English as L2, however, does not provide learners a conceptual guide to how these senses are related and thus does not render them amenable to systematic, enduring learning. Premised on the assumption that these senses are schematically related through the Principled Polysemy model (PPM), this study assesses whether instructing Spanish learners of English at B1 level on the usages of on and to applying this model will lead to learning benefits. Participants (n = 90) were randomized to receive instruction on the usage of such prepositions based on Collocation Approach (experimental group 1), PPM (experimental group 2), or not receive such instruction (control group). Then they completed a cloze test containing different usages of the target prepositions on three instructional conditions: pre-, post-, and delayed post-test. Differential mean scores were computed using planned contrasts, which indicates a statistically significant effect for PPM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

English spatial prepositions posit a great challenge to Spanish learners of English as an L2 due to the broad cross-linguistic differences in how languages structure space. Furthermore, a teaching methodology that could assist these learners in understanding these differences is absent because the pedagogical treatment of spatial language draws on the longstanding assumption that the relation between this kind of language and its meaning is rather arbitrary. Yet, research within the embodiment approach to language and cognition has attested that the use of spatial prepositions is motivated by geometric and functional properties of figure and ground and how these interact in space. This study examines whether instructing Spanish learners on these properties will enhance their performance. 74 participants at a B1 level were randomized to either receive an embodied approach-based training on spatial prepositions (n = 37) or to the control group (n = 37) without this training. Both groups were presented with a cloze test (60 sentences) on six spatial prepositions, in, on, at, to, into, and onto on pre- and post-test conditions. Scores for both groups were analyzed using ANCOVA with pre-test scores as covariate. Data analysis yields statistically significant results attesting the effectiveness of the Embodiment Approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]