List of Tables List of Figures List of Boxes Acknowledgements Introduction PART 1: FIGURATIVE THINKING What is 'Figurative Thinking'? Why is Figurative Thinking Important for Foreign Language Learners? Psychological Processes Underlying Figurative Thinking Developing Learner Autonomy in Figurative Thinking PART 2: FIGURATIVE THINKING AND COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE ABILITY Figurative Thinking and Sociolinguistic Competence Figurative Thinking and Illocutionary Competence Figurative Thinking and Textual Competence Figurative Thinking and Lexico-grammatical Competence Figurative Thinking and Strategic Competence PART 3: CONCLUSIONS Promoting Figurative Language Competence in the Foreign Language Classroom Notes References Index