Teaching Korean Color Terms and Related Metaphors and Idiomatic Expressions -With a focus on intermediate to advanced learners - p. 59

This study proposes an instructional model for teaching metaphors and idiomatic expressions based on Korean color terms to intermediate and advanced learners of Korean. Korean color terms are closely associated with cultural and cognitive meanings and are frequently extended into metaphorical and idiomatic expressions, which often pose difficulties for foreign language learners due to their semantic opacity and cultural specificity.

This study analyzes the extended meanings of native Korean color adjectives, including black, white, red, blue, and yellow, and suggests pedagogical approaches to facilitate learners’ understanding and use of such expressions. Drawing on the Lexical Approach and integrating the OHE (Observe–Hypothesize–Experiment) instructional framework with task-based principles, the proposed model emphasizes chunk-based input and discourse-level inferencing activities.