This study explores the relationship between English language proficiency and metaphoric competence (MC) among ESL and EFL learners. Previous research explains metaphorical concepts and MC and how they can improve the progression of language learners. Students who take the course English 5 in Swedish schools provided translations of English sentences based on metaphorical concepts as well as their experiences of English through an online questionnaire.

The data from the survey revealed that students who are more proficient language learners demonstrate a higher understanding of metaphorical phraseology. The results align with previous research which indicate that advanced language learners tend to possess stronger skills in recognizing and interpreting metaphors. The study argues for the value of incorporating MC into language teaching and suggests further research to investigate how it could be done.