This article explores the use, function, and understanding of extended metaphors in L2 argumentative essays by Chinese learners of English. The analysis starts with the identification of linguistic metaphors and extended metaphors in 72 argumentative texts produced by 37 intermediate Chinese English majors. The function of extended metaphors is then analyzed by adopting the bottom-up approach of establishing systematic metaphors from those identified extended metaphors, to draw learners’ communicative intentions in producing extended metaphors. To understand learners’ thinking processes behind using extended metaphors while writing, four of nine writers were interviewed about the process of writing extended metaphors in their texts in the stimulated recall interviews. It is found that extended metaphors, expressed through similes or direct metaphors at strategic stages in L2 argumentative essays, are often the result of learners’ conscious manipulation of L1 in producing L2 for various communicative purposes, such as the desire for vividness, coherence, comprehensibility, when there is a knowledge gap between L1 and L2, and for evaluative and persuasive power. These communicative functions are consistent with the ideational, interpersonal, and textual functions of language, which also coincide and interact with the rhetorical goals of moves and stages in L2 argumentative essays. Metaphoric thinking, L1 influence, and struggling to express meaning and persuade, cited in learners’ thought reports, are major factors triggering extended metaphors. The findings of this article can contribute to the knowledge of learners’ metaphoric competence in L2, which can, in turn, enrich teachers’ metaphor knowledge and draw teachers’ attention to learners’ creative ways of using metaphors and then raise metaphor awareness in L2 writing, teaching, and learning.

University mottos have been demonstrated to convey educational philosophies, but few studies have investigated the educational philosophies reflected by university mottos from countries along the “One Belt, One Road” (OBOR) route, with applying the analytical approaches like text mining and natural language processing (NLP). This present investigation constructed a database of university mottos from 1,535 universities in 61 countries along the OBOR route and applied NLP technology to explore the similarities and differences of educational philosophies among the universities along the OBOR route. Methods of NLP used in this article included text mining, cluster analysis, and Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) topic model. The social network analysis (SNA) model was used to further analyze the interconnection and exchange of educational philosophies expressed through university mottos. Based on the five identified topic categories, we concluded that countries along the OBOR route have the same basic educational philosophy for higher education but have different emphases due to cultural differences, such as the different emphases on virtue education, collectivism, and individualism. Education for sustainability is another focus of higher education philosophy reflected by the topic categories of university mottos, which is consistent with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, for example, quality education. In addition to demonstrating the BRI impact on educational philosophies of countries along the OBOR route, this present investigation could also contribute to the growing body of knowledge about international cooperation and communication of higher education under the framework of BRI, for a globalized, shared and sustainable education in the post-COVID era.