The history of the cognitive paradigm in scientific endeavors is traced to the mid 1970s, and the distinction between on-line and off-line cognitive phenomena is explained. The domains of cognitive science and cognitive linguistics are outlined. The applicability of the cognitive approach in comparative studies is considered in three areas: (1) the applicability of the theory of conceptual metaphor in explicating culture-specific language use and facilitating cross-linguistic investigations, (2) the compilation of multilingual electronic dictionaries based on cognitive principles, and (3) the use of the notion of frame and the thesaurus model of the lexicon to enhance second-language teaching methodology. (LLBA, Adapted from the source document, Accession Number 9910948, (c) CSA [1997]. All rights reserved.)