This chapter reports on two studies which investigate the use of metaphor and metonymy in discourse communities and identify some of the problems experienced by language learners attempting to enter these discourse communities. The first study looks at the use of metaphor language in university lectures, and the problems that this presents to students of English attending those lectures. The second study looks at the use of metonymy by staff working in a university day nursery and out-lines the problems identified by a student of English working as a part time member of staff in the nursery. It is argued that the findings from both studies are likely to be of relevance to teachers of Languages for Specific Purposes (LSP) who are preparing their students for entry into specific discourse communities. (Jeannette Littlemore, Phyllis Chen, Polly Liyen Tang, Almut Koester and John Barnden)