Once considered a stylistic issue, metaphor is now considered a critical component of everyday and specialized language and most importantly, a fundamental mechanism of human conceptualizations of the world. The use of metaphor in language, thought and communication has been examined in second language (L2) learning. The body of literature that investigates the relationship between metaphor and L2 learning has increased significantly, with most studies revolving around the Conceptual Metaphor Theory and receptive learning or metaphorical competence. This review aims to provide a comprehensive picture of current scholarship in the area and draw scholarly attention to other unexplored areas of metaphor and L2 learning.