Teaching and learning English idioms in the L2 classroom

Abstract

The English language is rich in idiomatic expressions. In fact, “most English speakers utter about . . .7,000 idioms per week” (Pollio, Barlow, Fine, & Pollio, 1977, p. 140). L2 English learners struggle to comprehend, produce, and retain idioms, which are relevant for every form of discourse ranging from conversations, lectures, and movies to electronic communications and more. Learning idioms not only helps improve L2 English communications skills but also the understanding of the L2 culture and society (Samani & Hashemian, 2012). With New York State’s ELL public school enrollment ranging between 6.0% and 9.9% (U.S. Department of Education, 2011–2012), the question of what pedagogy best addresses the learning of this challenging area of language becomes critical. A spectrum of research indicates how L2 learners process idioms differently from other aspects of language and best practices for teaching them. This report reviews research on the learning and teaching of idioms and outlines practical teaching methods that go beyond rote memorization.