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.