Teaching Idioms Is Teaching Fluency

Colorful language and powerful imagery make idioms a lot of fun for ESL learners. When you throw cats and dogs in a scene where they are falling from the sky, it’s hard to know exactly what a phrase might mean. It’s almost like a code-breaking game, where students must learn that when certain words come together in a phrase, they can mean something very different.

It’s important to not only teach the meaning of idioms, but to also teach how to use them correctly and effectively. When a nonnative speaker uses an idiom correctly, he or she will sound very fluent. But, on the other hand, if they bumble the phrase, they will sound the exact opposite.

Learning idioms is appropriate for intermediate to advanced students. If you teach an idiom lesson to beginners or lowintermediate learners, you may well be putting them in the bumbling category mentioned above. Teach idioms wisely and sparingly to ensure your students’ success.

(Adapted from https://www.fluentu.com)