Idioms and idiomatic language are some of the most interesting and creative vocabulary terms to learn in any language, but it also creates many misunderstandings when communicating across cultures. According to English linguists, there are over 10,000 idioms in English, some relatively recent and some that have been used for more than 2,000 years. People naturally admit that idioms provide vivid descriptions and expressions that are more powerful and effective than literal and nonidiomatic language. Thus, idioms and idiomatic language contribute to make a language more colorful, as well as make it easier for English speakers to express their thoughts more proficiently and natively
Trang 1CHUYÊN ĐỀ BỒI DƯỠNG ÔN THI THPT QUỐC GIA
MÔN: TIẾNG ANH TÊN CHUYÊN ĐỀ:
KỸ THUẬT ĐỂ GIẢNG DẠY VÀ HỌC TIẾNG ANH THÀNH NGỮ HIỆU
Trang 2Instead of saying: “It’s raining heavily”, people can make it more interesting
by speaking out the idiom “It’s raining cats and dogs” In English, “rain cats and dogs” means raining heavily
Although English idioms do not mean what they literally mean, a variety of mass media, textbooks and everyday language represent rich sources of idiomatic expressions, which causes a lot of difficulties for ESL (English as a Second Language) students to understand their meanings and translating them into their mother language Mastering English idioms is quite a challenge to almost all ESL learners because the figurative meanings of English idioms cannot be predicted through an analysis of their individual meanings of words It is not surprising that the trouble with foreigners in any non-English speaking countries is that they take everything Americans or English people say literally On the other hand, idioms are common in the daily life of English native speakers and provide a rich source of their cultures Apparently, teaching ESL learners to use English idioms fluently is considerably critical for ESL teachers In addition, students are often able to discuss content, take notes, or create semantic maps for writing; however, they often do not use the new words or concepts taught in class In the wake of globalization and the internationalization of English language demands ESL learners not only to merely know English but also to use it effectively in intercultural communication
Another reason that I choose this topic is that idioms appear in almost every English test in general and one for the University Entrance Examination or now National School Examination In fact, the idiom-related questions account for from 8
to 10 percent of the total marks of the whole test
Thus, in this minor study, I want to focus mainly on how to use various effective techniques to teach English idioms to my students at Tam Duong high school with the purposes of both preparing them for the National School Education Examination and giving them a good chance to practise using English language in daily communication
II OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The study is designed to obtain the following objectives:
Trang 3 Study and find out various effective techniques to teach and learn English idioms in classes
Apply these techniques in teaching and learning English idioms in classes
III METHOD OF THE STUDY
Integrated methods used in this study such as:
Making reference to linguistic books and articles on teaching and learning English idioms
Putting the techniques into practice of teaching and learning English in classes
Considering the effectiveness of applying these techniques and creating any necessary modification
IV SCOPE OF THE STUDY
This seminar is applied to teach Grade 12 students at Tam Duong high school and help them how to learn English idioms effectively
This seminar is planned to teach within 10 periods
Trang 4CATEGORY
CHUYÊN ĐỀ BỒI DƯỠNG ÔN THI THPT QUỐC GIAMÔN: TIẾNG ANH 47
A INTRODUCTION 47
I RATIONALE 47
II OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY 48
III METHOD OF THE STUDY 49
IV SCOPE OF THE STUDY 49
B DEVELOPMENT 51
I TECHINIQUES TO TEACH AND LEARN ENGLISH IDIOMS 51
1 Teaching and Learning Idioms with Pictures 51
2 Teaching and Learning Idioms in Contexts 54
3 Teaching and Learning Idioms with Group Discussion 56
4 Teaching and Learning Idioms with “READERS THEATRE” 59
5 Teaching and Learning Idioms with Writing and Role-Playing 59
6 Teaching and Learning Idioms by using a theme 60
II IMPLICATIONS 67
C CONCLUSION 68
REFERENCES 69
Trang 5B DEVELOPMENT
I TECHINIQUES TO TEACH AND LEARN ENGLISH IDIOMS
1 Teaching and Learning Idioms with Pictures
Idioms are categorized into a large class of linguistic expressions termed figurative or non-literal language Also included in this class of expressions are metaphors, similes, proverbs, and many other linguistic constructions that produce an apparent need for learners to go beyond what is literally stated to apprehend the communicative intent of speakers, and, consequently the meaning of utterances Many previous studies show that it is effective for teachers to use visual images for teaching idioms or visualizing the situations Teachers may find it difficult to explain the meanings of idioms or give their definitions, hence using pictures as a dictionary helps
students convey what an idiom means and perceive it more easily
Trang 6
As strong as a horse
Trang 82 Teaching and Learning Idioms in Contexts
Guessing the contextual meanings of words plays an important role in language learning It is common that ESL students do not pay much attention to the various meanings of new words in different contexts That is the reason why they often do not know how to apply the words they have learned practically in various contexts Hence, it is fundamental for teachers to provide a rich context for students to practise using English words Consequently, it is more effective for students to learn language
in meaningful contexts than learn isolated words through memorization and drilling Teachers should make it easier for students to remember English idioms by making examples and asking students to guess their meanings in these contexts
For examples:
- Example 1: He said it is a difficult problem, but I don't agree It seems as easy as pie to me!
=> as easy as pie/ as easy as a piece of cake: means "very easy"
- Example 2: I have to borrow some money from my Dad Right now, I'm broke
=> tobe broke: means “to have no money”
- Example 3: I was planning to work late tonight, but I changed my mind I'll do
extra work on the weekend instead
=> change one's mind: means "decide to do something different from what had
been decided earlier"
- Example 4: That noise is really annoying Cut it out!
=> Cut it out!: means "stop doing something bad"
- Example 5: Have you seen Joe recently? I haven't seen him in ages
=> in ages: means "for a very long time"
- Example 6: I want to move this desk to the next room Can you give me a hand?
=> give someone a hand: means "help"
- Example 7: It's after 12 o'clock I think it's time to hit the hay
=> hit the hay/hit the sack: means "go to bed"
- Example 8: - Our business is really improving We've been in the black all year
- Business is really going poorly these days We've been in the red for
the past three months
=> in the black: means "the business is making money, it is profitable"
Trang 9in the red: means "the business is losing money, it is unprofitable"
- Example 9: I got to the drugstore just in the nick of time It's a good thing, because
I really need this medicine!
=> in the nick of time: means "not too late, but very close!"
- Example 10: If you get lost, just ask me for directions I know this part of town like the back of my hand
=> know something like the back of your hand: means "know something very,
very well"
- Example 11: Have you been to the new movie theater? No, I only see movies once
in a while I usually stay home and watch TV
=> once in a while: means "sometimes, not very often"
- Example 12: That sounds like a good deal, but I'd like to sleep on it before I give
you my final decision
=> sleep on it: means "think about something before making a decision"
- Example 13: I don't have any special plans for the summer I think I'll just take it easy
=> take it easy: means "relax"
- Example 14: You’d better save some money for a rainy day You cannot always
rely on your parents
=> for a rainy day: means “for a difficult situation”
- Example 15: At the first night at the university, I felt so homesick Fighting back
tears, I phoned home to hear my mother’s voice
=> Fight back tears: means “to try not to cry”
- Example 16: He put the cart before the horse by buying the ring before he had
proposed to her
=> to put the cart before the house: means “to do things in the wrong order”
- Example 17: Lan has an outstanding command of the English language She can
use it very fluently
=> to have an outstanding command of (a language/knowledge of an area):
means “to use a language fluently/to have broad knowledge of sth”
Trang 10- Example 18: After loving each other for over 3 years, he popped the question to
her last Saturday They decided to hold their wedding at one of the largest hotel in
their town
=> to pop the question to somebody: means “to ask Sb to get married”
- Example 19: His name rings a bell, but I don’t remember where I’ve heard it
before
=> to ring a bell: means “to sound familiar”
- Example 20: Instead of sitting here crying over spilt milk, you should get it over
and begin a new life
=> to cry over spilt milk: means “to express regret about something that has already happened or cannot be changed”
3 Teaching and Learning Idioms with Group Discussion
Discussing what they read is a helpful strategy to increase students’ reading comprehension Group talk can provide students with rich opportunities to acquire social and linguistic knowledge necessary for understanding new texts they encounter Moreover, ESL students engaging in collaborative talk during content reading, they can assist one another in understanding the meaning of challenging words, getting the main ideas, and answering questions about what they read In fact, students are likely
to be passive learners when they receive lectures only in classrooms On the contrary, small group discussion could stimulate students to be involved in the active process of constructing knowledge Furthermore, during group discussions, students will learn from each other, whether consciously or unconsciously Applying group discussion in learning of English idioms before explaining the meaning of idioms in the reading contexts helps them understand these idioms better than trying to explain their definitions
- Example 1: In the reading passage “My most embarrassing experience” in Unit 2:
Personal Experiences of English 11, teacher may have students work in groups to
read and guess the meaning of the idiom “make a fuss” first, and then teacher calls
some of them to speak out their understanding and gives its correct meaning
Trang 11- Example 2: Teacher introduces the following story and asks students to learn some
idioms in the passage
I recently watched a documentary called Odd Man Out It was about a man named Bob who decided to live out of his suitcase
Bob had a little money socked away, so he didn't have to live from hand to
mouth I found the reasons for his decision to throw in the towel and become free as
a bird compelling In any case, Bob had been working for over twenty years for a
corporation While he had been successful at his job, and had made plenty of hay
while the sun was shining, he still felt he was tilting at windmills "I mean," he said
to himself "how hard can it be to strike out on your own and live off the fat of the
land?" The more he pondered the idea the more he came to realize that he wasn't able to see the forest for the trees
Certainly, he never questioned the powers that be, but he did wonder if things might be a bit more interesting if he gave living by the seat of his pants ago
Bob was very careful not to let on what he was thinking to anyone until he got
all his ducks in a row He knew that such a decision couldn't be made on the spur of
a moment Things could go terribly wrong in the twinkling of an eye "No," he
thought to himself "I need a plan." It was then he remembered his grandfather Bill
Bill was salt of the earth He never cared too much for the "finer things in life", as he liked to call them Bill repeatedly told Bob that tagging along with everyone else would eventually get boring Bill made his living as a jack-of-all-
trades Sure, he never had money to burn, but he managed to get by More
importantly, Bill was content, and never worried about what others were saying or whom he had to impress to get promoted In any case, these memories of Bill came
flooding back as Bob began to prepare to get a new lease on life
Finally, the big day arrived and Bob announced that he was stepping down as manager
Trang 12His colleagues were incredulous: "How can you throw all you've worked for
down the drain?" they commented "He's lost his marbles," commented others
However, Bob was in the the prime of life and he was ready for adventure He
walked out the door and never looked back Who knows where he is and what he's doing today, but my guess is that he's happy - if not wealthy
Idioms Used in the Story
live out of one’s suitcase: to live by traveling everywhere, not in a permanent
place
sock away = to save money
live from hand to mouth = to live with just enough money to survive
throw in the towel = to quit
as free as a bird = completely free and without responsibilities
make hay while the sun is shining = earn money and save while you have the
opportunity
tilt at windmills = to work on things or dedicate oneself to impossible tasks
live off the fat of the land = to life from the products of nature
not able to see the forest for the trees = become so focused on details that you
lose knowledge of the more important things in life
the powers that be = phrase used to speak about those in power
by the seat of one's pants = improvising and learning as you go
get one's ducks in a row = to do all the necessary preparations in order to do
something
on the spur of the moment = deciding something without thinking about it
in the twinkling of an eye = instantly, immediately
salt of the earth = simple, honest person without pretensions
tag along = to follow or go with others
jack-of-all-trades = person who does many different types of jobs
money to burn = money to waste
get a new lease on life = to develop a new attitude towards life
throw something down the drain = to waste something
lose one's marbles = to go crazy