The best way to teach idioms is to present them in authentic and

meaningful situations, such as dialogues, stories, songs, or videos.

This will help students infer the meaning of the idioms from the
context clues, and also see how they are used in natural
communication. You can also ask students to compare and contrast
idioms with their literal meanings, and explain why they are used to
express certain ideas or emotions.

Daniel O'Shea

Follow

CORE Archaeology E.I.R.L. & ICPNA Cusco (Instituto Cultural Peruano

Norteamericano)

Idioms can be a lot of fun for English learners but they can also be
confusing. Helping students understand the difference between
the figurative and literal meanings is key. Sometimes it may be
necessary to revert to L1 and ask for similar expressions in the
student's first language. Students should understand that using
idioms help them go beyond basic communication and that these
lexical chunks can really help boost their real life conversations in
English.
…see more

Like

32

(edited)

Elena Rozova

Follow

Business English, Global Sales | Strategic Thinker and Quick Learner |

Bridging Worlds with a Smile
 1. Context is Key: Like trying to find a cat in a room full of rocking
chairs, understand idioms in context – it makes them less of a
puzzle and more of a piece of cake. 2. Picture It: Idioms are like
emojis for words. Paint a mental picture, and you'll be hitting the
idiom jackpot faster than a cat video goes viral. 3. Role-Playing
Magic: Turn learning idioms into a blockbuster movie – starring
you! Role-playing makes idioms as easy as eating pie, or in this
case, a piece of cake.
…see more

Like

Load more contributions

2Use visual aids and gestures

Another effective way to teach idioms is to use visual aids and
gestures to illustrate their meanings. You can use pictures, drawings,
flashcards, or props to show the images or concepts behind the
idioms. You can also use body language, facial expressions, or hand
movements to convey the tone or mood of the idioms. This will help
students remember the idioms better, and also make the lessons
more fun and engaging.
 

Dilbar Guliyeva

Follow

PYP English Teacher/ ESL/ EAL Teacher/ MYP Personal Project Supervisor/
Action Coordinator

I usually get my students to act out the situations where idioms

can be used. We study a few idioms; I explain the meaning and
use them in sentences, and as a culminating activity, we create
small skits where students incorporate the idioms studied. It's a lot
of fun and facilitates their learning authentically.
…see more

Like

8
 

Asma Hassan, M.A Eng Lit. , MBA HR

Follow

Empowering Corporate Professionals to Speak English Confidently & Stand

Out in the Workplace |1:1 Personalized Classes | English Teacher | Online
Teaching Mentor

Start of with recurrent situations. Look for the words which a

student uses quite often while talking about a particular situation
and replace the possible words with its idiomatic counterpart.
Like

Load more contributions

3Teach idioms in categories

One way to help students organize and recall idioms is to teach
them in categories based on their topics, themes, or structures. For
example, you can teach idioms related to animals, colors, food, or
body parts. You can also teach idioms that have similar forms, such
as similes, metaphors, proverbs, or slang. This will help students
recognize patterns and connections among the idioms, and also
expand their vocabulary and cultural knowledge.

Henry Jones

Follow

I help Latin Americans Pass the IELTS Exam

I mostly teach idiomas as 'emerging language' rather than from a

list or as part of a lesson plan. This has several benefits: 1) If the
student asks for an expression or wants to translate an idiom from
their L1 to describe part of their lived experience, it's more likely
to serve some meaningful purpose as a piece of language the
student can reuse in their life. 2) It's more likely that the student
 will be able to remember it by associating it with that the context
in which they learned it and used it. I'd add that it's a greater
priority that students can understand a range of idioms rather
than produce them.
…see more

Like

4Provide plenty of practice and

feedback
To help students master idioms, you need to provide them with
plenty of practice and feedback. You can design various activities
and exercises that require students to use idioms in speaking,
writing, listening, or reading. For example, you can ask students to
create sentences, stories, or dialogues with idioms. You can also ask
students to identify, explain, or translate idioms in texts or audio
clips. You should also correct any errors or misunderstandings that
students may have, and praise their efforts and achievements.