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Teaching idioms in the ELT classroom presents unique challenges for both educators and students. These colourful expressions that pepper everyday English conversations can often leave learners feeling overwhelmed, while teachers struggle to find effective ways to present them. However, with the right approach to teaching idioms, we can transform these challenges into engaging learning opportunities that help students master these essential elements of natural English expression.
The complexity of teaching idioms stems from their unpredictable nature – they don’t follow standard grammatical rules, and their meanings often seem illogical to non-native speakers. Yet, mastering idioms is crucial for students who want to communicate naturally in English, understand native speakers and navigate both social and professional situations successfully.
What are idioms and why are they important?
Idioms are types of phrases whose meanings can’t be understood simply by knowing the individual words. When English speakers say they’re ‘feeling under the weather’ or describe a task as ‘a piece of cake,’ they’re using expressions that have evolved to carry meanings far beyond their literal interpretations. These phrases form a crucial part of both casual and professional communication in English.
For ESL students, understanding idioms is essential because these expressions appear frequently in everyday situations, from workplace conversations to social media posts. They reflect cultural knowledge and help learners sound more natural when speaking English. Teaching idioms effectively can significantly improve students’ comprehension of authentic English and boost their confidence in real-world communication situations. Idioms appear frequently in everyday English conversation, making them an indispensable part of natural communication. Native speakers often use these expressions without even thinking about them, which is why understanding idioms is so important for English language learners.
How to teach idioms in the ELT classroom
The key to teaching idioms in ELT lies in creating meaningful contexts and providing ample opportunities for practice. Rather than presenting idioms as isolated vocabulary items, successful teaching methods integrate them naturally into lessons while ensuring students understand both their meanings and appropriate usage contexts. This approach helps students develop both receptive and productive knowledge of idiomatic expressions.
Let’s look at some of the best ways to teach idioms in our ELT classrooms.
Teach idioms in a fun way through storytelling
Storytelling provides an ideal framework for teaching idioms in context. When students encounter expressions such as ‘bite off more than you can chew’ or ‘cross that bridge when you come to it’ within a narrative, they can better grasp both the meaning and appropriate usage. Create short stories that naturally incorporate target idioms, or use authentic materials like news articles and blog posts that feature common expressions.
Consider developing themed stories around specific situations or topics. For example, business-themed stories might include idioms like ‘back to the drawing board’ and ‘raise the bar’, while stories about relationships could feature expressions like ‘tie the knot’ and ‘break the ice’. This thematic approach helps students connect idioms to relevant contexts they’re likely to encounter.
Creating story-based idioms activities where students predict outcomes using idioms or rewrite stories using alternative expressions can be a fun, accessible challenge for students that really compounds their ability to fluently use idioms in English conversation.
Incorporating idioms into daily classes
Making idiom learning a regular part of your lesson routine helps normalize these expressions for students. You could start each class with an ‘Idiom of the day’, or integrate theme-based idioms into your existing lesson topics. When teaching the weather, introduce expressions like ‘raining cats and dogs’ (a must for life in the UK!) and ‘weather the storm’. When discussing work-related topics, you could bring in phrases like ‘learn the ropes’ and ‘think outside the box’.
Creating a classroom idiom wall where students can post new idioms they discover is another fun, visual way for students to cement their bank of idioms, along with illustrations or example sentences. Implement weekly idiom journals, where learners record new expressions they encounter and practise using them in different contexts. This ongoing exposure helps reinforce learning and encourages active engagement with idiomatic language.
Cultural significance and context
Many idioms have fascinating origins rooted in historical events, cultural practices or specific industries. Teaching the stories behind expressions like ‘saved by the bell’ (from boxing) or ‘turn over a new leaf’ (from book printing) can make learning more engaging and memorable. This cultural context helps students understand not only what idioms mean but also why English speakers use them. An added bonus with this method is that students will also learn a bit of history as they go along!
Teachers can organize cultural exploration projects, where students research and present the origins of different idioms. Comparing English idioms with similar expressions in students’ native languages is a good way of highlighting cultural connections and differences. This cross-cultural analysis deepens understanding and helps students relate new expressions to familiar concepts.
Using authentic materials in lessons
As with all areas of ELT, exposing students to idioms as they naturally occur in English through various authentic materials will help your students immensely. Use film clips, song lyrics, newspaper articles and social media posts to demonstrate how native speakers use these expressions in real life. This approach helps learners understand the appropriate register and context for different idioms.
You could also create listening activities using popular podcasts or YouTube channels that frequently use idioms. Having students maintain a media diary where they record idioms encountered in their English-language entertainment is helpful, as is designing comprehension activities that focus specifically on understanding idioms in context rather than just identifying them.
Encourage use in speaking and writing
It is important to create opportunities for students to practise using idioms in their own communication through structured activities and free practice. Designing role-play scenarios that naturally elicit specific idioms, such as business meetings or casual social situations, will be invaluable for students to practise in a classroom setting. You could also implement writing tasks where students incorporate target idioms appropriately, from creative stories to formal emails.
Another idea is to set up ‘idiom circles’, where small groups of students practise using specific expressions in conversation. Creating collaborative writing projects where teams craft stories or dialogues incorporating selected idioms is an enjoyable way to practise idioms. Using peer feedback sessions to help students refine their usage and build confidence in employing idiomatic language is a good way to draw on your students as a language learning resource.
Adapt to different proficiency levels
Tailor your approach to teaching idioms based on your students’ proficiency levels. Beginners might start with simple, commonly used idioms that have clear visual connections, such as ‘time flies’ or ‘cold feet’. Advanced learners can explore more nuanced expressions and their variations, including idioms with cultural or historical significance.
It is important to develop differentiated activities that allow students at various levels to engage with idioms meaningfully. To achieve this, you could create tiered task cards with varying degrees of support and complexity. Use visual aids and gesture games for lower levels while challenging advanced students with idiom variation activities and register analysis.
Moving forward
Teaching idioms effectively requires a balanced approach that combines explicit instruction with plenty of contextual practice. By incorporating these strategies into your lessons, you can help your students master these essential elements of natural English expression.
Remember that learning idioms is a gradual process, and consistent exposure and practice are key to success. With patience and creativity, you can help your students develop the confidence to understand and use idioms naturally in their English communication, which will give a huge boost to their English language skills.
If you’re interested in teaching more idioms in your ELT classroom, then check out Garnet’s How Idioms Work for some tips and lesson strategies.