Description
Because idioms are omnipresent in the authentic language students are exposed to, to
successfully comprehend and produce natural language, learners of a second or foreign language
need to possess a good knowledge of idioms and competence in idiom use. This paper examines
the approaches to teaching and learning idioms. A discussion of the importance of idioms in
language proficiency will first be carried out. Several different definitions of idioms will be
presented, and typical characteristics of idioms will be provided. How idioms differ from
idiomaticity and proverbs will too be pointed out. In addition, various types of idioms will be
identified. Approaches to idiom instruction and strategies for idiom acquisition will be surveyed,
respectively. Finally, materials for idioms learning and teaching will be reviewed in order to
assist classroom teachers to effectively design idiom lessons as well as to teach idioms in a fun
and interesting manner. This package is of special relevance to foreign and second language
classroom practitioners who are interested in developing learners’ idiomatic language
comprehension and production
