"If it so happens that there is no idiom entry for a particular idiom, conceptual representations are figured out during comprehension. Because nonnative speakers encounter idioms less often than native speakers, the first language and second language lexicon vary with regard to the number of idiom entries" (Abel, 2003)
This is particularly true of internet sites which deal with idioms and idiomatic expressions. It is important to remember that these two terms have different senses during translation (Abu-Ssaydeh, 2004)
"If an expression is thought to be non-compositional, it is believed that its meaning cannot be inferred by simply adding up the semantics of its constituents. As a result, the meaning of idioms appears to be quite arbitrary" (Boers, 2007)
Over the years people have based their ideas about the process of learning a foreign language on the idea that the process is very similar to learning their native language. "It is true that there are similarities, but what a high school student attempts to accomplish in a 36-week time period for 50 minutes a day is extremely different from what a child surrounded by, his native language every minute experiences"(Folse, 2004)
This interest is thought to be well founded since both American and British English contain many thousands of formulaic phrases and expressions that people must learn. "Given the fact that language production relies heavily on an ability to string together prefabricated, memorized multi-word expressions, that is, whole phrases which are stored in memory, and retrieved from it, as unbroken-up chunks, people are not considered competent speakers of the target language until they master the various cliched, idiomatic expressions that are ubiquitous in everyday discourse" (Guo, 2009)
It should never be considered as individual elements. Idioms are often referred to as fixed expressions because of the fact that they need to be looked at as a group, because in many cases users can not make linguistic changes such as adding or dropping words, replacing a word with another, or changing the order of words without changing the meaning completely (Mahmoud, 2002)
The reaction on the part of the community of language researchers has ranged between the grudging acceptance that some multiple word collocation do exist in the lexicon, and the lexicon re-conceptualized as incorporating elements from all levels of linguistic structure. "According to this second view idiomatic expressions represent one end of a continuum which places highly analyzable and semantically decomposable utterances at one end, and highly specified, semantically opaque idioms at the other" (Sanford, 2008)
This then forces teachers to make up their own exercises or lessons in order to put the teaching of fixed expressions into their curriculum. The cognitive approach to language learning often provides very useful aspects and implications on how to organize idiom learning into a classroom setting (Sportwissenschaftler, Steines, and Goertz, 2006)
I know you've got a mind like a steel trap, but I can't even think of the phrase meanting "to think something over," but it's on the tip of my tongue." Jose: I think you mean "to mullsomething over" (Francis, 50)
The Direct Access Theory -- This theory posits that the figurative meaning is retrieved directly from the mental lexicon. Children immitate, but do not understand; it is through gradual vocabular development and acculturation that idioms begin to have meaning (Gibbs)
Certainly idioms are difficult to understand and use because, like metaphors, similes, and proverbs, they do not mean what they literally say (Nippold and Martin). There are three major theories regarding the way humans process idioms and the way those idioms, in turn, begin to have cultural meaning: The Literal First Theory -- Indicates that idioms are processed in two ways: active as a literal meaning, and inactive as a figurative meaning and only active when the literal interpretation is inappropriate or nonsensical in the context (Harley, 293)
Most linguists think that the phrase actually is coined in line with a number of Americanism that use the formula "as x as y" (as white as snow, as black as night, etc.) to not only form a metaphor, but to form a phrase that is almost a song or jingle (Martin)
Instead, as English moves into a lingua franca situation in global economics and politics, students of English need to understand idioms in order to respond and understand context as well as fact. Not doing so reduces ESL speakers to a reduced form of English and a larger scenario of uncomfortability within community, school, and therefore, culture (O'Keeffe, McCarthy and Carter, 90-8)
There are three major theories regarding the way humans process idioms and the way those idioms, in turn, begin to have cultural meaning: The Literal First Theory -- Indicates that idioms are processed in two ways: active as a literal meaning, and inactive as a figurative meaning and only active when the literal interpretation is inappropriate or nonsensical in the context (Harley, 293). The Simultaneous Processing Theory -- Holds that literal and figurative meanings tend to be processed at the same time, but have very clear cultural references that individuals have been exposed to since birth (Putz, Ptz and Sicola, 264)
This, of course, is the challenge when teaching ESL students. Because American English is so full of idioms, they must learn to use them in a robust manner, yet often there is no equivalent phrase in their native language (Saeed)
Some techniques that have been successful are listed below. Introduce 3-5 for younger and 5-8 for older, idioms at a time using the tollowing format (Swick): Example: Idiom "to see eye-to-eye" Meaning: To agree on something Usage: Usually as a verb phrase Model: We can sign the contract now
(standard). Note how in each of these, dialogue could be used to demonstrate the relationship between the individaul social situation and the appropriate language choice (Watkins)