How to learn Englishidioms and is it necessary to learn them
At any level of knowledgeof the language, it is very difficult to learn English idioms. The point hereis both in cultural differences, and in the apparent strangeness of these expressions.However, the main reason is the lack of knowledge of special techniques thatfacilitate their study. Lets find out if you need to learn idioms and how tomemorize them quickly and for a long time.
Recall that an idiom orphraseology is a vivid expression that cannot be translated verbatim withoutlosing its meaning. It is the impossibility of direct translation that makesidioms difficult to learn. The question arises: Do I need to learnEnglish idioms? It may be possible to do without them?»
Of course, I really wantto hear the answer:You dont have to learn idioms, because you can alwaysreplace them with other words, paraphrase a sentence. However, in fact,it turns out that it is quite difficult to do without idioms. You can reallycorrect your own speech, but it is difficult to understand someone elses, andsometimes even impossible, without knowing such phrases. The fact is thatidioms are often used not only in works of fiction, but also in the ordinaryoral speech of the English. These expressions make speech lively, vivid, andaccurate. Therefore, if you want to know English at a fairly high level andspeak like a native speaker, you need to take the time to study phraseologicalunits. In addition, idioms give us an idea of the way of thinking, the cultureof English-speaking citizens, their mentality.
How to learn Englishidioms correctly
Of course, it is mucheasier to learn ordinary English words than idioms, especially if you use therecommendations from the article 10 useful tips that will help youincrease your vocabulary. However, idioms are not so terrible as they arepainted. We offer you a few simple techniques that will help you learn idiomsfaster and fix them in your memory.
1. Learn idioms bybreaking them down by topic
If you decided to learn afew idioms, it is best to choose a group of expressions one subject, forexample: on food, clothing, transport, etc. Because when we want to expand thevocabulary, too, take a group of words from one topic — so remember informationmuch easier.
2. Find analogies in yournative language
All English idioms can bedivided into two types:
Easy to learn, as theyare similar to the expression in our native language. An example of such anidiom is as poor as a church mouse — poor as a churchmouse. We also use this phraseology in the same sense. So you only needto remember that there is an English equivalent of the famous Russianexpression.
More difficult to learn,as they do not have similar analogues in the Russian language. For example,dog and pony show — broken record. As you can see, theRussian and English idioms are very different. Many linguists suggestmemorizing such expressions using the mnemonic method: imagine a broken platewith a pony and a dog drawn on it. Dont like mnemonics? Then read the tipsbelow.
3. Learn English idiomsin context
We have already said thatnew words are best learned in context. Idioms without context do not learn atall. You need to understand and feel HOW and WHEN it is appropriate to use aparticular expression. So dont waste time studying the expression itselfwithout examples.
4. Find live usageexamples
To get a better feel forwhen to use a particular idiom, use the following technique. Type the idiom inthe Google search bar (it is better to use the expression in quotation marks)and see the first 10-20 results of the search results. You will see naturalmodern use cases of the studied expression. The idiom may come from the mouthof a politician or a TV star, or it may be found in a magazine article or ascientific opus — it will be useful to get acquainted with all the examples ofits use.
5. Come up with your ownexamples of using the idiom
After you have learnedthe idiom in context, come up with your own examples of its use. Make up a fewsentences or a small text. At the same time, it is better to try onthe idiom for yourself: speak in the first person. Write down sentences withidioms to memorize the spelling of the phrase and use mechanical memory.
6. Test your knowledge
The tests will help youidentify gaps in your knowledge.
7. Learn the history ofthe idiom
Some idioms seemillogical and incomprehensible to non-English-speaking students. Hence, thereare difficulties with memorization. For example, why is a white elephant — anexpensive unnecessary and inconvenient thing? What does an elephant, andeven a white one, have to do with it? Everything will become logical andunderstandable when you read the interesting history of the origin of thisidiom.
8. Watch special videos
The video series will bea great help for learning idioms, because thanks to it, there are associativeconnections of certain expressions and visual images.
9. Use useful apps
Almost everyone has asmartphone, so it is impossible not to mention the wonderful applications thatmake it easier to learn English idioms.
10. Use idioms inspeech.
So that your knowledgedoes not disappear without a trace in a month or two, actively apply it inpractice. Find an interlocutor and talk to them in English, building sentencesin such a way as to use the learned idioms in speech. Soyou will fix the passed material in memory.
