Idioms

Description, Comprehension, Acquisition, and Pedagogy

By Dilin Liu

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• ISBN: 978-0-8058-6346-8
• Binding: Paperback (also available in Hardback)
• Published by: Routledge
• Publication Date: 10th December 2007
• Pages: 224

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About the Book

This comprehensive, up-to-date, and accessible text on idiom use, learning, and teaching approaches the topic with a balance of sound theory and extensive research in cognitive linguistics, psycholinguistics, corpus linguistics, and sociolinguistics combined with informed teaching practices. Idioms is organized into three parts:

• Part I includes discussion of idiom definition, classification, usage patterns, and functions.
• Part II investigates the process involved in the comprehension of idioms and the factors that influence individuals’ understanding and use of idioms in both L1 and L2.
• Part III explores idiom acquisition and the teaching and learning of idioms, focusing especially on the strategies and techniques used to help students learn idioms.

To assist the reader in grasping the key issues, study questions are provided at the end of each chapter. The text also includes a glossary of special terms and an annotated list of selective idiom reference books and student textbooks.

Idioms is designed to serve either as a textbook for ESL/applied linguistics teacher education courses or as a reference book. No matter how the book is used, it will equip ESL/applied linguistics students and professionals with a solid understanding of various issues related to idioms and the learning of them.

Table of Contents

@contents: Selected Contents:

Table of Contents

Preface

Part I: Idiom Description: Definition and Use:

Chapter 1. . . Idiom Definition and Classification

Introduction

Defining idioms: Diverse views

A perspective from language learners

Classification of idioms

Phrasal verbs: A unique group of idioms

Summary

Chapter 2. . . Idiom Use: Function, Variation, Frequency, Register

Introduction

The idiom principle

Function

Variation

Register

Culture and idiom use

Summary

Part II: Idiom Comprehension

Chapter 3. . . L1 Idiom Comprehension

Introduction

Five major processing models

The disassociation of semantic and syntactic processing

The idiom key hypothesis

Summary

Chapter 4. . . L2 Idiom Comprehension

Introduction

Major strategies used

Unique Processing model

Summary

Chapter 5. . . Factors that Affect Idiom Comprehension

Introduction

Factors on the part of idioms and their use

Factors on the part of language users

Factors affecting L2 idiom comprehension only

Summary

Part III: Idiom Acquisition and Pedagogy

Chapter 6. . . Idiom Acquisition and Its importance in language development

Introduction

Skills and knowledge needed for idiom acquisition

The role of rote learning

The effect of different types of idioms and sequence of idiom acquisition

The importance of idioms in language development

Summary

Chapter 7. . . Selection and Organization of Idioms for instruction

Introduction

Selection criteria and useful selection practices

Types of information needed

Idiom organization

Passive vs. active idioms

Summary

Chapter 8. . . Idiom Pedagogy: Macro strategies and General approaches

Introduction

Raising students’ sensitivity to and interest in idioms

Incorporating idiom teaching into the entire curriculum

Advancing a heuristic approach with discovery learning activities and

adequate contextual information

Promoting "conceptual motivation analysis" and L2 cultural knowledge

Employing a variety of activities to deal with different types of idioms and

accommodate diverse learners

Using direct study as a supplement to contextualized learning

Enhancing idiom retention with effective mnemonic strategies

Training and boosting learning strategy use

Conducting unplanned idiom teaching

Overcoming avoidance error and welcoming creative idiom use

Pros and cons of proactive vs. retroactive approach

Summary

Chapter 9. . . Idiom Pedagogy: Micro strategies and Techniques

Introduction

Noticing and identifying idioms

Understanding idioms and developing interpretation strategies

Analyzing idioms for connotation, register and other in-depth understanding

Retrieving and using idioms for comprehension

Retrieving, generating, and using idioms for production

Using effective mnemonic techniques for retention

Explaining idioms to help students notice and understand them

Using idiom dictionaries

Summary

Chapter 10. . .Error treatment and assessment in idiom instruction

Errors and their treatment

Assessment

Summary

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