Everyday Expressions: Exploring Common Phrases Defying the Dictionary

http://matesol.podbean.com/

Immersed in the English language and American culture as ESL students, advanced level students are seeking to step beyond manuals to grasp a large, but difficult to teach, concept: idioms. In this ESL podcast, speakers Aja Gorham and Jesse Ackles, examine how common phrases or expressions are used in speech, as well as possible meaning for these expressions, and a helpful tip for thinking about the use of expressions. This podcast steps away from English as theory to transition into decoding the cultural puzzles that define expressions.

While students do not need a particular vocabulary set, it is important to understand phrases as a lexical unit, and not just as individual words. For classroom use it may be helpful to reacquaint students with phrases such are “ how are you” “ I’m fine” “ what’s up,” etc. Reminding students of units acquired as phrases may prove helpful in introducing expressions as a collective unit. Though the abstract nature of most idiomatic expressions make the units impossible for common translation, it is important that students be introduced to non-literal phrases as a means of gaining fluency and confidence in exchanges with native speakers.


For more information regarding the abstract nature of expressions or definition of common idioms please visit the websites below.


http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/

http://www.usingenglish.com/reference/idioms/

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/Default.asp?dict=I (you can even follow this one on TWITTER!!!! omg!)