Applying tactics to teach idioms effectively in English 12 atTinh Gia 1 upper-secondary school

Contents Page A INTRODUCTION:………………………………………………2 I The reasons for choosing this theme: …………………………….2 II The purpose of the research:………………………………………3 III The scope of the research:…………………………… …… … IV Methods of the research: ……………………………………… B CONTENT…………………………………………………… I Theorical foundation of this theme: ………………………… .4 II The current situation of the issue ……………………………… III The solutions and the implementation ……………………… …5 Tactic Presenting English Idioms with mind maps…… Tactics Presenting English idioms with rich illustrations 3.Tactics 3: Presenting English idioms by using games ………… Tactics 4: Presenting English idioms in their contexts of use… 11 Tactics 5: Presenting English idioms by matching…………… 14 Some useful types of exercises to master English idioms……….15 VI Results after applying…………… ………………………… 20 C CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION……… ….…20 I Conclusion:………………… …………………………….… 20 II Recommendation:…………………………………… ….…… .21 For teachers: ……………………………………………….…….21 For students:…………………………………………… … 21 For school management committee:………………… …….… 21 REFERENCE BOOKS……………………………….… ……….23 PART A THE INTRODUCTION I The reasons for choosing this theme The 21st century skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity, and collaboration demand teachers to increase learner effectiveness and efficiency as well as learner engagement and satisfaction (Kim, 2011) Consequently, they must create a stimulating and effective learning environment which brings about more positive student attitudes toward learning This kind of innovative teaching becomes necessity when teaching English idiomatic expressions Idiomatic expressions are phrases that carry different meanings than the literal definition of their component words In Vietnam, English idiom is considered one of the most difficult aspects when learning this language, because it is not only various but also very confusing The implied meaning of each idiom is not conveyed in its content itself but is infered in a far different way That’s why some language learners are afraid of using them during communication process and they usually use some normal words to express their ideas instead Especially, idioms, quotation, colllocations are more and more popular in English tests and examinations, we can not find out a missing word if we actually don’t know the correct idiom For example, I show him how to use this cellphone serveral times but he even doesn’t know how to turn it on, it’s like water off the duck’s………………… A feet B back C feather D wing If we have never seen this idiom, we will not have an acurate answer for this question even when we apply our mother tongue to finish it, because no options are suitable in this case Moreover the teachers of English themselves have to face English test which includes numerous idioms and special expressions Those are B2 level for the teachers of secondary shools and C1 level for the teachers of high shools In these examination, both oral test and written test will be apreciated if it consists of idioms Mastering these elements and using them perfectly will increase the possibility of success in these exams and enables examinees to get highest score The only solution is learning the idioms as an integral part of our lesson The more phrases we know, the easier we can deal with troubles when using them So we should use it day by day, litle by litle and one these days, we will have a certain number of idioms in our Enlish vocabulary In this way, our new words will be widened through time and our fear will gradually go From above reasons, I have made up my mind to choose the theme “Applying tactics to teach idioms effectively in English 12 at Tinh Gia upper-secondary school” to study I hope that this initiative will contribute to reducing difficulty for the students at Tinh Gia school as well as in the other ones and help them learn English effectively Furthermore, teachers of English also have a meaningful document for their lectures This can some help for them to innovate their lectures II The purpose of this theme When choosing this theme, I want to share my slight experience in teaching process and researching to contribute to improve the ways of teaching English idioms systematically and logically Besides that, I want to give students an useful method to master and remember English idioms, turn learning them into way of relaxing Simultaneously, I want to prove students that English is also as various and challenging as Vietnamese, this language also have as special expressions as our mother tongue And that, it is an interesting to study and find out, too III Scope of the research The setting of the study The study was conducted in Tinh Gia high school located in Nghi Sơn town, Thanh Hóa province This is a public school where students officially stay half day and spend another half day at home Their overall English level is intermediate but English idioms are quite low in comparison with the other skills Tinh Gia high school is well-known for yielding well-behaved and welloriented learners From some above detailed context, it was guaranteed that my students would enthusiastically support my study Consequently, I could achieve valuable findings The respondents of the study The main participants of the study were the students from class 12A2, 12A8 with 90 members I chose these class as the main respondents of my study as I am their teacher of English and take charge of their overall activities including academic and moral aspects These integrated roles would enable me to have a weekly meeting class beside the allotted teaching time Thus, the study was closely observed and the study results would be reliably analyzed IV Methods of the research During the conduction of the research, I made use of the following methods: Studying reference books and other sources on the Internet Applying the idioms on the class Observing other teacher s’ classes, discuss and drawing out experiences Using tests and ways of assessments Especially through investigation the learning method of students in real lessons PART B THE CONTENT I.Theorical foundation of this theme English idiom is not very easy to remember and apply in the real life Moreover, they are various and available in different sources such as reference books, English websites etc The more we search, the more idioms we found They appear to be endless for learners, which make English learners feel tired and confused when they face it This also create a lot of difficulties for students to learn, exercises and especially communicate If we supply students with numerous English idioms so that they learn by heart and finish grammatical exercises, they will be unable to remember all of idiomatic expressions Because this is over their head Besides that, if we ask them to a large number of exercises without specific orientation, they can only spontaniously make choice and therefore cannot understand the root of the problem and never master this point This may demotivate them to learn foreign language Moreover, the majority of students not understand the importance of learning idioms so they are lazy or just learn quickly and then not use it Learning outcomes of the students toward English subject of grade 12 at Tinh Gia high school were not high * At the beginning of the academic year 2021 - 2022 at Tinh Gia upper secondary school, I deliver handouts related to idioms for students in class 12A2, 12A8 and ask them to within minutes Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the following questions When you something, you should A get through to B turn over a new leaf C weigh up the prosand cons D go down well with The weather is going to change soon; I feel it in my A body B legs C skin D bones As it was very hot in summer, sales of bottles of water went the roof A through B to C above D over She is the black of her family A goat B deer C sheep D sleep She comes to see me once in a moon A red B glouse C blue D green The results Class Size Correct Correct Correct Correct Correct Correct answer answer answer answer answer answer 12A2 45 13 11 12A8 45 7 12 10 Total 90 3,3% 14,4% 13,4% 27,8% 23,3% 17,8% On these reasons, I make a decision to study this theme because of below primary basis: II The current situation of the issue Nowadays, it’s esential to have a good command of English and fluently communicate with English speakers in over the world Ability to use English becomes the first and foremost criterion of all occupations and jobs especially foreign companies A great deal of English idiom textbooks are printed, variety of English websites are set up, and long distance English courses are available on the mass However, which is the best for learners? It’s the availability of this material source that makes English learners confused because they don’t know which program they should follow and which one is suitable for them It will be much more challenging for learners coming from mountainous areas like Nghi Son high school students For these such learners, simplified methods are really needed Because it will not only encourage them to learn English but also give them excitement when learning a new language which is far different from their mother tongue Because of comtemporary stituation, I always try to find out the best mode to help my students overcome their difficulty and contribute to decreasing the existing trouble With my limited experience I presume to give some solutions to reduce hardship of teaching English idioms I hope that I can share meaningful information with the teachers of English to teach this subject effectively III The solutions and the implementation Instead of listing all the idioms and asking students to learn by heart, I catergorise English idioms and divide them into small group according to the specific subjects and I also use different tactics to introduce these idioms to students in forms of a mindmap, rich illustrations, games, contexts of use or using matching idioms to explain their meanings clearly so that students can be easier to master However, because of the limit scale of an initiative, I only mention to idioms related to familiar topics which are easy to understand and remmember, and which are usully applied in official English tests in Vietnam Also, I will provide some applied exercises as reference source for students as well as teachers of English This both help students communicate well and reduce obstacle when dealing with English idioms as well as enourage their pleasure to discover new ones during leanring process Because, the more they know about it, the less difficulties they have when grammatical exercises on idioms Furthermore, student’s vocabulary will improve day by day, which give them the sense of acomplishment The number of idioms in each lesson should not be over ten every week Memorising ten member per week is not a difficult task for students However, on the other side the volum of idioms will regularly increase year in year out Therefore, instead of giving up learning foreign language because of difficulty, they are excited to learn new ones I myself believe that, English idioms is also a good way to relax and broaden your mind First of all, we need to know the definition of an idiom, “what is an idiom?” The question has many answers According to Dictionary of English idioms 1976: “An idiom is a fixed group of words with a special different meaning from the meanings of several words” For instance, “let the cat out of the bag” means to reveal a secret carelessly or by mistake The Longman Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics (1985: 270) defines “idioms as expressions which function as single units and whose meanings cannot be worked out from their separate parts” In Oxford English Dictionary, idiom is defined as a peculiarity of phraseology approved by the usage of language and often having a signification other than its grammatical or logical one Seidle and Mordie, in their English Idioms (1978: 13) also define: “Idioms as a number of words taken together, mean something different from the individual words of the idioms when they stand alone” For example, the phrase: “writing an idiom is a piece of cake” does not mean that writing an idiom is a literal ‘piece of cake’ that you can eat Instead, ‘piece of cake’ is a figurative expression for saying that something is easy to As can be seen from the above definitions, idioms have been defined variously but all of them share the same view on the matter Most linguists agree that idioms are phrases where the whole phrase means something different from the meanings of several words Therefore, it can be said that idiom is a speech form or an expression of a given language that cannot be understood from the individual meanings of its elements Effectively learning idioms needs some following crucial steps: Firstly, students have to take note them on small group and subject such as: animal, color, parts of body, work, book… It is necessary to write down carefully and sytematically because it will save time and be convenient for looking up later Secondly, students need to identify the usage of each idiom and give an example with it to understand clearly about it They should find out different ways to express an idea through idioms and avoid using ancient idioms because they are so confusing that we can’t make sense their meaning Thirdly, They must try to find out the relationship between English idioms with Vietnamese ones to have an easy way to memorise In this way, students not only enjoy learning but they also improve their translating and comparing abilities Taking notes day by day is an obvious way to witness your improvement in term of English idioms because the more idioms you write down on your notebook, the more you know and understand them These are some idioms with specific tactics that have been applied in class 12A2, 12A8 Tactic Presenting English Idioms with mind maps Using fluently the mind map in teaching will help students have useful learning methods , increases the independence, initiative , creativity and developing thinking Mind map- help students learn actively some findings suggest that the human brain will understand deep, dark print and long remember the main reason that I think, write, draw in your language so using mind map help students learn actively, maximum mobilization potential of the brain That is why I use mind map as one of the most effective method to master idioms For example: Presenting English idioms about colours For example: Presenting English idioms about animals Tactics Presenting English idioms with rich illustrations According to the effect of illustrations on reading, I collected English idioms in one sentence context English idioms were presented with pictures to one class of 45 students while without pictures to the other class of 45 students They were told that those phrases were English idioms first and then they were asked to translate them into Vietnamese I found that English idioms with illustrations could increase students’ idiom understanding better Thus, it is effective to present English idioms accompanied by visual stimuli that clearly illustrates the idioms being taught For example: introducing idioms about fruits and sports Tactics 3: Presenting English idioms by using games It is always fun to teach vocabulary through games, especially idioms If you have already gone through the meanings on your idiom list, playing a game helps to reinforce what students have learned It also makes the learning experience more enjoyable Since idioms are comprised of multiple words, it makes games like Pictionary or charades more challenging, especially for higher-level learners These activities work well as warm-ups or even energizers after a long day Do a practice round as an example, so that your students have a clearer idea of how to participate In order to help students have fun and learn English idioms effectively, I introduce them the Idiom Bluffs and Charade games 3.1 Idiom Bluffs games In this funny game, students create false definitions for idioms and then play a game where they guess which definition for an idiom is correct In teams, students begin by creating a second false definition for each idiom on their worksheet The idiom and correct answer are shown in bold Teams then take it in turns to read their idioms and three definitions to another team who guesses which definition is correct If they successfully guess the correct definition, the other team puts a tick next to the idiom The game continues until all the idioms and definitions have been read out and guessed The team with the most correct guesses wins the game For example: introducing idioms about animals Divide the class into teams Give each group a card including idioms The card for team A: Create a third false definitions for each idiom The idioms and correct answer are showwn in bold Wow! It's raining cats and dogs today! I wish I'd brought my umbrella to school! a ………………… b It's raining heavily c Cats and dogs are falling from the sky When I told my mom I would be home around am, she had a cow! a My mom bought a baby cow b …………………… c My mom was really upset Jean: How did you know it was my birthday today? Susan: Oh, a little bird told me! a Jean told Susan it was her birthday b An unnamed person told Susan about Jean's birthday c ………………………………… Frank: Why didn't your brother ride the roller coaster with us? Sam: Oh, he's such a scaredy cat! He won't get on any fast ride a Sam's brother is afraid to ride the roller coaster b …………………………… c Sam's brother didn't go to the roller coaster When the telephone salesman told me I could buy some concert tickets for only $10.00 if I gave him my credit card number, it seemed a little fishy to me, so I up the phone a ……………………………………………………………………… b I thought the phone salesman was a dangerous fish and he scared me c I thought the phone salesman was dishonest and I felt suspicious of him Now, take it in turn to read your idioms and three definitions to the other teams Put a tick for each definitions they guess corectly The team with the most correct guesses wins The card for team B: Create a third false definitions for each idiom The idioms and correct answer are showwn in bold I never learned how to use a computer, so I lost my job to a new employee It's a dog-eat-dog world a Only the strong or the best survive b ………………………………………………………………………… c Dogs like to eat dog for lunch He does not really go around with many people because he's a bit of a lone wolf a single person b lonely person c ………………………………… 10 I would advise you to that as well and in that way you will kill two birds with one stone a ……………………………… b get something done two times c get two things done at the same time He will be all right soon because any criticism is usually like water off a duck’s back to him a of no importance b of some importance c …………………………………… No one mentions him because he is regarded as the black sheep of the family a the one with the sense of humor b the one with a bad reputation c ………………………………………………… Now, take it in turn to read your idioms and three definitions to the other teams Put a tick for each definitions they guess corectly The team with the most correct guesses wins 3.2 Charade games Charades’s objective is that it is a guessing game in which players give clues with actions and gestures It’s a great game for all level students, who are not yet confident or skilled enough to product descriptions The focus of these games for teaching English is simply on recognition and learning vocabulary It is an exercise you can include during the main class to impress the knowledge For example: introducing idioms about part of the body Divide the class into teams Give each group a card including idioms Each team sends different representatives to stand up and act in front of the class and enact the word or phrase in each turn The limited time is minutes The team that guesses maximum correct in minimum team wins Apple of your eye - Something or, more often, someone that is very special to you is the 'apple of your eye’ Break a leg - This idiom is a way of wishing someone good luck Cat got your tongue - If someone asks if the cat has got your tongue, they want to know why you are not speaking when they think you should Eyes bigger than your stomach - If someone's eyes are bigger than their stomach, they are greedy and take on more than they can consume or manage Put your foot in your mouth - If you put your foot in your mouth, you say something stupid or embarrassing somebody’s heart is in their mouth- If somebody’s heart is in their mouth , somebody feels nervous or frightened about something lend an ear- If you lend a ear, you listen in a patient and kind way to somebody Tactics 4: Presenting English idioms in their contexts of use 11 Placing newly introduced lexis in meaningful contexts is vital for effective vocabulary learning and in particular when it comes to teaching idioms in a foreign language Our learners need to not only be able to recognize the meaning that underlies idioms, but to also fully understand the contexts in which they are used In many cases, our EFL students have limited exposure to the foreign language outside the classroom It is therefore important to provide them with enough comprehensible input and with a variety of examples of idioms in spoken and written discourse in order for them to be able to become fully aware of the figurative usage of the L2 idiomatic expressions Contextualization is key to learning idioms as it is through extensive exposure to TL input that our students will slowly be able to detect the positive and negative connotations that underlie the TL idioms and the register in which they are used It is undeniable that this tastic is extremely important for students especially when taking National exam For example: introducing idioms about family In this case, I give students a paragraph including underlined idioms about family I ask them to read and explain the meaning of undelined idioms Nothing compares to family – that’s what I always tell myself My family is far perfect I and my dad have no mutual interests We hardly see eye to eye with one another Because I always something against his will When I was young, he wanted me to dress nicely and act like a real girl; instead, I got into fights with the boys in kindergarten and got all of my clothes dirty As I’ve grown up, he wishes that I spent dinner at home; I eat out almost every night He always thinks that I am the black sheep of the family- indeed, the outcast, or the troublemaker, one one who can never make him proud My sister and I have establised a love- hate relationship with each other She has always been a pain in the neck to me as she always does something to trigger me We used to fight a lot when we were little, and we still even until now But my family is the one and only that I have.” Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” This may sound cliché, but it is why people just love their family unconditionally In my eyes, dad is a family man He may be grumpy sometimes, but he always put his family first I remember the time when he had to go all the way to the other side of the city just to buy me a pair of shoes for my dance performance back in secondary school Care and love also run the family We have a tradition of giving other family members gifts on a random day, without any reasons or heads-up And mom, she has a soft spot for all of us She is a tough woman who works just like a man She is also a very serious and goal-oriented person who never does things without reasons However, she can spend hours listening to my and my sister’s crazy, nonsense ideas And judging by the look in her eyes I know that she does treasure us 12 For example: introducing Idioms about teaching In this case, I give students dialogues including underlined idioms about teaching I ask them to read and explain the meaning of undelined idioms Dialogue 1: Peter: Hi Jan, How are you: Jan: Hi, Peter I am a little frustrated I have been at my grandmas all afternoon trying to show her how to use her computer Peter: Oh God, I bet that was fun! Jan: Not at all She just don’t understand technology and the worst part is she didn’t say thank you It was very frustrating Peter: Well, I guess you can’t teach an old dog new tricks Dialogue 2: Angela: okay, Jake Now I’ll show you how to use the present tense Jake: Angela I know how to use present tense Don’t teach your grandmother to suck eggs Angela: Okay, okay! I just thought you didn’t know it Dialogue 3: Hamish: Hey, Tony did you see that toyshop is closing down? Tony: Yeah, I did, I used to know the owner of that shop Hamish: How come? Tony: I bought a toy off him for my son and it broke I went to ask him for a refund but he refused Hamish: Oh okay, no wonder his shop is closing then Tony: Yes: exactly that’ll teach him anyway Dialogue 4: Keith: so Linda, what you for a living? Linda: Well, I am trying to be a writer, but I am a teacher at the moment Keith: Well, you know what they say, those you can, do; those who can’t, teach! Dialogue 5: Teacher: Nam, why are you late again? Nam: I woke up late, Sir, so I missed the bus and I had to walk Teacher: I see, were you too tired to get up or did you just have a bad morning? Nam: I was too tired, I’m alwways tired and I don’t know why Teacher: Well you go to bed early? Nam: No, I hate sleeping I prefer staying up late and watching television Teacher: Well , yes, we all would like to stay up late all the time! Take it from me, I used to be like you but I realise how important sleep is for my development Nam: so you didn’t go to bed late when you were my age? Teacher: No, I was always up late, but it’s not the way forward, take it from me 13 Nam: I understand, I’ll try to go to bed earlier from now Dialogue 6: Bill: Tom, did you hear what Tim said about your new car? Tom: No, what did he say? Bill He said that it looks stupid and that you are jusst trying to get attention Tom: oh, is that right? Bill: Yeah, I was really surprised, I thought Tim liked you Tom: I’m going to teach him a lesson about respect You don’t talk about people like that Dialogue 7: Graham: Lisa, I’ve tried and tried but I still can’t get Chris to studt He’s going to fail! Lisa: I know Graham, I’ve tried ,too Graham: I have written notes for him, I have offered to give him worksheets to improve and I have even offered to study with him, he jusst don’t want to it Lisa: Well, you’ve done everything you can Graham Sometimes it’s not possible to change somebody like Chris You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink Dialogue 8: Jonny: Wesley , what hve I told you about eating chocolate before you eat dinner? Wesley: You told me that I shouldn’t it, but I was really hungry! Johnny: If you eat chocolate now, then you won’t want to eat your dinner Wesley: I saw you eating chocolate before dinner yesterday! Why you get to it but I don’t? Johnny: Now, Wesley, as I say, not as I Tactics 5: Presenting English idioms by matching After you have quickly made a set of idioms on one set of cards and their meanings on another set of cards, shuffle these and hand them out Students can find their idioms match and then share out It is fun to let students start by trying to match the meaning of idioms they may have heard before or even used For example: introducing idioms about the weather I prepare cards including 10 English idioms about the weather and set a minutes for students and ask them to match the idioms with their meaning The card Idioms get wind of something save up for a rainy day Meaning a to say that when one bad thing happens to you, other bad things happen soon after b not being realistic or daydreaming 14 rain cats and dogs a storm in a teacup c to say or something that makes people feel more relaxed, especially at the beginning of a meeting, party d to suspect that something is happening or to hear a rumour of something e to be in low spirits, unhappy or depressed f a small problem that has been blown out of proportion g to rain very hard or a lot when it rains, it pours h extremely happy or delighted head in the clouds i be there for you no matter what come rain or shine on cloud nine under the weather Some useful types of exercises to master English idioms 6.1 Exercise 1: Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word(s) CLOSEST in meaning to the underlined word(s) in each of the following questions Question1: He was murdered in cold blood A thoughtlessly B coolly C deliberately D unfeelingly Question 2: Suganya stood by her husband in weal and woe A during the operation B during illness C by hook or crook D in prosperity and adversity Question 3: I have a bone to pick with you in this matter A desire B am angry C selfish motive D.selfless motive Question 4: The inspector was caught red handed A found with hands tied B caught with dirty hands C caught in the act of committing the crime D quickly Question 5: While I have a bath, you may chew the cud A Kill time B Go through legalities B Reflect upon one’s past D Have breakfast Question 6: The CBI officials followed up the clue, but it proved to be a mare’s nest A baseless B an unfound rumour C time consuming D useless Question 7: An honest person never plays fast and loose with his friends A delay tactics B to be inconsistent C deceives D ignores Question 8: We are afraid that you may be led astray in Arvind’s bad company A misguided B lose the job C killed D get into trouble 15 Question 9: The cashier wiped the nose of his employer by presenting false bills A doomed B abused C cheated D slapped Question 10: In the beginning of his career, he was practically rolling in money A saved lot of money B very rich C wasting a lot of money D spending more than his earnings Question 11: He never wanted to keep her under his thumb and so he let her what she liked A in his presence all the time B unduly under control C below his thumb D restricted Question 12: Those were only crocodile tears A very gloomy B mild regret C pretended sadness D a weeping sign Question 12: One should not stay idle at home; but be up and doing A reading B working C sleeping D active Question13: It was a serious operation but he made a complete recovery and was soon as fit as a fiddle A in careful health B in easy health C in quiet health D in good health Question 14: Since she won the lottery last week she has been feeling on the top of the world A very proud B very happy C very excited D very wealthy Question 16: Chales is having a lot of problems with his business but at least he is keeping his head above the water A not downing B keeping dry C managing to survive D trying to swim 6.2 Exercise 2: Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the following questions Question 1: The political candidate knew the issue was a hot ………., so he deferred to hischief of staff, who directe d questions to the committee chairperson A tomato B potato C pot D dog Question 2: Don't let my mother watch any of those sappy movies—she cries at the drop of a …… A hat B bag C cat D rag Question 3: When yourprogramme first started I thought it was the best thing since sliced …… A cake B break C bread D bead Question 4: Denisehas been burning the midnight …… trying to finish this report, so she must be exhausted A lamp B candle C oil D gas 16 Question 5: Iwas excited to start taking night classes after work, but now, without enough time to devote either to school or to my job, I feel like I'm falling between … stools A one B two C three D four Question 6: You’d better …… the books if you want to pass your exam on Friday A hit B beat C stab D bite Question 7: I think he’ll pay you back your money – when ……… fly A birds B cats C cocks D pigs Question 8: I don't mind driving this time-she's scratched my …… plenty of times A head B back C stomach D heart Question 9: Duncan Smith hit the nail on the …….when he said that the Prime Minister promised so much and yet changed so little A head B back C leg D foot Question 10: At school, people always used to take the ……out of him for having red hair A cat B dog C mickey D rat Question 11: When I hear stories of cruelty to animals, it makes my……… boil A stomach B oil C blood D head Question 12: She is a rising star as a standup comedian, always able to bring down the … during each performance A house B rain C roof D kennel Question 13: We paid through the… to get the car fixed A head B nose C lips D mouth Question 14: "Where did you hear about that?" - "Just word of …………………… " A eyes B nose C mouth D ears Question 15: I wanted to ask her what she thought of her ex-husband, but I figured it was better to let sleeping…………… lie." A cat B dog C fish D cow 6.3 Exercise 3: Rewrite the sentences using the idiomatic expressions in the brackets Question 1: The professor was finally able to explain the problem (shed light upon) Question 2: He was able to maintain his position against the other candidate (hold one's gound) Question 3: He was trying to accomplish the impossible (wild goose chase) Question 4: That comedian always makes me laugh.(crack someone up) Question 5: They met in the middle of February, the coldest time of the year (the dead of winter) 17 Question 6: It's freezing out, you should make sure to wear a heavy coat (bundle up) Question 7: She was wearing a revealing tank top ( donning/ skimpy) Question 8: That guy is very strange, he scares me (creep someone out) Keys: Question 1: The professor was finally able to shed light upon the problem Question 2: He was able to hold his gound against the other candidate Question 3: He was going on a wild goose chase Question 4: That comedian always crack me up Question 5: They met in the dead of winter Question 6: It's freezing out, you should bundle up Question 7: She was donning a skimpy tank top Question 8: That guy is very strange, he creeps me out 6.4 Execise 4: Rewrite the sentences given below replacing the italicized words with the expressions given in the box Make the necessary changes at arm’s length draw the line rub shoulders put his foot in it ill at ease kick up a row to the letter beyond all questions come to the forefront curry favour Question 1: He boasts of coming into close contact with the bold and the beautiful Question 2: Obviously, he is using mean deeds to ingratiate himself with the new boss Question 3: He made a great noise about it without any reason whatsoever Question 4: He seemed uncomfortable in the presence of the distinguished guests Question 5: By publicly denouncing the leader, he is trying to attain prominence Question 6: He has a habit of blundering whenever he interferes in our matters Question 7: We should keep such wicked people at a distance Question 8: They should fix the limit somewhere Such people should not be allowed to run the show Question 9: Undoubtedly, she is honest Question 10: The Director wants her directives to be carried out with adherence to even minute detail Keys Question 1: He boasts of rubbing shoulders with bold and the beautiful Question 2: Obviously, he is currying favour with the new boss Question 3: He kicked up a row about it Question 4: He seemed ill at ease in the presence of distinguished guests 18 Question 5: By publicly denouncing the leader he is trying to come to the forefront Question 6: He has a habit of putting his foot in it whenever he interferes in our matters Question 7: We should keep such wicked people at arm’s length Question 8: They should draw the line somewhere such people should not be allowed to run the show Question 9: Beyond all questions she is honest Question 10: The directives want her directors to be carried out to the letter 6.5 Execise 5: Use the pictures as a clues and match the parts of the idioms Keys: 19 duck in a row throw in the towel smell a rat saved by the bell draw the line drive me nuts jump the gun kick the bucket hit the nail on the head 10 bite your tongue 11 a tough cookie 12 long in the tooth 13 push the envelope 14 open a can of worms 15 smoking gun 16 over the moon 17 under your nose 18 wet behind the ears 19 fall flat on my face 20 pull your socks up VI Results after applying: By applying different tactics, English idioms, one of the most complicated aspects, become simplier and more interesting I have tried my best to insert some idioms in each lesson so that students have a slight game to relax and practice guessing As the result, their vocabulary increases day by day Besides that, they also have an opportunity to practise with idioms every day, which enables them to memorise and understand deeply At the end of school year, I have done some researches with my handouts related to idioms for students in class 12A2, 12A8 at Tinh Gia high school and students seem to be more confident and obviously improve their point: Class Size Correct Correct Correct Correct Correct Correct answer answer answer answer answer answer 12A2 45 10 12 12A8 45 11 13 Total 90 17,8% 23,3% 27,8% 16,7% 14,4% 0% C CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION I Conclusion: Mastering English idioms will greatly assist students in solving variety of kinds of exercises such as rewriting, gap-filling, error identification… and especially they can fluently communicate with native speakers Once they have mastered English idioms, students can not only handle related writing 20 assignments but they also become more flexible when communicating in English spoken language Therefore it is necessary for learners of English to master the usage of these idioms Especially for high school students, this is one of the most important factors which helps them get high score in official English tests such as graduation exam, university entrance exam Last but not least, this also aid them a lot in their future job, occupation as well as daily life I noticed that after helping students master the English idiom in specific groups and manipulate them into the application exercises , they are more confident and process more accurately writing assignments they encounter They are no longer afraid to the exercise forms containing idioms, but on the contrary, are very excited because they have one more chance to know an new expression after each exercise, and again widen their collection of idioms they have been collecting for ages Their communication seem to be more natural rather than just thinking and saying word by word that students normally II Recommendation: For teachers: - Should have creativity, enthusiasm and love for their jobs and the subject they are teaching Thus, each teacher constantly explores, learns experience from colleagues, in books, invests more for lesson plans, especially selecting skills and techniques appropriately, prepares the necessary application related to the introduction of vocabulary and checking, prepares carefully exercises for practice to inspire students - Apply information technology on a regular basis and teach effectively - Instruct students to master English idioms to commmunicate and get higher marks in the National examination For the students: - Should have study habits at home, preparing paperwork, study and complete homework before class - Actively participate in activities designed by the teacher in the learning process - Know how to learn English idioms effectively such as learning idioms by grouping words under each theme, type or extent of use Do exercises on idioms to be able to know how to use each idiom correctly - At home homework, learn more English idioms on Websites, T.V shows… For school management committee: - Enhance documents, reference books and teaching and learning aids - Organize annual training for teachers to improve their knowledge of access to new teaching methods, and learning new tactics - Create favorable conditions for teachers to attend other classes in different schools to get more experience Above is the methods of teaching idioms that I have used and found it very effective With limited experience, I hope to help friends and colleagues teach 21 English with high effect, especially when preparing for students before examinations Surely my analization of theme remain certain mistake, I am looking forward for the comments of colleagues and professional managers to be completed subject better Thanks and Regards Nghi Sơn, 25 May, 2021 CONFIRMATION OF HEAD OFFICE Signature CONFIRMATION OF AUTHOR I assure that the research was independently conducted by myself, not a copy from any other sources Signature Mai Thi Van Anh REFERENCES The Longman Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics 22 (Jack C Richards, Richard W Schmidt) English Idioms (Jennifer Seidl and W.Mc Mordie- 1978) Oxford English Dictionary Website: www.mindmeister.com/61408821/idioms Website: tailieu.onluyen.vn/thithptqg2020/idioms Website: teach-this.com/general-activities-worksheets/idioms Website: iteslj.org/Techniques/Wu-TeachingIdioms.html Website: pinterest.com/pin/183803228522649318/ 23 ... CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION I Conclusion: Mastering English idioms will greatly assist students in solving variety of kinds of exercises such as rewriting, gap-filling, error identification…... Oxford English Dictionary Website: www.mindmeister.com/61408821/idioms Website: tailieu.onluyen.vn/thithptqg2020/idioms Website: teach-this.com/general-activities-worksheets/idioms Website: iteslj.org/Techniques/Wu-TeachingIdioms.html... English idioms with illustrations could increase students’ idiom understanding better Thus, it is effective to present English idioms accompanied by visual stimuli that clearly illustrates the idioms