SOME METHODS OF TEACHING ENGLISH IDIOMS FOR NON ENGLISH MAJOR STUDENTS AT LAM SON GIFTED HIGH SCHOOL

SỞ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO THANH HOÁ TABLE OF CONTENTS TRƯỜNG THPT CHUYÊN LAM SƠN Part 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Rationale Aims of the study Scope of the study Methods of the study *** 2 Part 2: DEVELOPMENT SÁNG KIẾN KINH NGHIỆM 2.1 2.1.1 2.1.2 2.1.3 Literature Review Definition of Idioms Types of idioms Methods of Teaching Idioms 3 2.2 The current situation of teaching and learning English at Lam Son Gifted High School 2.3 tips and techniques of teaching ENGLISH idioms for high school FOR6 SOME Some METHODS OF TEACHING IDIOMS students NON-ENGLISH MAJOR STUDENTS AT LAM SON 2.3.1 Four tips before teaching idioms GIFTED HIGH SCHOOL 2.3.2 Effective Activities for Teaching English Idioms 2.3.2.1 Teaching idioms with pictures 2.3.2.2 Provide idioms in context thựcand hiện: Bùi Thị Bạch Tuyết 2.3.2.3 CombinationNgười of pictures dialogues Chức vụ: Giáo viên Đơninto vị công tác: Trường THPT chuyên Lam Sơn 11 2.3.2.4 Dividing Idioms Categories SKKN môn: Tiếng Anh 2.3.2.5 Teaching idioms with worksheets 12 2.3.2.6 Using stories 12 2.3.2.7 Using board game – Balderdash 13 2.3.2.8 Other Games 14 2.4 Reached results 17 THANH HOÁ NĂM 2019 PART 3: CONCLUSION 3.1 Conclusion 3.2 Recommendations Reference 18 18 19 TABLE OF CONTENTS Part 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Rationale Aims of the study Scope of the study Methods of the study 2 Part 2: DEVELOPMENT 2.1 2.1.1 2.1.2 2.1.3 Literature Review Definition of Idioms Types of idioms Methods of Teaching Idioms 3 2.2 The current situation of teaching and learning English at Lam Son Gifted High School Some tips and techniques of teaching idioms for high school students Four tips before teaching idioms Effective Activities for Teaching English Idioms Teaching idioms with pictures Provide idioms in context Combination of pictures and dialogues Dividing Idioms into Categories 11 Teaching idioms with worksheets 12 Using stories 12 Using board game – Balderdash 13 Other Games 14 2.3 2.3.1 2.3.2 2.3.2.1 2.3.2.2 2.3.2.3 2.3.2.4 2.3.2.5 2.3.2.6 2.3.2.7 2.3.2.8 6 7 2.4 Reached results 17 PART 3: CONCLUSION 3.1 Conclusion 3.2 Recommendations Reference 18 18 19 PART 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Rationale of the study Teaching and learning English in Vietnam as a foreign language has been encountering controversial social reactions when students are said not to be able to competently communicate in English after their six or seven years of studying English It is claimed that students even cannot purposively speak one or two correct sentences in English for their communicative intention Some students with good English grammar and vocabulary think that they can communicate in English However, they still fail to communicate when they discover that the language English speakers actually talk to them is different from what they have been taught On the one hand, this may come from the teaching methodology In the past foreign language teachers just focused on grammar and writing Speaking and listening received inadequate attention; therefore, students did not have chance to speak and to express their ideas in English Later, in the 2000s English started to be taught in light of the skill-based teaching approach Students have, consequently, learnt four skills separately, that is, speaking, listening, reading and writing In spite of the advantages of this approach, the biggest drawback is the undervaluation of word power such as fixed phrases, formulaic expressions because of the heavy emphasis on skills On the other hand, this crucial problem may come from the lack of idiomatic phrases in teaching and learning English whereas idiomatic expressions are of great popularity in English in use Copper (1998) indicates that an English native speaker uses about 20 million idioms in his or her lifetime of 60 years These impressive statistics illustrate the undeniable significant role of idiomatic phrases in daily language use However, students and teachers tend to traditionally avoid idiomatic expressions in English This prevents students from the exposure to multi-word units in English Thus, students cannot profoundly understand the communicative meanings of multi-word units in the right context Researchers in language acquisition such as Wray (2000), Joyce & Burns (1998) emphasize that mastery of idiomatic language is one significant indicator of successful language acquisition In fact, idiomatic competence is one of the criteria for IELTS speaking assessment In the IELTS speaking band descriptors, uses of idiomatic vocabulary and collocation are mentioned as indicators for the use of lexical resource in bands 7, and At Lam Son Gifted High School, English is a compulsory subject in the curriculum and it is considered as a major subject for the high school examination It is taught with the purpose that students have some basic knowledge of English in order to communicate and to use it as a key to science and technology Moreover, most teachers expect their students to speak English fluently and naturally like native speakers and their aim is to help them pass the national examination with flying colors.Those are the reasons that inspire me with the desire to write: ‘‘Some methods of teaching English idioms for Non-English major students at Lam Son Gifted High School, Thanh Hoa.’’ 1.2 Aims of the study: This study is aimed to: - Provide teachers some helpful tips and techniques of teaching English idioms in their classes - Help students easily remember English idioms 1.3 Scope of the study The study concentrates on strategies and methods teachers use in idiom teaching The subjects of the study are students whose majors are Math, Chemistry and Physics in grade 12 ( 12T, 12F, 12H) at Lam Son Gifted high school, Thanh Hoa 1.4 Methods of the study: This study uses an action research as methodology Action research provides teachers with an opportunity to apply the findings of research to their own situations and to adapt theory to practice It also involves teachers as participants in their own educational process, and helps them to develop a critical and reflective eye for their own instructional practices along with those of their peers PART 2: DEVELOPMENT 2.1 Literature review 2.1.1 Definition of Idioms: Idioms belong to the category of nonliteral or figurative language that also includes metaphors, similes and proverbs.There are many definitions available for idioms In this study, an idiom, or idiomatic expression, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is a group of words whose meaning cannot be deduced from the individual words that form it In other words, idioms are considered as fixed chunks with arbitrary meanings For example, the idiom kick the bucket cannot be interpreted by simply connecting the meanings of each single word; learners who want to obtain the meaning of the idiom have to memorize its corresponding figurative interpretation, which is to die Meanings of idioms are arbitrary and thus unpredictable Even native speakers consider learning and understanding idiomatic expressions difficult (Gibbs 1994), let alone language learners whose comprehension of idioms is blocked by their limited language proficiency and cultural immersion Idioms, therefore, have been considered an obstacle for learners However, idiomatic expressions are used so widely and commonly in spoken and written English that learners have to prepare themselves to meet the challenge of learning and understanding them (Cooper 1999) Without a doubt, this presents language learners with a special vocabulary-learning problem Thus, teaching idioms to learners is a necessary element in the field of EFL teaching 2.1.2 Types of idioms: Idioms can be broken down into several categories (Badger, n.d.): - Simile idioms These idiomatic expressions compare one object or action to another using the words "like" or "as." For example, the expression "like two peas in a pod" describes how two things are similar or close in nature, by comparing them to peas which grow together in a pod "Light as a feather" and "busy as a bee" are two other examples of simile-based idiomatic expressions - Phrasal verbs idioms These idiomatic expressions function as verbs They usually contain one or more individual verbs and prepositions that, when used together in a sentence, act as a single verb For example, the phrasal verb "to get away with" is used to mean "avoid punishment" as in the sentence, "She will get away with stealing that car." - Metaphorical idioms The metaphorical idiom is a phrase that ordinarily designates one thing is inferred to another, making an implicit comparison (Tang, 2007).It compares two situations, objects or actions However, idioms based on metaphors not use the words "like" or "as" to connect the two ideas For example, a "carrot and stick method," is used to mean a method of coercion It compares the situation at hand to the practice of luring stubborn horse or mule by dangling a carrot in front of him and prodding with a stick behind - Aphorisms Aphorisms are idiomatic expressions intended to convey wisdom or morals They are also colloquially called "sayings," widely read books, famous speeches or other texts They contain profound philosophical truths in short, easy-to-remember sentences - Cultural and Historical Idioms These idiomatic expressions deal with landmark events and important historical figures They are therefore particular to certain cultures For example, in the United States, "John Hancock" means to provide a signature This expression references one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, John Hancock, whose signature is one of the largest and most distinct on the document Another example is "Honest Abe." This idiom alludes to the fabled honesty of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States 2.1.3 Methods of Teaching Idioms: Since native speakers use numerous idioms during the course of every day and since it is important to teach idioms to learners, teaching idioms received much more attention recently and it becomes a topic in teaching ESL and EFL after it was a neglected topic It is important to have a clear view on how to implement a methodology to teach idioms However, the argument between the traditional method and the conceptual metaphors instruction on how to teach idioms is not over Teachers have a variety of methods to apply in their classes in order to teach idioms These teaching methods can be organized under two broad methods The traditional method encourages teaching idioms explicitly in context Or the conceptual metaphor method that teaches English idioms after obtaining some knowledge of the terms The traditional method teaches idioms in context, Liontas (2003) stated that the context can effectively facilitate understanding as well as learning and teaching of idioms and idiomatic expressions Liontas’s study concluded that “the absence of context” creates obstacles “on learning and comprehending idioms” (p 288) - Teaching English Idioms in Contexts The role of context is central in language learning It’s common that EFL students don’t really understand the various meanings of new words in different contexts That’s why EFL students don’t know how to apply the words they have learned practically in various contexts It’s fundamental for teachers to provide a rich context for students’ language learning and practice For instance, linguistic contextual information enhances adolescents’ interpretation of idioms (Nippold & Martin, 1989) The contextual cues surrounding a particular word can help readers get that’s meaning In contrast, context-reduced language will be hard for readers to tolerate (Brown, 2001) Consequently, it’s more effective for EFL students to learn language in meaningful contexts than learn isolated words through memorization and drilling - Teaching English Idioms with Rich Illustrations Although there is lingering debate regarding the effect of visuals on reading comprehension, some researchers claim that reading materials accompanied by visuals will be more comprehensible For example, Scarcella and Oxford (1992) stressed that teachers need to illustrate key vocabulary effectively by showing pictures and diagrams so as to improve the ESL students’ reading comprehension (p 107) Mayer (1999) found that words and pictures presented together helped students recall better than alone It is efficient to provide interesting pictures to foster and reinforce vocabulary development Consequently, visuals must be stimulating, interesting and motivating to students’ comprehension and retention of reading - Teaching English Idioms with Group Discussion Students’ discussing what they read is a helpful strategy to increase their comprehension Group talk can provide learners with rich opportunities to acquire social and linguistic knowledge necessary for understanding new texts they encounter (Freeman & Freeman, 1994) Klingner & Vaughn (2000) stressed that ESL students engaging in collaborative talk during content reading, they assisted one another in understanding the meaning of challenging words, getting the main ideas, and answering questions about what they read As a result, group discussion appears to be an effective technique to enhance students’ reading comprehension - Teaching English Idioms with Readers Theater Readers Theater has been viewed as an interesting and motivating strategy that can provide readers with a legitimate reason to reread text and further improve their word recognition, reading fluency and reading comprehension Researchers claim that Readers Theater offers a way to improve fluency and enhance comprehension (Bafile, 2003) as well as to create interest in and enthusiasm for learning (Ruddell, 1999) Even slow learners can benefit from Readers Theater because there is no memorization required and there is no risk for them at all Apparently, Readers Theater provides enough opportunity for practice repeated reading in language learning This activity also enhances interaction opportunities with peers and makes the reading task more appealing than learning alone - Teaching English Idioms with Retelling and Rewriting Retelling has been a good strategy to know how much students have learned and to increase their comprehension Retelling activities can facilitate students’ reading retrieval because the activities can encourage students to try to recall Their recalling help teachers understand how much information their students have obtained Older students can benefit from retelling stories because it allows students to learn to organize and describe events, which enhances reading comprehension (Brandi-Muller, 2005) In Brandi-Muller’s classroom, she found that her ELL students not only became more enthusiastic and willing to take a chance and read aloud but also remembered the vocabulary better with this method (Brandi-Muller, 2005) As a result, retelling activities can reinforce integration of recentlyl earned reading - Teaching English Idioms with Dialogue Writing and Role-Play Dialogues can provide situations for students to practice ordinary conversation and offer students ample practice with basic speaking skills in context Firstly, dialogues can be viewed as short plays and used for students to act out rather than simply read aloud Moreover, the dialogues the students write function as basic communication at all levels (Scott & Ytreberg, 2000) In addition, putting pupils into pairs for the role-play in the daily dialogues is an effective way of oral practice for various ages and levels (Scott & Ytreberg, 2000) Nunan (2003) stressed that role-plays are also excellent activities for learners’ speaking in the relatively safe environment of the classroom before they must so in a real environment Therefore, dialogues offer students opportunities to act out and practice oral skill before encountering the real world 2.2 The current situation of teaching and learning English at Lam Son Gifted High School At Lam Son Gifted High School, English is one of the compulsory subjects in the curriculum and students have to pass the national examination by the end of grade 12 to be qualified for the secondary school diploma “Tieng Anh 12” textbook consists of sixteen units for two terms Each unit focuses on four different language skills: reading, speaking, listening, writing and grammar but not much on English idioms, which are included in the national English Test and the IELTS assessment It is very important to integrate students in the four skills Moreover, they should combine idiom knowledge in the four skills in order to get the best result Traditional methods of teaching idioms focus on rote learning and memorization They are time- and effort-consuming as learners picked up idioms discretely without associations between forms and meanings There has been the need of a flexible and dynamic approach towards the teaching of English idioms Therefore, teachers should design various activities for students to use with English idioms so that they can collaborate with peers and utilize idioms in different contexts 2.3 Some tips and techniques of teaching idioms for high school students: 2.3.1 Four tips before teaching idioms: * Amount: Not too many at once Planning an idiom filled lesson may not be the best approach to introducing this topic Idioms are complex and difficult not only to understand but also to explain so consider introducing only a small number, maybe three or five, at a time You can this by including them in your usual lessons This approach will give you enough time to cover them thoroughly and allow students sufficient practice time without overwhelming them * Themes: Related to your topics You can include idioms in your normal lessons by introducing them thematically If they are related to the topic you are studying, students will have an easier time remembering them and will be familiar with the vocabulary you are using When talking about pets, for instance, you can introduce idioms such as ‘work like a dog’ and ‘dog tired’ which are related to the topic and will give students something to discuss What makes idioms so interesting is that they are a unique combination of words that have completely different meanings from the individual words themselves * Level: Intermediate+ Many teachers not introduce idioms to students who are not at the advanced level In some ways this seems like a good approach because idioms are complex and have different meanings than their words alone suggest However, Idioms not have to be just for advanced students, you can introduce them earlier as long as you choose ones that are appropriate for your students Obviously, beginners may not have the vocabulary and comprehension skills to learn certain idioms, however, intermediate students could definitely benefit from learning about this aspect of the English language Using the two examples above, you can even discuss how these phrases may have been created * Comprehension: Make sure they understand the individual words first Students have to know or understand the individual words of an idioms before understanding the idioms itself Avoid introducing idioms which use new vocabulary and be able to simplify the meaning of idioms You could say, for instance, that ‘work like a dog’ means to work very hard Students will have to know all the words you use in your explanation as well so use the simplest language you can Even with advanced learners, simplifying idioms to their basic meanings make them easier to understand Idioms may not be something you are prepared to introduce your students but at some point in their studies, idioms will be important and you can give students a head start by getting them accustomed to these types of phrases early on Just a handful each semester would be a good start 2.3.2 Effective Activities for Teaching English Idioms 2.3.2.1 Teaching idioms with pictures: Provide a picture to explain the context This works best if you show an image that humorously illustrates the literal meaning of the idiom It will make students laugh, but also help them understand or guess what a phrase means Idioms are full of colorful imagery, perfect for a flashcard or photo Show the picture to your students and have them guess the meaning of the idiom ( see figure 1, 2, 3) From there, give examples of when you would use it and how the words and the actual meaning of the idiom are different Figure 1: A storm in a teacup 10 Figure 2: Time flies Figure 3: A flashcard: break the ice 2.3.2.2 Provide idioms in context: Teachers should provide idioms in context so students can fully understand the meaning Be sure to provide a sample conversation around it For example, take the following dialogue featuring the idiom “to be a chicken” when at a local amusement park Jack: Ooh, wow Look at that roller coaster, Jane! It goes upside-down! Jane: My stomach aches just looking at it I will not ride that Jack: Ah, come on Don’t be a chicken! 2.3.2.3 Combination of pictures and dialogues 11 Students look at the picture and make an educated guess on what the idiom means and then let them search for the real meaning Students have to write a conversation and use this idiom in it Have students explain the meaning to the rest of the class and use the idiom in a short sample dialogue Each pair stands before their classmates and acts out the conversation they wrote This way they not only practise using the idioms phrases, they hear other examples from classmates, other ways in which these idioms may be included in conversation - To be broke Figure 4: To be broke Meaning: to be out of money, to have no money Teaching tips: Provide the students with two images One image should be of a broken item (such as a broken pencil) and one should be an image of a person with no money (this is a great one) Explain how both images mean “to be broke.” Then, present the following dialogue and have the students match the correct image to the meaning of the idiom Sample dialogue: Sam: I really want to buy that cool hat But I’m completely broke Sarah: Would you like to borrow some money? Sam: That’d be great I promise, I’ll pay you back later - (to) Give someone the cold shoulder Figure 5: (to) Give someone the cold shoulder Meaning: to show no interest in someone or something, to ignore 12 Teaching tips: Provide the sample image and have the students guess what they think the idiom means Ask the students if they’ve ever given someone the cold shoulder Or, if they’ve ever received the cold shoulder Practice below dialogue Sample dialogue: Sarah: I ran into Sallie yesterday and we had a nice conversation at the coffee shop, catching up with each other Sam: Oh, really? Last time I saw her, she gave me the cold shoulder I couldn’t figure out what I had done to make her angry Sarah: Well, it probably doesn’t help that you are dating her best friend - (to be) Head over heels (in love) Figure 6: Head over heels (in love) Meaning: to be really or completely in love with someone Teaching tips: Show this image explaining the idiom Talk to the students about being in love Ask which students are currently in love (guaranteed to elicit a few giggles from your students!) Practice the below dialogue Sample dialogue: Sarah: Sam, what are you writing? Sam: I’m writing a letter to my new girlfriend Sarah: Ooh, really? You just wrote to her yesterday You must be head over heels! Sam: I really am I want to marry her 2.3.2.4 Dividing Idioms into Categories Dividing idioms into thematic categories will make them easier to learn, for the students can study them as groups composed of elements that have common features rather than as lists of unrelated expressions to be memorized 13 Figure 7: Weather idioms 2.3.2.5 Teaching idioms with worksheets This worksheet provides help in understanding different idioms related to body parts Included idioms are: a sweet tooth, to pull one’s leg, to cost an eye, to have something at your fingertips, to rack your brain Body Parts Idioms * Guess what they mean Choose the best answer 1.Mary has got a sweet tooth a) One of Mary’s tooth has a cavity b) Mary has got a liking for cakes and sweets c) Mary is a really cute girl Bob is pulling your leg a) Bob wants you to believe in his lie b) Bob wants to catch your attention c) Bob is a chiropractor 14 A new car would cost me an eye a) I cannot afford a new car They are too expensive b) I cannot drive new cars because of bad eyesight c) I think new cars are really beautiful She’s well-trained and has the figures about the performance of her business at her fingertips a) She has attended lots of business classes and is a good businesswoman b) She knows all the figures very well and can refer to them quickly c) She is a good performer They asked me for fresh ideas, but I had none I racked my brain, but couldn’t come up with anything a) I made a mental list of different solutions b) I stopped thinking c) I tried hard to think and find something to say 2.3.2.6 Using stories Telling a story can help students understand and remember the meaning behind the words “you are pulling my legs,” for example, lends itself well to a simple story You can then have your kids discuss the meaning of the phrase, and come up with other ways that they could understand the idiom Following is an example: Hector and Andy looked at the floor of their bedroom It was littered with clothes, shoes, papers, snack wrappers, and sports equipment ‘I want this all picked up before you go to the softball game’, declared their father Hector groaned but Andy waited until their father was out of sight, then whispered, ‘ He said to pick it up He didn’t say to put it away! Let’s throw it all in the closet!’ The boys got busy, and five minutes later they shouted, ‘Papa, we’ve finished’ ‘You’re pulling my leg!’ their father called back 15 Figure 8: Pull somebody’s leg 2.3.2.7 Using board game - Balderdash The original Balderdash is a board game in which obscure words are read aloud, and players have to first propose a meaning, then have to guess the true meaning You can take the concept and apply your own expressions - idioms, in this case Here's how it works: The teacher reads aloud an idiom, one that the students haven't heard before Without discussing it, each of the students writes down a possible definition (it doesn't have to sound like it came from a dictionary; casual language is just fine) on a note card Students should aim for something plausible, as it increases their chances of earning points Simultaneously, the teacher writes down the real definition on a note card (ideally using casual language that matches the students') The teacher collects all answers, shuffles them, and reads them aloud Each student selects which answer they believe to be the correct one The teacher adds up the scores: - point goes to a player for every other student who incorrectly guessed their definition - points go to a player for guessing the correct definition - points go to a player for writing a definition that's very similar to the true one Repeat with more idioms The student with the most points at the end wins 16 If multiple answers are similar, you can combine them into the same definition when you read them aloud (and all players who wrote those similar ones receive equal points when others guess theirs) Also, you might choose to allow some discussion leading into step 5; students can voice which answers they like and which they don't, and they can try to cleverly convince others that their false answer is the correct one Balderdash is not only fun because of how silly it can get, but also it helps students remember the definitions later They might remember it because it surprised them, or they might remember it because they'll also remember the ridiculous false definitions as well 2.3.2.8 Other Games: * Drama Queen! Create a list of ten idioms which students have recently met Cut them up and give one idiom to each pair of students in your class Ensure your students know the vocabulary; it’s not necessary at this stage for them to understand the meaning of the idiom They just need to be able to act it out! In turn, each pair of students act out their idiom for the other students You can award points to pairs who guess the idiom correctly This is a great way to review idioms and so much fun Students tend to remember them more easily when they can relate it to a visual action Idioms which work well for this task: to cry over spilt milk to put your foot in your mouth All in the same boat to let the cat out of the bag to speak of the devil to see eye to eye to cost an arm and a leg to feel under the weather to cut corners 10.to judge a book by its cover * Work it Out! 17 Prepare enough idioms for half the students in your class (i.e for 16 students, prepare idioms) You will also need to prepare a definition for each of these idioms Give half the students in your class an idiom each and give the other half a detailed definition Now students have to mingle and find one other student who has the idiom/definition match You can use these ideas or prepare your own based on what you have covered in your class during the week Best of Both Worlds to enjoy two different experiences/things at the same time Break a Leg Good luck! Hit the Nail on the Head to describe exactly what is causing a problem or situation Give Someone a Hand to help someone Keep an Eye on Someone to take care of Once students find their new partners, give them an extra task Now they have to think of an idiom they have learned that is not here and the same thing! Create two pieces of paper, one with the idiom and one with a detailed definition and they get to play again! * On Cloud Nine! Organise your students in small groups of or Each group is given an idiom such as ‘On Cloud Nine’ and must now work together to put this idiom into an ‘asking for advice’ letter See example below Dear Agony Aunt, I need your help My year old daughter is so happy at the moment Everything is going well for her in her personal life, in school, at home 18 She’s on cloud nine Unfortunately I have some bad news to tell her – her dog died! How should I it? Now, have students pass their letters to the next group to write a response using another idiom they have learned such as: Dear Reader, It’s always very sad when a family pet dies Hopefully your daughter will see that your dog had a happy life but I can understand why you want to tiptoe around the situation as this is difficult for any child to understand It will take time and she will need time to grieve so just be there to support her This can be great fun and if you have students who have vivid imaginations, they will come up with very creative problems and advice * Bend the Truth! Each pair of students present one idiom to the class and their teacher on the board This is a great way to review idioms already met and ones which students are comfortable with For example, the first pair go to the board and write ‘to pull the wool over someone’s eyes.’ and give a very detailed definition of its meaning such as ‘to protect someone from danger’ The students must also give the class this idiom in a sentence for context such as ‘There was a gang of boys outside the house so I called my friend and told her not to come to pull the wool over her eyes.’ [This is obviously not correct] but will the other students realize? The aim of this task is for each pair to convince the other students that their definition is a real one If they succeed, they win the points but if a clever pair of students realize it’s not real and can give the real definition, that pair win the points This can be so much fun and very competitive! 19 2.4 Reached results After applying the methods as described above to teach English for students in three classes: 12T, 12F, 12H (with 105 students) for nearly a year, I am really amazed by the improvements made by students from classes when they learn idioms with innovative methods of teaching and leaning Students seems to be more positive and they can recognize the presence of figurative idioms and fixed phrases in authentic materials When they understand and experience the importance of these phrases they can have the focus of idiomatic phrases in their further learning In the past, we ignore this significant feature of language The majority of the teachers believe that students enjoy the idiomlearning activities and are motivated to learn idioms As the teachers in detail describe it in their responses, students actively involve in the idiom activities Not only in class but also outside class, they attempt to use idioms to communicate with their friends Students in fact feel like learning idioms They feel excited when they can express their thoughts with idiomatic phrases Thanks to such techniques of teaching idioms, students have become autonomous learners.The positive attitudes of students toward idiom learning have improved their English skills as well as their undertanding of numerous idioms Moreover, their achievements are remarkable in the IELTS Official Test and the National Examination The result is as follows Before being applied (2016 - 2017) IELTS - No one got IELTS overall Official Test band score 8.0 - Two students got IELTS overall band score 7.5 - Three students got IELTS overall band score 7.0 - Four students got IELTS overall band score 6.5 After being applied ( 2017 – 2018) - One student got IELTS overall band score 8.0 - Five students got IELTS overall band score 7.5 - Six students got IELTS overall band score 7.0 - Nine students got IELTS overall band score 6.5 National Examinatio n - Six students got mark ≥ - Thirteen students got mark ≥ 8.5 - Two students got mark ≥ - Seven students got mark ≥ 8.5 20 PART 3: CONCLUSION 3.1 Conclusion: This paper analyses some techniques of teaching idioms as well as giving some useful activities for teachers and learners in obtaining English idiom expression It demonstrates that students at Lam Son gifted school achieved effectiveness in idiom learning Both teachers and students believe that students are motivated, feel relaxed and confident and actively participated in idioms learning activities in this foreign language context The findings also reveal that students have demonstrated the process in idiom comprehension as well as in idiom production though the evidence in the comprehension of idiomatic phrases are more evitable These positive learning achievements in idiom learning are the result of the creative use of idiom-related teaching activities that are designed in integrated skill tasks Idioms are contextualized in listening or reading activities and then practice with speaking and writing focus The learning tasks are varied from idiom sharing, matching, role-play to theater playing with idioms The results also show that idioms teaching should focus more on idioms practice in activities Idioms teaching would be more effective if the students have more chance to participate in numerous authentic video clips and games in their process of idiom learning.Therefore, idioms should receive more attention in language teaching to assist students in acquiring English in a foreign language context This filling may help EFL learners profoundly explore the target language and then purposefully communicate in English Limitations and mistakes are unavoidable Therefore, all comments and feedbacks of the fellow are highly welcome and appreciated The final goal is to improve and perfect the materials the teaching community has owned and will create In the first place, it has a great meaning to the students learning English, but at a higher level, it is also an absolute invaluable job for teachers in the process of self training and studying 3.2 Recommendations: It is necessary to the English teachers to make their students motivated in learning and use different techniques to increase the students’ motivation in learning English idioms It helps the students to involve their target language like native speakers more effectively It is necessary to the English teacher to observe and follow the students’development in class intensively Moreover, we also recommend that idioms should be taught to students of lower level of English as supplementary tasks so that students are more familiar with idiomatic expressions They then can study on their own and gradually build up their idiomatic expression list 21 There is a need for further research into this field in a larger scale and a longer period of time so that the effects of innovative techniques on the students in terms of teaching and learning idioms at high schools in Vietnam will be reflected more clearly XÁC NHẬN CỦA THỦ TRƯỞNG ĐƠN VỊ Thanh Hóa, ngày 20 tháng năm 2019 Tơi xin cam đoan SKKN Viết, không chép nội dung người khác Bùi Thị Bạch Tuyết 22 Reference Abel, B (2003) English idioms in the first language and second language lexicon: a dual representation approach Second Language Research, 19(4), 329358 http://dx.doi.org/10.1191/0267658303sr226oa Block, D (1991) Some thoughts on DIY materials design ELT Journal, 45(3), 221-217 http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/elt/45.3.211 Boers, F., Eyckmans, J., Kappel, J., Stengers, H., & Demecheleer, M (2006) Formulaic expressions and perceived oral proficiency: Putting a lexical approach to the test Language Teaching Research, 10(3), 245-261 http://dx.doi.org/10.1191/1362168806lr195oa Buckingham, L (2006) A multilingual didactic approach to idioms using a conceptual framework Language Design, 8, 35-45 Burke, D (1988) Without slang and idioms, students are in the dark! ESL Magazine, 1(5), 20-23 Burns, A., & De Silva Joyce, H (1997) Focus on speaking National Centre for English Language Teaching and Research Bygate, M (1987) Speaking Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press 23 DANH MỤC SÁNG KIẾN KINH NGHIỆM ĐÃ ĐƯỢC HỘI ĐỒNG SÁNG KIẾN KINH NGHIỆM NGÀNH GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO HUYỆN, TỈNH VÀ CÁC CẤP CAO HƠN XẾP LOẠI TỪ C TRỞ LÊN Họ tên tác giả: Bùi Thị Bạch Tuyết Chức vụ đơn vị công tác: Trường THPT Chuyên Lam Sơn TT Tên đề tài SKKN Methods of teaching vocabulary for high school students Cấp đánh giá xếp loại (Ngành GD cấp huyện/tỉnh; Tỉnh ) Cấp Tỉnh Kết đánh giá xếp loại (A, B, C) C Năm học đánh giá xếp loại 2007-2008 24 ... 2.1.3 Literature Review Definition of Idioms Types of idioms Methods of Teaching Idioms 3 2.2 The current situation of teaching and learning English at Lam Son Gifted High School Some tips and... write: ‘? ?Some methods of teaching English idioms for Non -English major students at Lam Son Gifted High School, Thanh Hoa.’’ 1.2 Aims of the study: This study is aimed to: - Provide teachers some. .. techniques of teaching idioms for high school students Four tips before teaching idioms Effective Activities for Teaching English Idioms Teaching idioms with pictures Provide idioms in context Combination