Understanding Idioms Through Activities

This assignment explores the challenges ESL/EAL students face understanding idioms and proposes engaging classroom activities to overcome these hurdles. It emphasizes the use of visual aids, dialogue creation, and hands-on learning to facilitate effective idiom comprehension and retention.

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Introduction
This essay focuses on how students learning English as an additional language can be taught to
ensure that they comprehend different concepts as well as those to whom English is a native
language. These students require effective and thoughtful pedagogy in the process of
communicating ideas and thoughts with them. It is vital for the teachers to take into
consideration the students’ points of view as they introduce them to new information. The main
focus of the essay is on systemic functional grammar and on the different grammatical concepts
that students need to be conversant with. The essay focuses on words, grammar and other key
language aspects for student of different levels.
The classroom can be a harsh environment to comprehend the English language correctly.
Teachers and students who have a familiarity with one another could make assumptions and
speak quickly during communication. In some instances, some things may be left unsaid, and
specific rules could be enforced by the use of a look. Gestures could also be used to dissolve any
misunderstandings that may exist process (Taverniers, 2010). Idioms that are commonly used
may be bandied about without much consideration for their unintelligibility to people who are
newcomers to the English speaking regions.
Systemic functional linguistics is the study of the relationship that exists between language and
the functions that it serves in social settings. The linguistic system is made up of three strata in
systemic functional linguistics. These are; lexicogrammar or wording, phonology or sound, and
semantics (Almurashi, 2016). Grammar is treated as a resource that aids in the process of making

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meanings. Therefore, the systemic functional linguistics insist on the relationship between
meaning and form.
Students need to learn different concepts in the English language to become better at
communicating using the language. It is therefore important for teachers to teach students the
different techniques such as metaphors, idioms, similes, rhetorical questions, and alliteration
among others. Students also ned to learn god text organization techniques (DECD, 2014).
In the Australian curriculum, developing the literacy repertoires and the language resources
available to students is an essential teaching component in line with the literacy capability.
Teachers therefore need to work within a framework to ensure that they are able to adequately
support their students (DECD, 2016). Teaching should be systematic to gradually introduce
students to new concepts to enable the students to gain control of their new learning and become
more independent. Incidentally, level four students communicate using simple words and
sentences. At level five, they begin using different phrases and simple sentence openers and at
level six, they use connectives to join different sentences. Consequently, at level seven, they
make use of more complex words and vary their sentence openers more.
Four significant theoretical claims have been made by different scholars about the English
language. First, language use is said to be functional; it is also said that the importance of
language use is to make meanings (semantic), the meanings brought about by language are also
supposed to be contextual. This means that they are influenced by the cultural and social contexts
in which they are used. Finally, the process in which language is used is said to be semiotic,
meaning that it is a process in which meaning is made through choice (Matthiessen, 2012).

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Halliday (2010), also said that the development of language has occurred in a bid to respond to
three needs of the social-functional nature. First, it has occurred to aid in construing experience
about things that are happening inside and around us. Secondly, it was developed to aid in the
process of interacting with the social world through negotiating attitudes and social roles.
Finally, language development came about to assist in the creation of messages that can package
people’s meanings based on what the starting point of the message is. This is referred to as the
theme of the message.
In the process of teaching students who are learning English as an additional language different
resources can be used. Incidentally, students in year level three can use games, stories, photos,
and blogs among others (Martin, 2014). These resources enable the students to be more attentive
and participate in the learning process which increases the levels at which they understand
information.
Use of the Documents in Teaching Activities
The document ‘Three Levels of Texton Tornadoes’ has very many paragraphs that could be used
for different learning activities. One activity is the use of a cloze text. Incidentally, on page five
of the article, the chapter that talks about the duration of tornadoes can be turned into a cloze test.
This can be used to test the students’ understanding of different features of the language. These
include; tenses, conjunctions, adjectives, punctuation, prepositions, and articles. Therefore,
different words can be removed from the paragraph and students can be required to fill them in
with the right form of the words (Derewianka, 2012). This will help students master the English
language and become better over time with practice.

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Another activity that can be carried out to enrich the students’ comprehension of the English
language is the use of error correction exercises. This is the situation whereby the teacher
rewrites a paragraph while altering some of the words to make the text grammatically incorrect
and then asking the students to identify and correct the mistakes contained in the texts. This
activity will assist students to make a note of the mistakes they have been making and in turn
correct their written and spoken grammar (Acara, 2013).
Students can also be called out and asked to translate a paragraph in their native language in a
bid to evaluate whether they have properly understood the text. Alternatively, the students can be
asked to provide some words in their native language that have been used in the text and then
translate them. This will aid the students in fully understanding what the different words mean.
Students can also be instructed to carry out activities such as identifying patterns that exist in a
text, comparing different texts, they shuld be asked higher order questions, and they can also be
asked to conduct authentic dialogues about certain topics in English (EACD, 2016).
Finally, students can be asked to identify new vocabulary that is contained in the text and then
look up the meanings and construct a sentence using the words. This will ensure that the words
will not be forgotten.
Grammatical Concepts
Field
The analysis of these two texts can be performed on the basis of field, tenor, and mode. The field
of a text informs about the domain of experience that the text is about. The field is, therefore, an
experiential metafunction element of a text. In the process of examination of a text for its field,
two main elements need to be considered. First, it is important to examine the lexical items

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contained in the text. These are single words or a chain of words that are the basic components of
a text’s vocabulary. Lexical words in a text can also be represented by the nouns present in the
text (Lukin et al., 2011). In this analysis, we can look at the semantic domains from which the
words refer to. This aids in better comprehension of texts because some words are used in one
discipline more than they are used in another discipline.
In the text ‘The Levels of Texton Tornadoes,' different words have been used that show what the
text is about. These include; tornadoes, thunderstorms, centrifugal force, centripetal, fictitious
force, partial vacuum, central core, storm, photogrammetry, doppler radar, tangential speeds, and
airflow. These words show that the text is talking about tornadoes due to the constant repetition
of the word. Other words indicate that the text is explaining how the tornadoes occur and how
they are measured by different factors.
Conversely, the text ‘Three Genres on Flight’ has words that can tell what the text is about by
just looking at the text without reading it. The words include; planes, spacecraft, Airbus, air
travel, flight, airport, control tower, pilot, runway, and soaring. These words used together in a
text show that the message being delivered in that text has to do with an explanation of flying in
a plane.
Secondly, certain lexical words can be used based on whether the audience is specialized or
generalized (Acara, 2013). This aids in explaining better about the audience for which the text is
intended. In the text ‘Three Levels of Texton Tornadoes,’ three texts are created for three
different audiences. The first text that is designed for primary school students has straightforward
words, and it is concise. It is also explanative whereby it is aimed at explaining to the students
what a tornado is, how it looks like, the speed at which it moves, and the adverse effects that are
brought about by tornadoes.

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The second text is written for secondary level students. The text commences with an explanation
about tornadoes, but it does not define what they are because this is an advanced level of
education and it is expected that students are aware of what tornadoes are. The text explains
about the forces that lead to the formation of tornadoes. The text also speaks about the effects of
tornadoes by providing the death rates over the past century. This text is, therefore, more in-
depth than the one intended for primary school students, and it makes use of more complex
words. It is also much longer since students in the secondary level of education can be able to
accommodate more information and they have a longer concentration span.
The third text is intended for students in the tertiary level of education. This text contains a more
in-depth analysis of tornadoes. It makes use of technical words that require people to be
specialized in this field to be able to grasp the full meaning of the text. It is also much longer
than both the text intended for primary and secondary levels of education. This therefore shows
that texts must be adjusted to the target audience to ensure proper understanding of the
information (DECD, 2014).
Another factor that is considered in field analysis of text is the type of circumstances and the
process (Halliday and Matthiessen, 2010). This is shown by the words that are continually being
used in the text. In the text ‘Three Genres of Flight,’ the words that are constantly used are
related to planes and flying.
Mode
The mode in texts refers to the method in which the text appears to have been produced in. It is
an element of the textual metafunction in a given text. Two axes can be used to model the mode
of a text as a point which is in a continuum. These include; the action axis and the spoken axis.

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The action axis shows how close a text is in time to the events that it describes (Mathiessen,
2014). This time is not evident in the text ‘Three Genres on Flight.' The text ‘Three Levels of
Texton Tornadoes’ does not also depict this element as well because it does not describe one
specific event but it speaks on how all tornadoes come to be and their effects.
Conversely, the spoken axis is used for texts that are interactive, and these may be prototypical
spoken conversations and others may be prototypical written texts that do not display any signs
of interactivity (Teruya, Mathiessen and Lam, 2010). The text ‘Three Levels of Texton
Tornadoes’ is a scientific text and is not interactive and hence it falls into this category.
Interactivity in texts is shown by the presence of addresses, questions and answers, and different
words that attract attention. Incidentally, in the text Three Genres of Flight, there is the use of the
interjection ‘Help!’ which draws attention. It is also important to analyze the spontaneity of texts
when analyzing the mode of the text. The document, Three Genres of Flight; text 1 has an
element of spontaneity because it speaks of the events as they are happening in real time (Acara,
2013). This is shown because the text is written in present tense and even contains direct quotes
of what the writer is saying as the events are happening.
Tenor
Finally, tenor in texts aids in informing the readers the kind of person who the author is or how
they are presenting themselves to be. It also shows the kind of people expected to be the
audience. Finally, it explains the relationship that exists between the author and the readers. It is
an element of the interpersonal metafunction contained in the text. Both texts used in this
analysis are non-interactive (Hermans, 2017). Tenor can be analyzed into stance, personalization,
and standing. Stance explains the level to which the reader is allowed to disagree with the

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content by the author. Standing shows how much the author is seen to possess authority and
expertise on the subject in the text. The text ‘Three Levels of Texton Tornadoes’ shows that the
author has a great mastery of the topic and it has a lot of use of technical vocabulary (DECD,
2014). Finally, personalization shows the level of attention that is drawn to the author or the
reader. The text ‘Three Genres of Flight’; text one, the author draws attention to herself by
speaking about the events happening to her as they occur.
Linguistic and Cultural Challenges for EALD Learners
In the text ‘Three Genres of Flight,' the first text contains different words that may be
challenging to learners to whom English is an additional language or dialect. First, there is the
use of a simile where the author compares the speed of the plane with that of a cheetah. This
could be confusing to a student who is not well versed in the English language. There is also the
use of onomatopoeia. This is where the author speaks of the ground to be whizzing by.
Onomatopoeia is also used where the author uses the word whoosh. Another word that is used is
phew. This is a word that is used to show relief by the author. This text, therefore, displays a lot
of use of onomatopoeia and can confuse the student (Derewianka and Jones, 2010). There is also
the use of an idiom. This is shown where the author uses the phrase, ‘in the blink of an eye’ to
show how fast they arrived at their destination. Finally, there is the use of another simile where
the author says that they landed as gently as a feather.
Classroom Activity Used in Teaching Idioms
Idioms can be fun to teach and for the students to learn. They are important because they aid
students to whom English is not a first language to become better listeners and to sound more
like the native speakers. In a class session, the teacher can introduce a theme. This theme could
be sports-related, weather-related, or any other theme that the teacher intends the students to

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learn the idioms. This is a good way of teaching because it will enable the students to
comprehend the meanings of the different phrases and observe the familiarity that exists between
the different words.
In conjunction with the use of a theme, the teacher can also make use of pictures when teaching
the different idioms (Acara, 2013). Here, the teacher should provide a picture in the explanation
of the context of the idiom. This works best when the teacher uses pictures that humorously
show the literal meaning of the idiom. In this activity, the teacher can show the picture to the
students and ask them to guess the meaning of the idiom. The teacher should then provide
examples of when the idiom would be used and the differences that exist between the actual
meanings of the words and the meaning of the idiom.
Finally, to make sure that the students fully comprehend the idioms, form small groups in the
class and provide them with about ten idioms. Let the students guess what the idiom means then
have them look up the actual meanings. The students should then explain the meanings of the
idioms to the class, and they make use of the idioms in a short dialogue to make sure that they
fully understand the meaning.
Theoretical Assumptions That Underpin the Activity
Students especially in primary school levels lose interest or become distracted very first
especially when they are studying new concepts. This activity requires the students to be very
involved in the learning process. This therefore ensures that the students do not lose interest and
even enjoy the process which in turn leads to high levels of understanding (Acara, 2013). It also
involves the use of visual aids. This is also important because students may easily forget what
they have been taught, but if they were able to see the different objects, they are likely to

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remember he teachings in the future. Further, this activity involves the creation of dialogue
where the idiom is used. This in turn ensures that they gain an understanding of the concept and
as a result, they will not forget it.
Concusion
Students learning English as an additional language or dialect encounter many challenges in the
learning process and it is important for teachers to make the learning process easier and more
effective for them. They may have difficulty understanding statements that use humor,
vocabulary, onomatopoeia and other styles. To ensure that they understand these concepts it is
important for them to partake in different class activities. Therefore, proper teaching resources
should be put in place for these students to assist in their learning process and to ensure that they
benefit maximally from it.
References

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Acara (2013). English as an Additional Language or Dialect Teacher Resource Annotated
Content Descriptions English Foundation to Year 10.
Almurashi, A. (2016). An introduction to Halliday's systemic functional linguistics. Journal for
the study of English linguistic.
DECD (2014). Language and Literacy Levels Teaching Strategies. department of education and
child development.
DECD (2016). Language and Literacy Levels Teaching Strategies. department of education and
child development.
Derewianka, B. (2012). Knowledge about language in the Australian curriculum:
English. Journal of linguistics.
Derewianka, B. and Jones, P. (2010). From traditional grammar to functional grammar: bridging
the divide. FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES.
Halliday, m. And Matthiessen, c. (2010). an introduction to functional grammar. 3rd ed. new
york: Routledge.
hermans, t. (2017). Cross-Cultural transgressions; research models in translation studies two
historical and ideological issues. Routledge.
Lukin, A., Moore, A., Herke, M., and Wegener, R. (2011). Halliday's model of register revisited
and explored. Faculty of Law, Humanities and the Arts.
Martin, J. (2014). Evolving systemic functional linguistics: beyond the clause. Springer Open;
Functional Linguistics.
Martin, J. (2014). Evolving systemic functional linguistics: beyond the clause. Functional
Linguistics, 1(3).

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Mathiessen, C. (2014). Halliday's introduction to functional grammar. 4th ed. NewYork:
Routledge.
Systemic Functional Linguistics as applicable linguistics: social accountability and critical
approaches1
Tavernier, M. (2010). The syntax-semantics interface in systemic functional grammar: Halliday's
interpretation of the Hjelmslevian model of stratification. Journal of Pragmatics, 43(4).
Teruya, k., Matthiessen, c. And lam, m. (2010). key terms in systemic functional linguistics. new
york: continuum international publishing group.