IDIOMATIC ENGLISH: ANIMAL AND COLOUR IDIOMS
учебно-методический материал (английский язык, 9 класс) по теме

An idiom by definition is a sequence of words which has a different meaning as a group from the meaning it would have if you understood each word separately. Idioms add colour to the language, helping us to emphasise meaning and to make our observations, judgements, and explanations lively and interesting. They are also very useful tools for communicating a great deal of meaning in just a few words.

In the English language idioms are used in a wide variety of contexts and situations. They are often used in spoken language, in situations that range from friendly conversations to business meetings.

Idioms are used in written English as well, especially in journalism where writers frequently use them to bring their stories to life.

Our aim in writing this very work was not, of course, to reflect the wide range of idioms that are being used in British and American English today as it is impossible within the format. This work is just focused on some kinds of idioms, namely “animal” and “colour” idioms. They are deemed to be essential for the students to learn and use at school. Some idioms with metaphorical meanings are fairly easy to understand, some are less obvious. All of them, including similes, were selected on the basis that they are phrases with pragmatic uses.

Students at the secondary school should be taught how to understand idioms and make their speech contain expressions that are natural to a native speaker of a language.

Apparently, the students’ ability to speak and write fluent and idiomatic English should be the teacher’s first concern.