Cat Got Your Tongue? Teaching Idioms to English Learners

Why do questions about idioms often leave us "tongue-tied" in our classrooms? This book takes a look at learning and teaching idioms from two perspectives. First is a survey of recent work on learning and teaching idioms from diverse perspectives in the linguistics and educational research literature. The survey includes definitions of idioms from theoretical and pedagogical literature, focusing in particular on cognitive, cross-linguistic, and social constructionist research. Second is a summary and critique of idiom textbooks and classroom practices from around the world.

Paul McPherron is an associate professor of English at Hunter College of the City University of New York (CUNY) where he also coordinates the ESL program. He is a socio/applied linguist whose research interests involve questions about English language learning and teaching in relation to identity, globalization, and teaching policies. Patrick T RandolphPatrick T. Randolph has taught English language learners for the past 18 years, specializing in creative and academic writing, speech, debate, and drama. His research interests include applying recent findings in neuroscience to the language classroom. Patrick lives in the upper Midwest with his soul-inspiring wife, Gamze; his cheerfully bilingual daughter, Aylene; and his wise, comical cat, Gable.