Examining EFL learners' notions of learning English idioms

Idioms function as single units in semantically and syntactically restricted word sequences. Considered among deceptive transparent words, idioms in an L2 can be challenging to learn and retain due to a variety of reasons, such as their figurative nature of usage, inadequacy in understanding their sense that stems from their literal meaning, discourse features, and cultural background. This study aimed to investigate EFL learners' notions of learning English idioms. A total of eighty EFL learners with Turkish L1 background participated in the study. Based on a mixed method design, a 27-item questionnaire was applied and statistical analysis for quantitative data and thematic analysis for qualitative responses were utilized in the study. The results showed that learning idioms is regarded as a crucial part of understanding the figurative language in English. To accomplish this, it was appointed that learners needed a variety of activities supported by contextual and authentic use of language. The results also showed that the congruence of idioms across two languages, the visual aids, specific learning strategies may help them retain idioms in English. The study also offers related implications to eliminate challenges in learning idiomatic phrases in an L2.