{"id":3541,"date":"2019-04-05T14:47:09","date_gmt":"2019-04-05T14:47:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.linguaholidays.com\/non-categorizzato\/learning-english-idioms\/"},"modified":"2019-11-08T17:29:02","modified_gmt":"2019-11-08T17:29:02","slug":"learning-english-idioms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.linguaholidays.com\/it\/imparare-inglese-it\/learning-english-idioms\/","title":{"rendered":"Learning English idioms"},"content":{"rendered":"

Every cloud has a silver lining<\/em> – or has it? Getting to grips with idioms is probably the hardest part of learning any language and English idioms are no exception. Forget everything you\u2019ve learnt about translating \u2013 these phrases are all about figurative rather than literal meaning. However, with hundreds, if not thousands, of English language idioms, where do you start?<\/h2>\n

How to learn idioms<\/h4>\n

The first step is to understand that you simply don\u2019t need to know all of them. They are used a lot, but they need to be absorbed gradually. Just like vocabulary, sitting down and trying to learn a long list of idioms is unlikely to work. It\u2019s better to pick up one or two at a time, listen out for them in other people\u2019s speech and try to use them when the opportunity arises.<\/p>\n

Keeping an Idioms diary is another useful tool. Jot down any new idioms you hear, double-check their meaning and practise writing or saying them to help imprint them on your brain.<\/p>\n

Create visual images<\/h4>\n

If you manage to see the idiom in your mind, you have a far better chance of remembering it. Take these idioms and see if you can picture them:<\/p>\n

\u2018Let your hair down\u2019<\/em>: to relax and do what you want, eg you\u2019ve been studying so hard, you really need to just let your hair down<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\u2018Fish out of water\u2019<\/em>: to feel uncomfortable in unfamiliar surroundings, eg as soon as he walked into the fancy-dress party, he felt like a fish out of water.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Learn
Do you ever feel like a fish out of water?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Why use idioms?<\/h4>\n

They may not be easy to master but they will certainly make your English sound much more authentic. They also introduce colour and energy into your speech. Take a look at the following idioms connected to emotion and decide for yourself how effective they are at creating a mental image:<\/p>\n

\u2018Bare your heart<\/em> (or soul<\/em>) to someone<\/em>\u2019. If you bare your heart<\/em> (or soul<\/em>) to someone, you reveal your innermost thoughts and feelings to them, eg he couldn\u2019t keep it quiet any longer \u2013 he decided to bare his soul<\/strong> to his closest friend.<\/p>\n

\u2018Come apart at the seams\u2019<\/em>. To feel extremely upset or under great mental stress, eg After her mother died and her business failed, she felt she was coming apart at the seams<\/strong>\u2019.<\/p>\n

When to use idioms<\/h4>\n

Remember that idioms are mostly used when speaking informally. You will certainly find them in newspaper or magazine articles, but it\u2019s best to avoid them in any academic writing.\u00a0 Business language, however, is full of idioms. Some of the most common include:<\/p>\n

\u2018In a nutshell\u2019<\/em> \u2013 using as few words as possible, eg in a nutshell<\/strong>, we have 3 months to deliver the goods.<\/p>\n

\u2018On\u00a0the same page\u2019 <\/em>– to be in agreement about something eg let\u2019s discuss the contract to make sure we\u2019re on the same page.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2018Big picture\u2019 \u2013 <\/em>everything involved in a particular situation eg we\u2019ve spent so long working on the smaller aspects of this project that we\u2019ve lost sight of the big picture.\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

‘Put all your eggs in one basket’ –\u00a0<\/em>put all your effort and resources into doing one thing eg we need to diversify rather than putting all our eggs in one basket.’<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Learn
Be careful not to put all your eggs in one basket!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Understanding British culture<\/h4>\n

Lastly, understanding and using English idioms will give you a much better insight into British culture. Probably the best example of this is the idiom<\/p>\n

\u2018Best thing since sliced bread\u2019<\/em> \u2013 a good invention, idea or plan eg this new kitchen gadget is the best thing since sliced bread.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Of course, while idiom diaries, reading and listening to podcasts are invaluable, there\u2019s no substitute for actually spending time in the UK. With Lingua Holidays, you can holiday in London and benefit from private English lessons in your apartment. So what are you waiting for? We wouldn\u2019t want you to miss the boat<\/strong> \u2026.<\/p>\n

\"English
Don’t miss the boat!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Every cloud has a silver lining – or has it? Getting to grips with idioms is probably the hardest part of learning any language and English idioms are no exception. Forget everything you\u2019ve learnt about translating \u2013 these phrases are all about figurative rather than literal meaning. However, with hundreds, if not thousands, of English […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[171],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3541","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-imparare-inglese-it"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nLearning English idioms - Lingua Holidays<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linguaholidays.com\/it\/imparare-inglese-it\/learning-english-idioms\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"it_IT\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Learning English idioms - Lingua Holidays\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Every cloud has a silver lining – or has it? 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