Teachers’ Beliefs about Teaching Idiomatic Expressions: The Case of Iranian EFL Learners

Abstract

The pervading use  of  idiomatic  expressions in  authentic  input, their frequency in the English language and the increasing difficulties that learners experience with this type of language are  compelling  reasons  that made idioms an  integral  part  of vocabulary learning. To solve learners’ problems regarding idiomatic expressions, first a need analysis is required. In order to reach this purpose a questionnaire was given to sixty EFL teachers in the universities of Iran to see what the problems of learning idiomatic expressions and their causes are. This study analyzed teaching and learning of idioms in the context of English as a Foreign Language (EFL). In the current study the problematic parts of the educational system, teachers’ methodology, materials and the students’ approaches toward learning idiomatic expressions were detected.