Date of Award

2-1-2015

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Educational Leadership

First Advisor

Dr. Kay A. Keiser

Abstract

The purpose of this pretest/posttest quasi-experimental study was to explore the strategies English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students use on understanding the meanings of idioms both in oral and written submissions. The study also investigated the strategies on comprehending the meaning of idioms and improving idiomatic vocabularies in the language learning processes to both English teachers and students. Further, the study began to identify the criteria of idiom and idiom-understanding aspects so that the identified EFL students will be able to guess and become familiar with frequently used idioms and their desired contexts. Omani university students in English 101 comprised the experimental (n=30) and control (n=30) groups. Both groups were exposed to the same curriculum and set of idioms. The experimental group received direct instructions: (pictures, videos and discussions) while learning idioms and the control group received traditional methods in learning idioms: lecturing. Students completed the Inference Task Al-­‐hassan, Haidar (2007)as pretest and posttest. Results indicated that Direct Instruction of idioms provided significant improvement of student performance on the Interference Task. Given the study outcomes, teachers of English as a foreign language would benefit from incorporating visual aids and active discussions which will automatically support specific common idioms. Direct instructions such as designing a daily plan to have the idiom of the day posted in the students’ walls may significantly increase students' comprehension.

Comments

A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate College of the University of Nebraska for the Requirements of the Degree Doctor of Education. Copyright 2015 Khalid Almashikhi.

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