The present study investigated the effects of various instructional methods on learners’ retention of idioms, as well as their interaction with idiom type and task in the Korean EFL classroom. 39 participants were divided into three groups, each taught idioms using a different method. One group was provided with Korean translations along with sentences showing the idioms in context. A second group received the same instruction, but was provided with etymological explanations of the idioms, and a third group with visual cues. Each group was taught twenty idioms (ten decomposable and ten nondecomposable) over a 5-week period. A post-test was administered to each group which consisted of writing the definition of the idioms and filling in blanks of sentences. A mixed ANOVA revealed that overall, participants performed significantly better on nondecomposable idioms and on the definition task. However, the instructional method was not found to be statistically significant. Regardless of the type of instruction the groups received, none of the groups outperformed the other in overall idiom retention, remembering decomposable or nondecomposable idioms better, or task type.
Katharine Y. Cho (Sun,) studied this question.