Koceva, Biljana and Kuzmanovska, Dragana and Vitanova-Ringaceva, Ana and Ulanska, Darinka (2024) Using mythological idiomatic expressions in a foreig language classroom - bridging the past and the present. Proceedings of INTED 2024 Conference. pp. 4351-4357. ISSN 978-84-09-59215-9
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Abstract
Idioms are an integral part of our language and culture, enriching the way we communicate and allowing
us to express ideas figuratively. Despite using these expressions frequently without much thought, they
have fascinating stories behind them, often shrouded in myth and reality, making them all the more
intriguing. Therefore, learning idioms provides learners with a significant chance to acquire information
about the underlying parameters of a language.
This article aims to analyze the significant impact of using idioms in the process of teaching and learning
a foreign language. It is considered to be one of the most effective ways to provide students with better
conditions to improve their communicative skills in daily contexts. A team of researchers and students
from the Departments of Macedonian, Italian, and German Language and Literature at the Faculty of
Philology, University Goce Delcev in Stip, the Republic of North Macedonia, conducted a study on the
use and meaning of idioms of mythological origin in foreign language classes. The goal was to compare
their meanings and analyze their usage.
The research involved 40 students who worked in groups. The first phase was to identify idioms with
mythological origins in given texts, followed by researching the origins of the idioms and their meanings while
using available online resources. In the second phase, all students participated in an online workshop using
the Microsoft Teams platform where they presented the information they had gathered and compared it with
each other in Macedonian. This encouraged students to interact and discuss the differences and similarities
regarding the use of idioms across different languages. In the final phase of the research, the students were
required to use the idioms correctly in exercises previously prepared by the teachers.
These interactive activities helped the students to become cognizant of the meaning of the idioms that
were analyzed explicitly and connected to mythological characters and events while becoming
appreciative of their cultural heritage. The study concluded that the use of idioms with mythological
origins in foreign language classrooms not only improves students' proficiency but also raises their
cultural awareness.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | idioms, mythology, figurative language, foreign language |
| Subjects: | Humanities > Languages and literature |
| Divisions: | Faculty of Philology |
| Depositing User: | Dragana Kuzmanovska |
| Date Deposited: | 13 Mar 2024 08:49 |
| Last Modified: | 13 Mar 2024 08:49 |
| URI: | https://eprints.ugd.edu.mk/id/eprint/33851 |
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