Teaching idiomatic expressions. A comparison of two instructional methods

Area of Science:

• Linguistics
• Education
• Audiology

Background:

• Idiomatic expressions pose challenges for hearing-impaired students.
• Effective instructional methods are crucial for language acquisition in deaf education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the efficacy of videotape presentations versus classroom discussions for teaching idiomatic expressions to hearing-impaired adolescents.
• To assess the long-term retention of learned idiomatic expressions.

Main Methods:

• Twenty hearing-impaired adolescents (ages 13-16) were randomly assigned to either a videotape or classroom discussion group.
• Instruction involved 16 idiomatic expressions presented via captioned videotapes or extended discussions.
• Student understanding and retention were assessed post-instruction and at 8 and 16 weeks.

Main Results:

• Both groups showed significant improvement in idiom understanding.
• The videotape group demonstrated significantly greater improvement compared to the discussion-only group.
• Knowledge of idioms was retained by students at both 8 and 16-week follow-ups.

Conclusions:

• Videotape-based instruction is a more effective method for teaching idiomatic expressions to hearing-impaired students.
• This approach enhances both immediate learning and long-term retention of figurative language.
• Educational technology can significantly benefit language development in deaf education settings.