Teaching Business English idioms through visuals

Abstract

Idioms – non-literal, metaphorical phrases – are integral components of any language acquisition. Many English language learners consider Business English idioms to be rather difficult to grasp, so try to avoid them wherever possible. However, due to the importance of Business English idioms in everyday exchanges, researchers are constantly in search of more effective ways to present, practise, and produce them. This study seeks to highlight the importance of using visuals – namely pictures and video clips – in teaching Business English idioms. 40 Economics faculty students at the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv (Ukraine) who had attained an upper-intermediate level of English proficiency (according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) took part in the experiment. The data was collected during the experiment, then analysed by means of descriptive statistics. The results confirmed that pictures are more effective than video clips in terms of Business English idiom recognition and retention. The findings of the study may have both theoretical and didactic implications for scholars, textbook authors, curriculum developers, teachers, and Business English learners themselves.