VietTESOL International Convention 2025

Idioms play a crucial role in language competence and cultural significance. In Vietnam, however, idioms have significantly been underestimated by both the teachers and learners, particularly at the tertiary level. Previous studies found that Vietnamese teachers rely on rote memorization in teaching idioms, making the lessons ineffective and tedious. Etymological Elaboration, coined by Boers, Eyckmans, and Stengers in 2007, has emerged as a novel instructional approach to teaching idioms and idiomatic phrases. This method involves breaking down the components of an idiom, exploring its origin and history, and understanding its figurative meaning. This research investigated its effect on teaching idioms to Vietnamese students by conducting a mixed-method study, including idiom tests and interviews. The participants are 40 senior students in a local public school in Vietnam. They were students from two classes, which were likewise assigned as treatment group and control group. The treatment group received idioms with Etymological Elaboration, while the control group learned idioms by rote. Moreover, three local teachers were interviewed to understand their attitudes toward idiom teaching and etymological elaboration as an instructional method. The results revealed that Etymological Elaboration helped students learn and remember better than those who only learned by rote. Furthermore, the interviewees all expressed their positive perspectives on Etymological Elaboration. This new instructional method generally benefits learning, teaching, and motivating students.