Knowledge Of Idioms Research Articles

Type-migrating C-to-Rust translation using a large language model

Rust, a modern system programming language, introduces new types that prevent memory bugs and data races. This makes translating legacy system programs from C to Rust a promising approach to enhance their reliability. Since manual code translation is time-consuming, it is desirable to automate the translation. To yield satisfactory results, the translator should have the ability to perform type migration, i.e., removing C types and introducing Rust types in the code. In this work, we aim to automatically port an entire C program to Rust by translating each C function to a Rust function with a signature containing proper Rust types through type migration. This goal is challenging because (1) type migration cannot be achieved through syntactic mappings between type names, and (2) after type migration, function bodies should be correctly restructured based on the precise understanding of the functions’ behavior. To address these difficulties, we leverage large language models (LLMs), which possess knowledge of program semantics and programming idioms. However, naïvely instructing LLMs to translate each function produces unsatisfactory Rust code, containing unmigrated or improperly migrated types and a huge number of type errors. To resolve these issues, we propose three techniques: (1) generating candidate signatures, (2) providing translated callees’ signatures to LLMs, and (3) iteratively fixing type errors using compiler feedback. Our evaluation shows that the proposed approach yields a 63.5% increase in migrated types and a 71.5% decrease in type errors compared to the baseline (the naïve LLM-based translation) with modest performance overhead.

The influence of cross-language similarity and transparency on idiom knowledge in non-immersed L2 speakers

Idioms are frequently used by native speakers but pose challenges for L2 learners. In this study, we aimed to identify the key psycholinguistic properties that predict L2 idiom knowledge among non-immersed speakers. A total of 53 Chilean L2 English speakers participated in an online idiom knowledge test, requiring them to recognize the figurative meanings of 99 English idioms and rate their transparency. The results showed that cross-language similarity and transparency, in conjunction with familiarity, significantly predicted L2 idiom knowledge. Conversely, literal plausibility, decomposability, frequency, and predictability did not significantly impact L2 idiom knowledge. Our findings support the Parasitic Hypothesis of vocabulary development and suggest that non-immersed L2 learners heavily rely on their L1 lexical and conceptual networks. The study underscores the importance of semantic transparency and cross-language similarity in L2 idiom acquisition, particularly for learners in non-immersive environments. Our findings advocate for a proficiency-tailored ESL instruction approach. Initially, focus on teaching transparent idioms and those similar to the learners' native language for better comprehension and retention. As proficiency increases, gradually introduce idioms without cross-language parallels to enhance comprehensive linguistic mastery. This approach offers practical insights for language education and applied linguistics.

Introduction to Story Telling as A Media to Improve English Learning at SMP Negeri 1 Aluh-aluh

This community service activity aims to introduce the story telling to the teachers and students at SMP Negeri 1 Aluh-aluh as a teaching media to improve English learning. Story telling is a good and complex teaching media for teaching skills in English. Among the benefits of using story telling include: sharpening writing, reading, speaking and listening skills in English, enriching vocabulary, phrases and knowledge of English idioms and proverbs, practicing public speaking skills as well as pronunciation, increasing self-confidence in English and studying various aspects of life contained in stories. The implementation of this community service activity uses the socialization method on how to use story telling in learning, direct teaching practice using story telling, and giving prizes as a form of motivation for students who are able to demonstrate story telling. The conclusion from this service activity is that this service activity ran smoothly and had a positive impact on teachers and students at SMP Negeri 1 Aluh-aluh. Teachers and students can start practicing using story telling media after this community service is carried out.

Teaching English as a Foreign Language in Higher Education using flipped learning/flipped classrooms: a literature review

ABSTRACT Purpose: We systematically reviewed the empirical literature that reports research in the specific context of teaching EFL to identify what is known about the efficacy of using flipped learning to teach EFL, the robustness of this evidence, and to explicate the strengths and weaknesses of the pedagogy in teaching EFL. Design/methodology/approach: Adapting the systematic literature review method and combining it with content analysis of qualitative findings we narrowed our search to 40 articles that were primary studies. Findings and originality: The majority of authors examined student perceptions of their learning; one third investigated the use of flipped learning on the acquisition and development of EFL knowledge, skills and abilities. That students like learning in a flipped learning environment is the strongest finding emerging; many linking it to the facilitation of self regulated learning behaviors. However, research evidence for flipped learning’s contribution to important educational outcomes is not robust and this remains a problem for understanding where or how to target the impact or value of this pedagogy. Nonetheless, other encouraging findings include that using flipped learning to teach EFL was linked to its capacity to improve idiomatic knowledge, oral and writing performance, motivation, and higher order thinking skills. Future research should focus on improving research design and reporting for flipped learning interventions, and focus on investigating key EFL learning skills particularly reading which is comparatively understudied despite its importance to language acquisition. Value: The results clarify for educators that flipped learning’s capacity to influence the acquisition of key learning skills remains largely unproven.

The Effect of Multimedia on L2 Idiom Learning: Using Instructional Humorous Videos with Saudi Female EFL Undergraduate Learners

Learning formulaic language, such as idioms, is considered one of the greatest difficulties encountered by EFL learners. The aim of the present study is twofold: first, to examine the effect of using humorous videos on learners’ ability to understand and remember English idioms; second, to investigate students’ attitudes towards learning idioms through humorous videos as a multimedia instructional method. The sample of this study consisted of 50 Saudi female EFL undergraduate learners in the English department at Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, Saudi Arabia. The participants were divided into two groups of 25 students; an experimental group and a control group. The data of the study was collected via three research instruments: pre-test, immediate and delayed post-tests, and an attitudinal questionnaire. A pre-test was given to both groups at the beginning of the study to ensure that they were equivalent. Proceeding this, the experimental group was instructed using humorous videos, while the control group was instructed in the traditional method. Finally, both groups underwent post-tests to measure the performance effects on two levels of idiomatic knowledge: recall and transfer. Results showed that there was a statistically significant difference between the performance of the experimental group and the control group; indicating a positive effect on the experimental group’s recall and transfer. Thus, the study concludes that the use of humorous videos appears to improve learners’ ability to understand and remember English idioms, in addition to indicating that learners hold a positive attitude towards learning idioms through humorous videos as a multimedia instructional method.

Foreign language vocabulary development: media–driven learning in the informal context

This study explored the impact of informal learning on the acquisition of English idioms, operating under the assumption that idioms’ relatedness to lexicon makes the acquisition of idioms less associated with formal English as a foreign language (EFL) teaching, which tends to primarily focus on teaching grammar. The primary goal of this study was to evaluate the effects of informal learning on the acquisition of English idioms in view of everyday exposure to English through various media. The study was conducted on the students of preschool and teacher education studies (N=88; University of Zadar), and it incorporated a brief questionnaire regarding their habits when it comes to watching films, playing videogames, the use of social media etc., as well as a test containing 60 multiple–choice questions with examples of various English idioms. Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that the best predictor for the knowledge of English idioms is the frequency of listening to English and American music, while other significant predictors were the frequency of watching YouTube videos with foreign content, the frequency of playing videogames, the grades achieved in English language–teaching classes throughout high school and the scores on the English–language tests administered at the end of the first semester at the university; the total predictive value of the examined variables was surprisingly high (R2=0.612). Aside from discussing the implications of these results, the paper also reflects upon the fact that the frequency of watching English and American movies/TV shows turned out to be a negative predictor despite the positive correlation with the overall results on the test, as well as on the fact that the frequency of using social networks had no impact on the acquisition of English idioms whatsoever

A special case of anthroponyms-giving based on idiotisms in Ewe: examination of language facts in the creation of proper names of persons and their semantic interpretations

This study concerns onomastics and focuses on a particular aspect of the attribution of anthroponyms among the Ewe people. Its objective is to attest that among the Ewe there are anthroponyms based on idiomatic phrases and, then, to show the necessary measures for their semantic interpretations. Speaking of idioms in this work means to highlight the phrases or expressions specific to Ewe language that can be used as proper nouns of persons. We point out in passing that idioms are fixed forms of discourse specific to a given language. After a general overview of the possible meanings of idioms according to different points of view of the authors, the research focused on the cases of their use in the anthroponyms-giving process among the Ewe. This work has revealed that to understand the meaning of the anthroponyms created on the basis of idioms, the researcher must first know these Ewe idioms, in their primary form, since their interpretation still does not illustrate exactly what they may signify in another language. The semantic interpretation of the anthroponym based on an idiom does not depend on the addition of the meanings of the lexemes composing it taken separately, but rather on all the items considered as a whole. The meaning always depends on the prior knowledge of idioms in the language. This amounts to saying that the assortment of lexemes forming an idiom in the creation of an Ewe anthroponym is a conglomeration of items falling back on a specific meaning already stabilized in the language. As a result, these anthroponyms have a denoted meaning in Ewe and to understand them it is therefore necessary to learn the idioms of the language. The results of the study revealed to us that there is a plethora of anthroponyms created on the basis of idioms among the Ewe The theoretical framework of reference for this research is mainly based on the theory of the naming function and particularly that of the degree of referential strength of the proper name as defined by Kleiber (1981 and 1984) for the semantic interpretation of the proper names of persons.

Old Dogs and New Tricks: Assessing Idiom Knowledge Amongst Native Speakers of Different Ages

Idioms, along with other formulaic multiword phrases, represent a substantial part of vocabulary knowledge. This study investigates how idiom knowledge develops through the adult lifespan, comparing familiarity and transparency ratings for a large set of common English idioms. A total of 237 participants, ranging from 18 to 77 years old, collectively rated 200 idioms. They also completed a short single-word vocabulary test and provided information about their educational background. Results showed a clear increase in idiom and single-word knowledge throughout the lifespan. For idioms, this represented a jump from the youngest age-group, then a steady increase from the age of around 25 onward. Single word vocabulary knowledge increased more evenly as a function of age. Perceptions of transparency were not affected in the same way. I discuss what these results suggest about the development of vocabulary through the lifespan.

Distance education project of English idioms learning from watching YouTube.

Idioms have been recognized to be commonly adopted by academic practitioners in their speech and writing. However, despite their common occurrence in English communication, idioms pose great challenges for non-native English speakers, as they are often ignored in English classrooms. Particularly in Vietnam, a minimal number of idioms appear in English textbooks published by the Ministry of Education, and teachers appeared to under-emphasize English idioms' usefulness in conversation. To fill the gap, the present study adopted YouTube for Vietnamese students to undertake supplementary learning of English idiom knowledge. The study recruited 34 students and randomly assigned them to a control group and an experimental group. Both groups were required to take notes during their watching. Yet, only the experimental group would take extra exercises at the end of their watching. Immediate post-tests, delayed post-tests, and a survey were conducted. The findings demonstrate that the students in the two groups retained idiom knowledge similarly well. They were also positive towards learning English idioms through YouTube. Pedagogical implications and research suggestions are provided to conclude the study.

PECULIARITIES OF THE REPRODUCTION OF IDIOMS IN MULTIPLE UKRAINIAN TRANSLATIONS

The purpose of scientific research is to investigate the appropriateness of using translation transformations for the adequate reproduction of idioms in multiple Ukrainian translations of the same literary work in order to compare and identify isomorphic and allomorphic features in the compared Ukrainian translations by M. Rudnytsky, D. Radienko and O. Andriyash. Since idioms present certain difficulties in reproducing their structure, semantics and functioning in a literary discourse, a number of Ukrainian translators used adequate translation techniques differently in order to preserve the original style of the novel under analysis. Despite numerous differences in Ukrainian translations, each of the translators tried to convey the peculiarities of the use of idioms for giving a Ukrainian reader a vivid description of literary characters, their actions, feelings, depicting events and phenomena by means of selecting accurate idiomatic expressions. The methodological basis of the study were methods of analysis and comparison which allowed us to select and find similarities and differences in depicting the author’s individual style, to compare systems of social stereotypes of that era and its reproduction in multiple Ukrainian translations. The novel ‘Wuthering Heights’ by the British writer Emily Brontë was chosen for analysis not by chance, because its translation was done by translators at different times from the moment of writing the original, so one of the research methods was to compare the selected translation strategies, techniques and methods used for revealing the meanings of idioms to a Ukrainian reader. The analysis show that Ukrainian translators in the process of translating idioms often resorted to the following basic translation strategies: paraphrasing, choosing the adequate Ukrainian analogues with similar meanings and forms, literal translation, the complete omission of idioms in the translation or revealing the idiomatic meanings in other ways. The analysis of the idioms selected from Emily Bronte's novel ‘Wuthering Heights’ showed that choosing an adequate translation strategy required the considerable knowledge of idioms, their structural and semantic peculiarities, linguistic erudition and translation skills. The study of idioms with a color component can serve as a prospect for further research.

“Хүн” ойлголт өвөрмөц хэллэгт илрэх нь

In this paper, written in the spirit of anthropological linguistics paradigm of anthropocentrism is used as a principle of research "in the language of man ', and more specifically man in phraseology. Idioms, being a special and indivisible part of a language, are the crystallization of anthropology. With the development of globalization, idioms play an increasingly important role in spreading national culture. Due to its special and close relationship with culture, idioms are very difficult to learn. In view of the difficulty in and significance of idiom learning, due attention and efforts should be given to the cultural comparison and contrast between Mongolian, Russian and English idioms. By introducing the knowledge of idioms, the article analyzes idioms as a topic to be studied in anthropology. It starts with an introduction which includes basic knowledge of idioms. Meanwhile, many examples are cited to illustrate.

Problems of Differentiation of Components of Phraseological Synonymy in the Ingush Language

This article examines the synonymy of phraseological units of the Ingush language as one of the types of systemic relations. The choice of the chosen problem is dictated by insufficient knowledge of idioms associated with synonymous categorical relations in this field of knowledge. On the basis of the component analysis of the units of the synonymic series, phraseological units that enter into the relations of synonymy are analyzed. The relevance of this study lies in the fact that in Ingush phraseology, phraseological synonymic relations are insufficiently studied, the types of phraseological synonymy according to semantic and stylistic principles are not covered. The author examines in detail one of the types of systemic relations – synonymy of phraseological units of the Ingush language, which have not been the subject of special study in works on phraseology. The main conclusions of the study are that phraseological synonyms are united by a common meaning and, at the same time, differ in semantic shades and images, belong to the same grammatical class, combine structural, semantic, stylistic characteristics in the process of functioning. We are interested in the interpretation of synonymous relations between phraseological units of various types in the Ingush language. The article attempts to determine the scope of the concept of a phraseological synonym in the Ingush language and to identify the characteristic features of the functioning of idioms as part of a synonymic series; to systematize the types of phraseological synonymy on semantic and stylistic grounds; to consider the characteristic features of the functioning of idioms as part of a synonymic series.

The Impact of Using Short Films on Learning Idioms in EFL Classes

Having a good command of idioms of a foreign language is regarded as an important element in mastering that language. However, due to their opaque nature, extracting idioms’ figurative meaning appears to be a challenging endeavor for most foreign language learners. Grounded in the cognitive theory of multimedia learning, this study aimed to investigate the extent to which using short films has an impact on Saudi EFL learners’ receptive knowledge of idioms. Data were collected from 84 female undergraduate students at a university in Saudi Arabia using a pre- and post-test, a questionnaire, and a semi-structured interview. The findings revealed that the participants in the short films group significantly outperformed their counterparts in the blogger group. Moreover, the findings also showed that the participants had positive attitudes toward using short films to study idioms. In attempting to tackle the issue of how English idioms can be learned and taught effectively in the language classroom, the research findings provide helpful insights for both EFL teachers, learners, and curriculum designers. It is recommended for English teachers to become more acquainted with and adopt more flexible and engaging pedagogical methods such as short films in teaching idiomatic expressions to their learners. Employing short films as a complementary teaching material can further ease the burden of idiom learning and create a more motivating and engaging learning environment for the learner.

The Role of Salience and Common Grounds in Intercultural Communication: A Descriptive Study

Jokes are specific discourses that contain cultural, historical and region-specific references. In order to understand the salience of these discourses, the common ground of interlocutors is significantly important. The current study explores how non-natives English speakers comprehend English jokes. In addition, it aims to know the difficulties and the lexical issues encountered by Pakhtoon and Sindhi participants in interpreting English jokes. The researchers used a mixed-method approach for this study. The population of this study includes Pakhtoon and Sindhi undergraduate students.A sample of 20 students was selected and two types of tools were used to check the English jokes comprehension skills of participants. The socio-cognitive approach is used as a theoretical framework and the results of quantitative data were presented with the help of pie charts. Results of this study show that ethnic, religious, racial, and jokes having historic references are difficult to understand. Individuals' social knowledge of English culture is important for comprehending English jokes. Knowledge of semantic expressions, ample knowledge and wisdom of culture-specific words and idioms are important for identifying the salience aspects of English jokes.

Assessing the Effects of Gamification on Developing EFL Learners’ Idiomatic Knowledge: Do Attitudinal Factors Contribute to the Learning of the Idioms with the Game?

Regarding the attractiveness of educational games for EFL learners, the present research intended to investigate the effects of gamification on improving Iranian EFL learners’ idiomatic knowledge. In addition, the current research examined the attitudes of Iranian EFL learners towards using gamification in English learning in the Iranian EFL context. Firstly, to carry out this research, the researchers administered the Oxford Quick Placement Test (OQPT) to 84 Iranian EFL learners and selected 50 upper-intermediate participants. Secondly, they divided the selected participants into an experimental group (EG) and a control group (CG). Thirdly, the researchers gave an idiom pretest to the participants of both groups to assess their idiomatic knowledge before starting the treatment. Fourthly, the EG was taught the new idioms using game-based instruction, while the CG received traditional idiom instruction. Following the instruction of 70 idioms to both groups, the participants received an idiom posttest to determine the influence of the treatment on their idiomatic knowledge. The EG was then provided an attitude questionnaire, and 15 members of the EG were interviewed as a result of the questionnaire. In the idiom posttest, the data were evaluated using paired samples and independent samples t -tests, and the findings revealed that the EG performed significantly better than the CG on the posttest of idioms. In fact, gamification helped EFL learners develop their idiomatic knowledge. The results indicated that Iranian EFL learners presented positive attitudes toward gamification in learning English idioms. In addition, the results revealed that enjoyment, fun, reducing anxiety, involvement, and immediate feedback were the factors that the students mentioned for the instructional games. The implications of this research can encourage English teachers to implement different educational games in their teaching.

The Development of Formulaic Knowledge in Super-Advanced Chinese Language Learners: Evidence From Processing Accuracy, Speed, and Strategies

The study examined the development of Chinese as a second language learners’ formulaic knowledge through comparing the processing of Chinese idioms versus non-idiomatic formulaic sequences (FSs) by advanced-level learners (ALs), super-advanced learners (SLs), and native speakers (NSs). Using two phrase acceptability judgment tasks with and without think-aloud protocols, we collected data on participants’ processing accuracy, processing speed, and processing strategies of reading the two types of FSs. Four processing patterns emerged from the analyses of the datasets. First, learners’ processing accuracy and speed increased along with their proficiency. Second, learners’ idiom processing ability was generally lower than that of non-idiom processing ability, but they demonstrated an improving trend as their proficiency level increased. Third, learners’ use of processing strategies did not change much as proficiency rose and demonstrated a categorical difference from NSs. Fourth, all three groups exhibited poorer productive idiom knowledge than productive non-idiom knowledge. The overall findings denote that second language learners’ formulaic knowledge can evolve beyond the lexical plateau as learners move from the advanced to a higher proficiency level, but the productive idiom knowledge can be a long-term problem. The findings provide implications for measuring and teaching Chinese formulaic knowledge at the higher-than-advanced stage.

Knowledge of idiomatic expressions in the native language: Do emigrants lose their touch?

Two studies are presented that investigated whether and to what extent emigration affects the knowledge of idiomatic expressions in the native language. Data on Dutch emigrant idiom knowledge were compared to data on idiom knowledge from two groups of Dutch non-emigrants differing in age. Research questions addressed a) possible differences in idiom knowledge between emigrants and non-emigrants, b) the effect of idiom properties such as familiarity and transparency on idiom knowledge in emigrants and non-emigrants and c) the effect of participant characteristics such as emigration length, use of Dutch, and age on idiom knowledge. The results show that a) when possible effects of age are minimized, only a small difference in idiom knowledge emerges between emigrants and non-emigrants; b) familiarity and transparency positively affect idiom knowledge in both groups and c) idiom knowledge of older non-emigrants is better than that of younger non-emigrants, while for emigrants a facilitatory effect of age is absent. We argue that this effect might have been obscured by that of emigration length, which has a negative effect on idiom knowledge. We discuss the results with respect to those of previous studies and suggest possible avenues for future research.

The Role of the Legal Idioms in the Teaching of English to Law Students

The article deals with the most common English legal idioms, gives their lexical meaning and peculiarities of usage. The author also shows the history of origin of some legal English Idioms, that constitute a significant part of professional vocabulary, demonstrating the rich, original and unique nature of language, so one of the aims of the article is to prove that knowledge of idioms contributes significantly to the vocabulary of law students, thereby facilitating the formation of their secondary linguistic personality. The author points out that the knowledge of English idioms helps students to develop important skills of analysis, inference and deduction, as well as promotes interest in the artistic possibilities of language.The article attempts to classify the most popular English legal idioms according to their subject matter, which makes it easier for students to find the necessary lexical units for successful and productive foreign language communication. Based on the research performed, it can be stated that English idioms based on legal terms are quite numerous and appropriate in informal communication situations. The author also provides recommendations for law students studying English legal idioms.

NS and NNS processing of idioms and nonidiom formulaic sequences: What can reaction times and think-alouds tell us?

AbstractAlthough researchers generally agree that native speakers (NSs) process formulaic sequences (FSs) holistically to some extent, findings about nonnative speakers (NNSs) are conflicting, potentially because not all FSs are psychologically equal or because in some studies NNSs may not have fully understood the FSs. We address these issues by investigating Chinese NSs and NNSs processing of idioms and matched nonidiom FSs in phrase acceptability judgment tasks with and without think-alouds (TAs). Reaction times show that NSs processed idioms faster than nonidioms regardless of length, but NNSs processed 3-character FSs faster than 4-character FSs regardless of type. TAs show NSs’ understanding of FSs has reached ceiling, but NNSs’ understanding was incomplete, with idioms being understood more poorly than nonidioms. Although we conclude that idioms and nonidioms have different mental statuses in NSs’ lexicons, it is inconclusive how they are represented by NNSs. TAs also show that NNSs employed various strategies to compensate for limited idiom knowledge, causing comparable processing speed for idioms and nonidioms. The findings highlight the importance of distinguishing subtypes of FSs and considering NNSs’ quality of understanding in discussions of the psychological reality of FSs.

Idiomatic Knowledge and Attitudes toward Idiom Learning: A Case of Kuwaiti EFL College Students

The study attempts to determine if idiomatic knowledge has an influence on students’ attitudes toward learning English idioms. Primarily, the study seeks to uncover if idiomatic knowledge affects Kuwaiti EFL undergraduate college students’ attitudes toward (1) the importance of idiom learning, (2) the difficulties of idiom learning and (3) learning strategies for idioms. Results showed that students had positive attitudes toward English idiom learning. Significant differences in the results were obtained for students’ knowledge of idioms. Keywords: Idiom learning, EFL students’ attitudes, idiomatic knowledge DOI: 10.7176/JEP/12-27-09 Publication date: September 30 th 2021