There’s more than one way to skin a cat: Teaching novel idioms

Difficulties with interpretation of non-literal language (e.g., idioms, metaphors) have been reported in adults with brain injury and in second-language learners. This study compared the effectiveness of a traditional definition approach to teaching idioms with learning through supportive contexts. Six healthy older adults learned the meaning of 24 novel idioms; 12 were taught through definitions and the remaining 12 through supportive contexts. Results indicated that participants learned idioms equally well in both conditions, in both immediate and delayed recall. This provides support for the idea that a context-based strategy may be an effective method for teaching novel idioms