Idiom Comprehension using Multimodal Teaching Approach among Zanzibar University Students

Abstract

The present study aims at investigating idiom comprehension through multimodal teaching approach among Zanzibar University students. The participants of the study were 120 male and female students and selected randomly. All of the students speak Swahili as their first language. The participants enrolled in a 3-year English program at the Department of Languages, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Zanzibar University, divided into two groups, the control and experimental groups. There were 60 students in each group with an age range between 20 to 30. Both groups were presented with the same twenty English idioms through different methods. The control group was advised to review the list of idioms using a traditional method, while the experimental group was presented with the idioms using a multimodal teaching approach. An idiom comprehension test was administered to both groups. The results showed that from a comparative t-test indicated that the students taught idioms comprehension using multimodal method had recorded a higher mean score (37.7) as compared to the use of a traditional method of teaching of idioms (25.55). This implies that to increase EFL/ESL students’ proficiency in idiom comprehension, teachers should implement more multimodal activities in the classroom so that the students will have better opportunities in comprehending and applying idioms. The study provides pedagogical suggestions for using a multimodal approach to teaching English idioms.