Teaching and learning of idiomatic expressions and multi-word verbs of English in the context of Sudan

Abstract

This study is intended to examine the teaching and learning of idiomatic expressions and multi-word verbs of English in the context of Sudan. It arises out of a deep and prolonged dissatisfaction which the researcher has felt with both the past and present status of teaching / learning of these multi-word lexical items in the context of Sudan. Our main objective, in this research, is, therefore, to provide those engaged in English Language teaching and learning in Sudan with the suitable means for preempting and solving the problems and difficulties of teaching and learning idiomatic expressions and multi-word verbs of English. The following general and interrelated questions have been formulated on the basis of the hypotheses of this study: a. What are exactly the problems / difficulties facing the teaching / learning of idiomatic expressions and multi-word verbs in the context of Sudan? b. What are the possible causes of these problems / difficulties? c. How to solve these problems and eliminate these difficulties? In order to test our hypotheses and answer the associated questions, two questionnaires were distributed for the teachers of English and the students in Sudan universities. This was followed up with an experiment in which 100 Sudanese university students at the 3rd level were given a course of explicit instruction on idiomatic expressions and multi-word verbs of English for months, including a pre-test as well as a post-test. In analysing the data quantitatively, I have used the percentage statistics known otherwise as the relative frequency.