Available online at www.ejal.

info
http://dx.doi.org/10.32601/ejal.901004
Eurasian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 9(1) (2023) 35-47

Factors Affecting the Learning of English Proverbs

and Idioms of English-Majored Students at University
of Khanh Hoa, Vietnam

Vo Tu Phuong*

University of Khanh Hoa

01 Nguyen Chanh Street, Loc Tho Ward, Nha Trang City, Khanh Hoa Province, Vietnam
Email: votuphuong@ukh.edu.vn
Phone: +84 366631871

Received 10 November 2022|Received in revised form 11 January 2023|Accepted 13 February 2023

APA Citation:
Phuong, K., H. (2023). Factors Affecting the Learning of English Proverbs and Idioms of English-Majored Students at
University of Khanh Hoa, Vietnam. Eurasian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 9(1), 35-47.
Doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.32601/ejal.901004

Abstract
Teaching English through idioms and proverbs is one of the ways to help students’ better understanding the
use of English. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the frequency, interest and learning
style of idioms and proverbs among first-year students at University of Khanh Hoa, Khanh Hoa province,
Vietnam. It is hypothesized that teaching of idioms and proverbs increase students’ vocabulary, help them
understand grammar and sentence structure, grasp the meaning and culture of English, and finally use
English naturally and confidently. This study adopted a quantitative strategy to answer research questions
by employing descriptive analysis based on survey data collected between August 2022 and April 2023, at
University of Khanh Hoa, Khanh Hoa province, Vietnam. A sample of 83 first-year English language students
majoring in English and 14 English lecturers at University of Khanh Hoa, Khanh Hoa Province participated
in the survey organized through Google Form. The data was analyzed by collating the participants’ responses
in tabular forms showing the number, frequency and the percentage of responses for each option, and help
understand their opinion and perception. A comparative approach was also taken to differentiate the learning
of English idioms and proverbs with the methods used in the Vietnamese language. The findings revealed
that students with better English proficiency of listening, speaking, reading and writing skills; a good learning
environment and a good knowledge of culture and history learnt English proverbs and idioms more quickly.
It is suggested that teachers need to teach idioms and proverbs combined with illustrations to promote
students’ critical thinking.

© 2023 EJAL & the Authors. Published by Eurasian Journal of Applied Linguistics (EJAL). This is an open-access article
distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution license (CC BY-NC-ND)
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Keywords: Idioms; proverbs; language majored students; culture; University of Khanh Hoa.

Introduction
Proverbs and idioms, which are expressions of everyday ideas or opinions, require a deeper familiarity of
the English language to comprehend what someone means when they use them in conversation. These
expressions are creative ways to express oneself. For example, if one says, ‘I am on cloud nine’ which means
‘I am very happy’ or rather than saying ‘you are doing something that has never been done before,’ one can

*Corresponding Author.
Email : votuphuong@ukh.edu.vn
http://dx.doi.org/10.32601/ejal.901004
Phuong / Eurasian Journal of Applied Linguistics 9(1) (2023) 35-47 36

say, ‘you are breaking fresh ground.’ The idiomatic expressions are more complex but interesting and often
humorous. People often prefer idiomatic expressions to express themselves in a more genuine way, or
sometime to show off their personality and sense of humor. Idioms and proverbs are part of a native speaker’s
daily conversation, but when a non-native uses these expressions, it is the evidence of his familiarity with the
cultural context behind these idioms and proverbs (Mieder, 2014b).
In the ESL scenario, idioms and proverbs are cross-cultural and need a comparative analysis. An idiom
or a proverb will first be encoded by the speaker and then decoded by the listener, by making use of this
underlined (background) knowledge of the language. This happens because these expressions are not
deducible from any individual words of a particular language; rather they reflect the culture even more vividly
and deeply than other words in their language. Some may regard proverbs and idioms as metaphoric
expressions (Gibbs, Bogdanovich, Sykes, & Barr, 1997) or cultural discourse (Dabaghi, Pishbin, & Niknasab,
2010) due to their specific semantic and syntactic structures (Matindas, Samola, & Kumajas, 2020). Hence,
proverbs and idioms are also often seen with pragmatic significance carrying higher philosophical and cultural
meanings. Proverbs and idioms also represent the cultural identities of a specific society, which are unique
factors that describe the nuances of that society.
There is no dearth of research on the linguistic aspects of proverbs and idioms. For example, Makkai
(2013) examined the typology; Wèinreich (1969) discussed the syntactical aspect, and Fraser (1970) attempted
to understand the semantics of such expressions. Likewise, in order to establish idioms and proverbs as
discourse tools, Strässler (1982), Fernando (1996), and Moon (1998) analyzed these expressions from
pragmatic, functional and corpus-linguistic approaches respectively. However, learning of idioms and
proverbs is highly neglected in the university syllabi. Unless there is a conscious inclusion of idioms and
proverbs in teaching, it is difficult to enhance learners’ language skills.
Proverbs and idioms are the result of socio-cultural experiences accumulated in the historical process
across the globe in general and Vietnam in particular. Proverbs and idioms of a nation show lessons learned
by the people, experiences gathered with the natural world, observations of things and phenomena in daily
life. It is a valuable treasure of cultural life experience, about the character of people. Proverbs and idioms of
a language are often used a lot in articles and readings as brief summary sentences, conveying a very brief,
condensed idea about a phenomenon that occurs.With learning English becoming more and more popular, it
is important to understand and master English proverbs and idioms. However, the study of English proverbs
and idioms by English language majored students at University of Khanh Hoa is very limited.
This paper attempts to first study the meanings of English idioms and proverbs from a textual
perspective, focusing on such potential subjective and objective factors that influence students' learning of
English idioms and proverbs of English language major students at the University of Khanh Hoa. For this
purpose, the following research questions of the study were framed:
1. What are the subjective and objective factors affecting the learning of English proverbs and idiom of first-
year language major students at University of Khanh Hoa?
2. What are the solutions to improve the learning English idioms and proverbs of 1st year language-major
students at University of Khanh Hoa?

Literature Review
The word proverb originated from the Latin word, “proverbium” meaning a simple, concise statement
known to many people and repeated over and over to express a fact based on observation and experience
(Hallik, 2007). Though it is extremely difficult to come up with a perfect definition of a proverb because it is
“the wit of one and the wisdom of many” (Mieder, 2010, 2014a), but there are a few definitions that attempt
to describe proverbs. Sotvaldieva (2021) describes proverbs as “concise, metaphorical, easy-to-remember and
everyday sayings.” Duran and Öztürk (2021) consider proverbs as “children of experience;” while
Awad_Elkareem (2018) called proverbs as “wisdom of streets.” Yankah (1999) described a proverb having two
meanings: literal and figurative; Gibbs and Beitel (1995) consider proverbs having the nature of concluding,
generalizing specific remarks into mottos and truths. With such a high variety of content and diversity of
transmission, proverbs have established a cultural value system of their own. They are part of the practical
life, directly composed by people, so there exists a close connection between the people and the form and
content of proverbs (Mayer, 1994).
Like proverbs, idioms are also an important part of the culture and traditions of every individual (Dadyan,
2015; Libben & Titone, 2008); they are commonly used in daily life (Yeh et al., 2022) and are often passed
down from generation to generation (Lane, 2016). An idiom is also defined as “a brief phrase or sentence, often
used to convey a profound meaning or wise advice” (Gibbs et al., 1997). It is also seen “a brief and figurative
expression, often used to convey a meaning or a life experience” (Makkai, 2013). There are also opinions that
Phuong / Eurasian Journal of Applied Linguistics 9(1) (2023) 35-47 37

idioms are often used to describe a situation or convey a particular message (Elkilic, 2008; Howwar, 2013).
They can be used to indicate an idea or a correct approach in a particular situation. They are often used to
describe people's experiences in life and to convey important lessons (Siyanova-Chanturia & Martinez, 2015).
Table 1 summarizes the differences between idioms and proverbs.

Table 1. Differences between idioms and proverbs

Research aspect Idioms Proverbs
Fixed phrase and equivalent to Complete sentence with
Grammatical structure
one word Literary function
Aesthetic function
Literary function Aesthetic function Cognitive function
Educational function
Logical function Expressing concepts, generalizing Expressing judgment, affirming an attribute of
separate phenomena a phenomenon.
Identification function performed The notification function belongs to the field of
Function of linguistic by words. cognitive activities
forms Phenomena in the field of The phenomenon of people's social, cultural
language. and spiritual consciousness
(Source: Le (2019))
Although English and Vietnamese are languages that are spoken in two different countries, which are
much distinct in terms of language, culture, geography, natural conditions, traditional customs and beliefs,
as well as daily habits and social development. However, there are many similarities in perception and
similarity of expressions of idioms and proverbs in the two languages. The first similarity is universal, in
which idioms and proverbs are tacit, humorous, serious, subtle and special in both languages, with all
vividness. Due to geography, history, religious beliefs, living customs, etc., there are differences between
English and Vietnamese idioms and proverbs. These expressions not only carry weight of people's cultural
characteristics and national information, but they are also closely linked to cultural traditions of their
respective countries (Le, 2019; Nguyễn, 2012).
The Vietnamese dictionary defines an idiom as, “Thành ngữ là một tập hợp từ đã quen dùng mà nghĩa
thường không giải thích được một cách đơn giản bằng nghĩa thường của các từ tạo nên nó” [Idiom is a set of
familiar words whose meaning cannot be explained simply by the ordinary meaning of the words that make
it up"]. Nguyễn (2012) describes idioms as: “thành ngữ là những cụm từ cố định dùng để diễn đạt một khái
niệm [fixed phrases used to express a concept.] For example, “one sun and two dew (Một nắng hai sương);”
“Be careful and uncompromising (Cẩn tắc vô áy náy); “Peace and harmony are precious (Dĩ hòa vi quý);” and
“To err is human (Nhân vô thập toàn).” Vu (2020) went beyond this definition and believed that the content
of proverbs and idioms are both a summary of experience, a crystallization of the wisdom of the masses, both
from the generalization of reality to derive the nature of the law.
Idioms and proverbs are thus understood to be different and having varying grammatical form
and content. In the Vietnamese context, Nguyễn (2012) draws attention to the fact that, in terms of
content, proverbs are regular while idioms are phenomenological. In terms of grammatical form,
proverbs are at least one sentence, and idioms are just a phrase. Vu (2020), however, did not completely
agree with this delimitation. He believed that the basic difference between proverbs and idioms is in
terms of function. An idiom has a naming function, so an idiom is equivalent to a word, w hile a proverb
is just a complete sentence that fully expresses an idea. In terms of structure, proverbs have a
structure of two centers; other elements can be inserted, such as: false words, while idioms have a
structure of one center, and no other elements can be inserted.
Idioms and proverbs have been studied from various perspectives and approaches. Dundes (1975) and
Milner (1971) took a structural approach and described these expressions as “propositional statements;”
Other experts like (Giddy, 2012; Norrick, 1985) looked at idioms and proverbs with ethnographic and cultural
perspectives with a didactic function, which are widely used in both oral and written forms, but their sources
are not known. Last, but not the least, Mieder (2014a) advocated the empirical approach, which paid much
attention to the views of the native speakers.
There is no dearth of studies that have examined lecturers’ or students’ opinions about teaching and
learning of idioms and proverbs. For example, Hanzén (2007) and Can Daşkin and Hatipoğlu (2019)
discovered that teachers develop a positive attitude towards using idioms and proverbs in English language
teaching; Liontas (2002) found that L2 and EFL learners are aware of the significant role of idioms and
proverbs in communication and are willing to learn them, though it is also felt that owing to the less frequency
in their use and lacking lexical values, these expressions are not useful and have limited pedagogical value.
It is also reported that in the text books fewer expressions are culture-specific thus ignoring such idioms and
Phuong / Eurasian Journal of Applied Linguistics 9(1) (2023) 35-47 38

proverbs that represented cultural elements (Tekir & Arikan, 2007). In a similar study, Khan and Can Daskin
(2014) find idioms and proverbs inadequate in quantity and quality and they are also lack any pedagogical
value as they fail to enhance learners’ communicative competence.
However, there is a lack of research studies in the Vietnamese perspective that would elaborate the
meaning of English idioms and proverbs from a textual perspective, focusing on subjective and objective
factors as well as their pedagogical value. The teaching of English proverbs and idioms to students specializing
in language at University of Khanh Hoa also does not meet the demand for output standards. There are many
reasons including: the students' English level is not suitable; the teaching methods of the lecturers have also
not been promoted to learners; the learning environment is also not good; study time is not flexible; and
learners are not really passionate about Proverbs and idioms.The current study therefore aimed at filling this
research gap by studying the subjective and objective factors that influence the learning of English proverbs
and idioms for first-year language major students at University of Khanh Hoa; and secondly, how the learning
of these expressions can be improved.
This study also focused on issues such as understanding the perception of language major students about
the importance of learning English proverbs and idioms; exploring the current situation of teaching and
learning English proverbs and idioms in English reading comprehension classes at University of Khanh Hoa;
pointing out the advantages and disadvantages of first-year English language majored students when
learning English proverbs and idioms in reading comprehension skills; and providing solutions to help
students become more interested in learning English idioms and proverbs.

Theoretical Framework
A theoretical basis and orientation for this research was built upon the theory postulated by Halliday and
Matthiessen (2013), who examined the textual meta-function of a language and identified a few “meaningful
semiotic contexts” performing an enabling function, which makes them fit smoothly into the unfolding
language event. Such semiotic expressions, which includes idioms and proverbs as well, are concerned with
organizing “ideational and interpersonal meaning” in a discourse and aim at constructing the information
(Halliday & Matthiessen, 2013). Sacks and Schegloff (1973) also had noted that idioms and proverbs convey
“conventional wisdom” in a discourse as they convey a “moral” lesson in the text. Hence, the current study
utilized this theoretical principle and considered idioms and proverbs as textual component with an enabling
force, making use of that force to create information and to engender a discourse.
These theoretical implications are applied to compare the similarities and differences of English-
Vietnamese idioms and proverbs in a given text that formulates a discourse. The comparative comparison
method helps particularly in comparing and contrasting English-Vietnamese idioms and proverbs, along with
their lexical-semantic, grammar comparison. This comparative analysis helped understand students'
comprehension level of idioms and proverbs through reading comprehension texts and examine the factors
affecting the learning of these expressions.

Methodology

• Research Design

This study adopted a quantitative strategy to answer research questions by employing descriptive
analysis based on survey data (Nagy & Hiebert, 2011). It utilized the quantitative and percentage method
specifically to present and analyze the responses to the questionnaire (Collis & Hussey, 2014). A quantitative
analysis relies heavily on collecting and analyzing numerical data to explain, forecast, test hypotheses, and
regulate the observed aspects (Gay, Mills, & Airasian, 2012). This involved collecting numerical data through
surveys and using descriptive analysis techniques to analyze the data. The data was collected from the entire
research sample, allowing for generalization to a large population (Mertler, 2018). By collecting data from the
entire research sample, the researchers were able to make generalizations to a larger population.

• Time and place of research

The study was conducted from August 2022 to April 2023, at University of Khanh Hoa, Khanh Hoa
province, Vietnam. The selection of English majors to conduct the survey was based on the belief that first-
year students had little or no understanding of English idioms and proverbs in communication as well as in
writing. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the frequency, interest and learning style of
idioms and proverbs among first-year students.
Phuong / Eurasian Journal of Applied Linguistics 9(1) (2023) 35-47 39

• Research sample

The sample of this research comprised 83 first-year English language students majoring in English and
14 English lecturers at University of Khanh Hoa, Khanh Hoa Province, Vietnam. These students had been
studying English for more than seven years, since the pre-intermediate level. All participants were around
18 to 19 years old. They were randomly selected from among nearly 200 first-year students from all classes,
majoring in English at this University. Besides, there were also 14 lecturers who were sampled for the same
university at Khanh Hoa, Vietnam. Each lecturer had a minimum of 10 years’ experience in teaching English.

• Data collection

All participants were asked to complete a questionnaire through Google Form which aimed at collecting
information correctly and directly (Collis & Hussey, 2014). There were a total of 19 questions, with a variety
of scaling such as “agree to disagree” or "dislike" to "very much like." A few questions collected students'
opinions or perception about the purpose, need and various other aspects of learning English idioms and
proverbs. A questionnaire of almost similar questions was prepared for the lecturers also to collect their
opinions about the students' learning of idioms and proverbs, and how they differed from their counterparts
in the Vietnamese language.

• Data analysis

The data analysis involved collating the responses of the questions in tabular forms showing the number,
frequency and the percentage of responses for each option (Winters, Winters, & Amedee, 2010). This enabled
to analyze and correctly understand the opinion and perception of the students and the lecturers regarding
learning of idioms and proverbs in the English language. A comparative approach was also taken to
differentiate the learning of English idioms and proverbs with the methods used in the Vietnamese language.

Results
A major evidence of this study was in the form of survey questions that asked students about their level
of interest in learning English proverbs and idioms. This section lists the results of all the survey questions
in terms of number and percentage. Table 2 shows the number of students’ and percentage who selected each
option.

Table 2. Students who like learning English proverbs and idioms

Number Alternative Answers Number of students Percentage
1. Like very much 4 4.8
2. Like 33 39.8
3. Like a little 43 51.8
4. Don’t like 3 3.6
Total 83 100

Out of the total of 83 students, a majority of students, 51.8%, (or 43 students) reported that they "like a
little" learning of proverbs and idioms; while 39.8% (or 33 students) reported that they "like" their learning;
4.8% (or 4 students) reported that they "like very much" learning English proverbs and idioms and finally
3.6% (or 3 students) reported that they "don't like" learning these expressions. This information can be useful
for interpreting the findings of the study and understanding the level of interest in learning English proverbs
and idioms among the surveyed population. The number of dislikes is not much which proves that learning
idioms and proverbs in English has not really attracted students and has not been noticed by students, who
have put their effort into researching and learning.
Table 3 presents the results of a survey question that asked students how frequently they used English
proverbs and idioms. The table shows the number and percentage of students who selected each option.

Table 3. The frequency of English proverbs and idioms learning

Alternative Answers Number of students Percentage
Always 3 3.6
Sometimes 60 72.3
Rarely 18 21.7
Never 2 2.4
83 100
Phuong / Eurasian Journal of Applied Linguistics 9(1) (2023) 35-47 40

Out of a total of 83 students who responded to this survey question, a majority of students, 72.3% (or 60
students) reported that they "sometimes" use proverbs and idioms; it was followed by a significant number,
21.7%, (or 18 students) who reported that they "rarely" used them; a small percentage 3.6%, (or 3 students)
reported that they "always" used English proverbs and idioms; and finally 2.4%, (or 2 students) reported that
they "never" used English proverbs and idioms.
With this valuable information about the frequency of English proverb and idiom usage among the surveyed
students, it can help to understand the impact of learning these linguistic expressions and their level of
incorporation in the language used by students. However, the interpretation of the results of the table may be
influenced by the specific sample of students who participated in the study and the context of the research.
Table 4 presents the results of another survey question that asked students about their perception of the
importance of learning English proverbs and idioms.

Table 4. Students' perception of the importance of learning idioms and proverbs

Alternative Answers Number of students Percentage
Very important 13 15.7
Important 55 66.3
A little important 13 15.7
Not important 2 2.3
83 100

Out of the total of 83 students responded to the survey question, a majority of students (66.3% or 55
students) reported that they believed it was "important" to learn proverbs and idioms; followed by (15.7%, or
13 students) each who reported that they believed learning proverbs and idioms was "very important" and "a
little important." Finally, a very small percentage of students (2.3%, or 2 students) reported that they believed
it was "not important" to learn English proverbs and idioms. The table provides important information about
the perceived importance of learning proverbs and idioms among the surveyed students. This information can
be useful for understanding the attitudes of students towards these linguistic features and their motivation
for learning them. However, it is important to keep in mind that the interpretation of the results may be
influenced by the specific sample of students who participated in the study and the context of the research
Table 5 presents the results of the survey question that asked students about their opinions on the
frequency of occurrence of English idioms and proverbs in different language skills.

Table 5. Students' opinions on the frequent occurrence of English idioms and proverbs in language skills
Alternative Answers Number of students Percentage
Listening 11 13.3
Speaking 25 30.1
Reading 37 44.6
Writing 10 12
83 100
Out of the total of 83 students responded to the survey question, a significant proportion of students
(44.6% or 37 students) reported that they believed idioms and proverbs occurred frequently in reading skills;
followed by (30.1% or 25 students) who reported that they believed these linguistic expressions frequently
occurred in speaking skills; while a small proportion of students (13.3% or 11 students) and (12% or 10
students) reported that they believed English idioms and proverbs occurred frequently in listening skills and
writing skills respectively. The table provides important information about students' perceptions of the
frequency of occurrence of English idioms and proverbs in different language skills. This information can be
useful for understanding the students' awareness of the importance of these linguistic features and their
motivation to learn them. However, it is important to keep in mind that the interpretation of the results may
be influenced by the specific sample of students who participated in the study and the context of the research
The consensus between the opinions of students and lecturers is also reflected in the assessment of the
effectiveness and benefits of learning English idioms and proverbs in developing foreign language skills. Table
6 and Table 7 present the results of two separate surveys that asked students and lecturers about their
opinions on the development of language skills when learning English idioms and proverbs. The tables show
the number of respondents who selected each response option, as well as the percentage of respondents who
selected each option. It is clearly evident that both students and lecturers agreed that English idioms and
proverbs would help develop speaking skills (47% students and 43% teachers), followed by the ability to read
and understand English (27.7% students and 29% of teachers). It seems that developing listening and writing
skills has little to do with understanding English idioms and proverbs in the opinion of both students and
lecturers. This unified feedback will help both teachers and learners develop a specific investment plan for
language skills to achieve the most positive and optimal results.
Phuong / Eurasian Journal of Applied Linguistics 9(1) (2023) 35-47 41

Specifically, Table 6 presents the results of the student survey, in which 83 students participated. Of
these, the majority of students (47%, or 39 students) reported that they believed learning English idioms and
proverbs was most beneficial for speaking skills. A significant proportion of students (27.7%, or 23 students)
reported that they believed these linguistic features were most beneficial for reading skills, while 15.7% (13
students) believed they were most beneficial for writing skills. Finally, a small proportion of students (9.6%,
or 8 students) reported that they believed these linguistic features were most beneficial for listening skills.

Table 6. Students' opinions about their development of skills when learning English idioms and proverbs
Alternative Answers Number of students Percentage
Listening 8 9.6
Speaking 39 47
Reading 23 27.7
Writing 13 15.7
83 100

In the lecturer survey participated by 14 lecturers, as seen in Table 7, a majority of lecturers (43%, or 6
lecturers) reported that they believed learning English idioms and proverbs was most beneficial for speaking
skills. A significant proportion of lecturers (29%, or 4 lecturers) reported that they believed these linguistic
features were most beneficial for reading skills, while 14% (2 lecturers) each believed these expressions were
most beneficial for writing and listening skills.

Table 7. Lecturers’ opinions about students' development of skills when learning English idioms and proverbs
Alternative Answers Number of lecturers Percentage
Listening 2 14
Speaking 6 43
Reading 4 29
Writing 2 14
14 100

The tables provide important information about the opinions of both students and lecturers on the development
of language skills when learning English idioms and proverbs. The results suggest that both groups believe that
learning idioms and proverbs is most beneficial for speaking skills, although lecturers are more likely to believe
that these linguistic features are also beneficial for reading skills. The results also suggest that students may have
a greater awareness of the importance of these linguistic features for writing skills compared to lecturers. However,
it is important to keep in mind that the interpretation of the results may be influenced by the specific sample of
students and lecturers who participated in the study and the context of the research.
Table 8 and Table 9 present the students' and the lecturers’ opinions about the objectives for which
students learn English idioms and proverbs. It is evident that both students and lecturers agree on the
purpose of studying English idioms and proverbs as to understand the English culture (66.3% students and
85.7% lecturers agreed) at first place; along with to improve speaking (65.1% of students and 78.6% of
lecturers) and to improve reading comprehension (60.2% of students and 57.1% of lecturers).

Table 8. Students' opinions on reasons to help them learn English idioms and proverbs (student can choose
more than one choice)
Alternative Answers Number of students Percentage
To speak English better 54 65.1
To write English better 31 37.3
To listen English better 37 44.6
To read English better 50 60.2
To know more about English culture 55 66.3
To be more friendly, to make friends 1 1.2

Table 9. Lecturers’ opinions on reasons to help them learn English idioms and proverbs (lecturer can choose
more than one choice)
Alternative Answers Number of lecturers Percentage
To speak English better 11 78.6
To write English better 5 35.7
To listen English better 5 35.7
To read English better 8 57.1
To know more about English culture 12 85.7
To be more friendly, to make friends 8 57.1
Phuong / Eurasian Journal of Applied Linguistics 9(1) (2023) 35-47 42

Regarding the aspect of designing separate lessons on English idioms and proverbs, the needs of students
were found slightly different from the pedagogical judgment of the lecturer. Table 10 and Table 11 show that
while most students (97.6%) think that there should be a separate lecture on idioms and proverbs, more than
half of the lecturers (57.1%) find it unnecessary. This is also understandable because students give opinions
based on their own characteristics and needs. They express quite diversely why it is necessary to have a
separate lecture for English idioms and proverbs. As for the teachers, they have the experience of a teaching
process with many different types of learners and find it convenient to teach and help learners practice
different language skills. However, teachers always need to consult with learners to make improvements to
meet the needs of learners, helping learners to achieve the desired level and skills. The rationality of needs
and responses will help to quickly improve the efficiency of the communication and absorption process.

Table 10. Students' opinions about the possibility of English idioms and proverbs lesson in class.
Alternative Answers Number of students Percentage
Agree 81 97.6
Disagree 2 2.4
83 100

Table 11. Lecturers ' opinions about the possibility of English idioms and proverbs lesson in class.
Alternative Answers Number of lecturers Percentage
Agree 8 57.1
Disagree 6 42.9
14 100

Table 12 infers that a majority of the students have a positive opinion on their understanding of English
idioms and proverbs. Out of the 83 students surveyed, 49 students either completely agree or agree that they
understand English idioms and proverbs. This represents 59% of the total number of students surveyed.
Meanwhile, 34 students partly agree that they understand English idioms and proverbs, representing 41% of
the total number of students surveyed. No students indicated that they did not agree with the statement. In
short, the majority of the students had a positive opinion on their understanding of English idioms and
proverbs, while a significant number had a neutral or uncertain stance

Table 12. Students' opinions on understanding English idioms and proverbs

Alternative Answers Number of students Percentage
Completely agree 2 2.4
Agree 47 56.6
Partly agree 34 41
Not agree 0 0
83 100

Table 13 shows that a majority of the students believe that understanding idioms and proverbs can help
them learn English reading comprehension skills. Out of the 83 students surveyed, 63 students either
completely agree or agree that understanding idioms and proverbs can help them learn English reading
comprehension skills. This represents 76% of the total number of students surveyed. Meanwhile, 19 students
partly agree that understanding idioms and proverbs can help them learn English reading comprehension
skills, representing 23% of the total number of students surveyed. Only one student indicated that they do
not agree with the statement. Overall, a majority of the students believe that understanding idioms and
proverbs can help them learn English reading comprehension skills, while a significant number have a neutral
or uncertain stance

Table 13. Students' opinions about understanding idioms and proverbs will help students learn English
reading comprehension skills well
Alternative Answers Number of students Percentage
Completely agree 14 16.9
Agree 49 59
Partly agree 19 22.9
Not agree 1 1.2
83 100

Table 14 shows that a majority of the students believe that learning and understanding the origin of
English idioms and proverbs can be effective. Out of the 83 students surveyed, 74 students either completely
agree or agree that learning and understanding the origin of English idioms and proverbs can be effective.
Phuong / Eurasian Journal of Applied Linguistics 9(1) (2023) 35-47 43

This represents 89% of the total number of students surveyed. Meanwhile, 6 students partly agree that
learning and understanding the origin of English idioms and proverbs can be effective, representing 7% of the
total number of students surveyed. Only 3 students indicated that they do not agree with the statement.
Overall, the majority of the students believe that learning and understanding the origin of English idioms
and proverbs can be effective, while a smaller number have a neutral or negative stance

Table 14. Students' opinions on the effectiveness of learning and understanding the origin of English idioms
and proverbs
Alternative Answers Number of students Percentage
Completely agree 23 27.7
Agree 51 61.5
Partly agree 6 7.2
Not agree 3 3.6
83 100

Table 15 infers that a majority of students have a positive opinion about the lecturer who helps them to
be interested in learning English idioms and proverbs. Out of the 83 students surveyed, 57 students either
completely agree or agree that the lecturer helps them to be interested in learning English idioms and
proverbs. This represents 68.7% of the total number of students surveyed. Meanwhile, 25 students partly
agree that the lecturer helps them to be interested in learning English idioms and proverbs, representing
30.1% of the total number of students surveyed. Only one student indicated that they do not agree with the
statement. Overall, a majority of the students have a positive opinion about the lecturer who helps them to
be interested in learning English idioms and proverbs.

Table 15. Students' opinions about the lecturer who helps students to be interested in learning English idioms
and proverbs.
Alternative Answers Number of students Percentage
Completely agree 13 15.7
Agree 44 53
Partly agree 25 30.1
Not agree 1 1.2
83 100

Table 16 shows the results of another question that aimed to ask whether it is important to learn idioms
and proverbs to learn English well. Out of the 83 students surveyed, 4.8% completely agree; 42.2% agree;
while 45.8% partly agree and only 7.2% of the students do not agree with the statement that students need
to learn idioms and proverbs well to learn English well. These results suggest that a majority of students
(87.8%) recognize the importance of learning idioms and proverbs to some extent in order to learn English
well.

Table 16. Students' opinions about students need to learn idioms and proverbs well to learn English well
Alternative Answers Number of students Percentage
Completely agree 4 4.8
Agree 35 42.2
Partly agree 38 45.8
Not agree 6 7.2
83 100

Table 17 presents the responses of the question which sought students' opinions whether a lecture on
learning idioms and proverbs created excitement. Out of the 83 responses, 10.8% completely agree; 65.1%
agree; 22.9% partly agree; and only 1.2% does not agree with the statement that a lecture on learning idioms
and proverbs can create excitement. These results suggest that a majority of students believe that a lecture
can create excitement for learning idioms and proverbs.

Table 17. Students' opinions on the lecture create excitement for students to learn idioms and proverbs
Alternative Answers Number of students Percentage
Completely agree 9 10.8
Agree 54 65.1
Partly agree 19 22.9
Not agree 1 1.2
83 100
Phuong / Eurasian Journal of Applied Linguistics 9(1) (2023) 35-47 44

Table 18 presents the responses of the question which asked students whether it is effective and easy
way to learn idioms and proverbs through visual and specific illustrations. Out if the 83 students, 34.9%
completely agree; 51.9% agree; 10.8% partly agree; and only 2.4% do not agree with the statement that
illustrations can help students learn idioms and proverbs. These results suggest that a majority of students
would like to learn idioms and proverbs with the help of illustrations.

Table 18. Students' opinions on the effectiveness of illustrations to help students learn idioms and proverbs
Alternative Answers Number of students Percentage
Completely agree 29 34.9
agree 43 51.9
Partly agree 9 10.8
Not agree 2 2.4
83 100
In Table 19, it is evident that out of 83 students, only 7.2% of the students completely agree that reading
texts create interest for students to learn idioms and proverbs, while 60.3% of the students agree; 28.9% partly
agree and only 3.6% of the students do not agree with this statement.

Table 19. Students' opinions about reading texts create interest for students to learn idioms and proverbs
Alternative Answers Number of students Percentage
Completely agree 6 7.2
Agree 50 60.3
Partly agree 24 28.9
Not agree 3 3.6
83 100
The effectiveness of learning English idioms and proverbs through writings is also accepted by students. Table
20 shows that out of 83 students, 3.6% completely agree; 60.3% agree; 28.9% partly agree; and only 3.6% do not
agree with the statement that reading texts create interest for students to learn idioms and proverbs.

Table 20. Students' opinion about writing texts create interest to learn idioms and proverbs
Alternative Answers Number of students Percentage
Completely agree 3 3.6
Agree 43 51.8
Partly agree 32 38.6
Not agree 5 6
83 100
Table 21 presents the responses of the students who do not trust that systematic listing could be effective
method to learn idioms and proverbs. Out of 83 students, 4.8% students completely agree; 41% agree and
partly agree each; and only 13.2% do not agree with the statement that systematic listing could be effective
method to learn idioms and proverbs.

Table 21. Students' opinions on the effectiveness of learning idioms and proverbs by systematic listing
Alternative Answers Number of students Percentage
Completely agree 4 4.8
Agree 34 41
Partly agree 34 41
Not agree 11 13.2
83 100
Table 22 exhibits the responses to the question whether idioms and proverbs can be learnt effectively by
equivalent expressions in the Vietnamese language. Out of the 83 students, 22.9% completely agree; 62.7%
agree; 12% partly agree; and only 2.4% do not agree with the statement that learning idioms and proverbs by
finding their equivalence in the Vietnamese language is an effective method.

Table 22. Students' opinions on the effectiveness of learning idioms and proverbs by equivalence Vietnamese
sentences
Alternative Answers Number of students Percentage
Completely agree 19 22.9
Agree 52 62.7
Partly agree 10 12
Not agree 2 2.4
83 100
Phuong / Eurasian Journal of Applied Linguistics 9(1) (2023) 35-47 45

Table 23 shows the responses to the question which attempted to find out whether learning idioms and
proverbs in groups was an effective method. Out of 83 students, 27.7% completely agree; 48.2% agree; 18.1%
partly agree; and 6% do not agree with the statement that learning idioms and proverbs in groups is effective.

Table 23. Students' opinions on the effectiveness of learning idioms and proverbs by in groups
Alternative Answers Number of students Percentage
Completely agree 23 27.7
Agree 40 48.2
Partly agree 15 18.1
Not agree 5 6
83 100

Discussion
Teaching idioms and proverbs to students is an important job to help students understand and use these
expressions in daily communication. However, the problem of teaching idioms and proverbs to students also
means facing a few challenges which emerged out of this study. These challenges are: firstly, the diversity of
idioms and proverbs: proverbs have a high diversity in meaning and usage, so it is essential that teachers
fully communicate these expressions to students by offering them a diverse range of expressions so that
learners can understand the diversity and variety of these expressions. Secondly, cultural differences: idioms
and proverbs often carry many values and cultural features of a nation, country or region. Therefore, the
teaching of idioms and proverbs needs to consider cultural differences between countries and regions to avoid
misunderstanding or controversy. For example, some animals in one culture represent bad traits while in
another culture they represent good traits.
Thirdly, the overlap and contrast between idioms: some idioms and proverbs have nearly the same or
opposite meanings, so it is necessary to explain and convey to students clearly the difference in their meaning,
to avoid misunderstanding or misuse in communication. Fourthly, confidentiality and diversity of idioms and
proverbs: idioms and proverbs have a high diversity in meaning and usage, so teaching and fully communicating
proverbs to students will require focus and effort from the faculty. Fifthly: application in practice: The teaching
of proverbs needs to be combined with practice, for example, explaining the context of the idiom's use, how to
use it to communicate effectively in the classroom in different situations. Finally, interest and encouragement
from students: in order for students to be motivated and interested in learning idioms and proverbs, lecturers
need to have interesting and attractive teaching methods to attract interest. of students.

Conclusion
The factors affecting students' learning of English proverbs and idioms can be summarized as follows:
Firstly, English proficiency: Students with better English proficiency often learn English proverbs and idioms
more quickly. Secondly, the school of study: The learning environment can affect students' learning of English
proverbs and idioms. Learning in a comfortable and supportive environment from faculty and friends helps
students learn more effectively. Thirdly, Language skills: Language skills include listening, speaking, reading
and writing skills. If students do not have good language skills, it becomes more difficult to learn proverbs
and idioms. Fourthly, cultural and historical knowledge: proverbs and idioms are often related to a country's
culture and history. If students do not have knowledge of culture and history, it becomes more difficult to
learn proverbs and idioms. Fifthly, attention and effort: learning proverbs and idioms requires attention and
effort on the part of students. If students are not interested or make no effort, learning will not be effective.
In short, in order to learn English proverbs and idioms well, students need to have a good level of English,
study in a favorable environment, have good language skills, have knowledge of culture and history, and have
interest and effort in learning.
The following are some suggestions to improve the effectiveness of teaching and learning English idioms
and proverbs. Firstly, we should start learning idioms and proverbs that are common and often applied in
life. Since common idioms are easier to understand and apply, learners will remember those words easily.
When I know and apply all the frequently asked questions, I will learn more new questions. Secondly, the
practice should take place on a regular basis. If every day, we learn 2-3 proverbs every day and apply it in
communication with friends, then in a month we will learn hundreds of sentences and a year will learn a lot
of sentences. Like it's easy to feel like rain
Thirdly, teachers need to make exercises on idioms combined with illustrations to help learners deduce
the meaning of idioms from pictures or vice versa, which helps them promote critical thinking and logic in
language and remembering in lessons in a easier manner. Fourthly, idioms and proverbs should be learned
Phuong / Eurasian Journal of Applied Linguistics 9(1) (2023) 35-47 46

according to each topic. example We have topics about idioms and proverbs such as weather, idiom topics
about love, topics about behavior, customs and habits, family feelings, life experiences. Thus, learning will
form sentences that are easy to understand with daily life. Having an association from learning with life helps
learners to memorize and grasp many idioms and proverbs at the same time.
Fifthly, because learning at home, also known as self-study, needs to be promoted for learners because
learning is lifelong. One can learn anywhere, anytime, study at any age so that they can have knowledge and
understanding to help open the minds of learners more. Sixthly, teachers can design games such as chasing
pictures to catch words, flip pictures, guessing idioms, proverbs, etc. to help learners apply the knowledge
they have learned through judgment and critical thinking to reach conclusions. From the fun and joy of
learning idioms and proverbs, learners will learn better.

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