How to Make English Idioms Stick in ESL Classrooms

Idioms are everywhere in English: in movies, everyday speech, song lyrics, and textbooks. But if you’ve ever seen ESL students stare blankly after hearing “hit the sack” or “spill the beans,” you know they don’t come easy.

That’s because idioms often make zero literal sense. They don’t translate well, they rely on cultural context, and they’re usually introduced with little explanation. Many students end up memorizing them for quizzes, only to forget them a week later.

Whether students are new to English, looking for someone to write an essay for me, or improving their writing with help from a college essay writer, idioms can be challenging.

Why Idioms Don’t Stick

Idioms confuse learners for a few key reasons: they aren’t literal, they’re often culturally specific, and they show up mostly in casual or fast-paced speech. A phrase like “kick the bucket” has nothing to do with buckets, and students quickly learn that guessing from individual words leads nowhere.

Because idioms feel unpredictable, many ESL learners either avoid using them or misuse them. However, leaving idioms out of lessons limits a student’s fluency. Native speakers use them constantly, even in formal writing, journalism, and interviews.

If your students don’t learn to recognize and use idioms, their listening, reading, and speaking skills all hit a ceiling. Teaching idioms clearly and creatively is essential.

Pick Idioms That Pull Their Weight

Not every idiom is worth teaching. Some are outdated, too regional, or rarely used in modern speech. Others might be technically correct but irrelevant to your students’ daily lives.

When choosing which idioms to teach, focus on ones that are:

• Frequent in conversation and media
• Easy to visualize or explain
• Short and easy to pronounce
• Relevant to your students’ context

Expressions like “hit the books“ and other book idioms when talking about exam season or “under the weather“ during a health-related conversation often come up and feel familiar once explained. Phrases like “break the ice“ or “a piece of cake“ are not only common, but they’re also fun to visualize and easy to practice.

Choosing a small set of idioms that actually appear in daily life will always have more impact than handing students a list of 30 they’ll never use.

Context First, Explanation Later

The biggest mistake in idiom teaching? Presenting them in a list with dictionary definitions. Students forget them because there’s no emotional or narrative connection.

Instead, introduce idioms through use, not explanation. Let students hear or read the idiom in context first, then figure out the meaning together. For example:

• Idioms make more sense when students see them in action. Instead of starting with definitions, introduce idioms through real use. For example, create a short dialogue between two characters preparing for an exam, where one says they need to “hit the books.” Roleplays like this allow students to hear the idiom in context before they try to define it.
• Clips from movies, TV shows, or even short YouTube videos can also help. If a character casually says “break the ice” during an awkward social situation, students pick up both tone and meaning without needing a lecture.
• Group storytelling activities work well, too. One student sets the scene, and another finds a way to work an idiom into the narrative. When idioms show up as part of a story or scene, students are far more likely to remember them.

Grouping idioms by theme also helps: idioms about school, emotions, work, or relationships build natural associations and improve recall.

Make Idioms Visual, Personal, and Fun

If students can picture it, they’re more likely to remember it. Visuals and humor make idioms less intimidating and much easier to recall in conversation. Here are some creative ways to visualize idioms:

• Draw quick stick-figure cartoons on the board to illustrate the meaning
• Use meme-style slides or GIFs to show idioms in action
• Have students draw their own scenes for selected idioms
• Act out idioms charades-style in small groups
• Write and perform short skits using new idioms
• Create an “Idiom of the Week” wall with student examples
• Run a meme challenge where students design their own idiom memes
• Assign comic strips that build toward the idiom’s meaning
• Use personal journal prompts to connect idioms to students’ real experiences
• Play a group storytelling game where each student adds a sentence with an idiom

When students laugh, draw, share, and compete, they internalize phrases that would otherwise stay meaningless.

Keep Idioms Alive After Lesson Day

Idioms don’t stick after one lesson. They need to keep showing up in your classroom. Once you’ve introduced a new phrase, it helps to revisit it casually over the next few weeks. A quick review at the start of class, a warm-up writing prompt, or even a short discussion using an old idiom can reinforce understanding without taking much time.

You can also work idioms into longer tasks. Ask students to include one or two in a short story, a presentation, or a casual conversation roleplay. Encourage them to notice idioms in English-language media, from TikTok clips to TV scenes, and bring examples to class. The goal is to keep idioms active and visible so students get used to seeing them outside the lesson.

Another helpful strategy is to build a running class list. Keep it on a whiteboard, poster, or digital board where everyone can see it grow. Students can refer to it during writing or speaking tasks, and it becomes a visual reminder that these phrases are part of real, useful English. Repetition builds fluency, not through drilling, but through repeated, meaningful use.

Conclusion

Idioms are one of the most challenging parts of English, but also some of the most fun to teach. The trick is to stop treating them like isolated vocabulary words and start embedding them into real experiences.

Use idioms that matter. Show them in action. Let students laugh, draw, guess, and personalize. Then, keep bringing them back until they become second nature.

You don’t need to teach 50 idioms in a semester. Teach 20 the right way, and your students will not only remember them, but they’ll start using them on their own.

Let idioms become part of the classroom rhythm, and you’ll see students go from guessing their meanings to owning them.