Idioms/Idiomatic Expressions (Just for Kicks) Expresiones idiomáticas (Solo por diversión)
Lee las tres versiones de este artículo, compara las expresiones idiomáticas que hay en él, aprende y diviértete, mientras lees estos consejos. Puedes comenzar con la versión que quieras.
Idioms/Idiomatic Expressions (Just for Kicks)
Let’s start by saying something we all know, learning a language cannot be complete without looking at a few idioms. These are those “funny” expressions which as the name suggests are idiomatic (they don’t literally mean what they say). So, let’s get the ball rolling and see how you can learn these effectively and what you can achieve with them.
It’s worth mentioning that it isn’t a piece of cake to learn every idiom, even natives don’t know them all, but that isn’t a reason to beat around the bush regarding this topic. This doesn’t mean you need to go the whole nine yards on day one and try to learn hundreds of them as you don’t want to bite of more than you can chew and have to go back to the drawing board with your study plan. Instead, take your time, learn idioms as they cross your path and don’t burn the candle at both ends, just cross each bridge when you come to it. There are of course lots of areas you could focus on when studying, but we advise you not to put all your eggs in one basket to improve, instead try to study a little of everything.
It’s nice when your efforts start to bear fruit and you realise that you can understand colloquial speech at the drop of a hat. You may find that your hard work eventually kills two birds with one stone, allowing you to make friends as well as climb the ladder at work. Nobody wants to miss the boat when promotions are awarded, nor be considered to be off his/her rocker or not playing with a full deck, just because of language barriers. This is a horrible situation where people are judged unfairly and we’d all prefer to be thought of as someone who is on the ball and who can hit the nail on the head when asked questions or to perform a specific task.
So, don’t see red if you feel frustrated about confusing expressions in English, instead stay positive and try to pull your own weight regarding your studies. Remember that the ball is in your court, so don’t cut corners, just do the best you can. If you want to go the extra mile, that’s great and we’re sure your teacher will appreciate this.
Finally, have fun with your language learning, plan your study time, hit the hay if you’re tired and keep practicing! It’s really worth it.
Vea también el vlog: 10 English Slang Expressions
Not Literal Expressions (Just for Fun)
Let’s start by saying something we all know, learning a language cannot be complete without looking at a few idioms. These are those “funny” expressions which as the name suggests are idiomatic (they don’t literally mean what they say). So, let’s start and see how you can learn these effectively and what you can achieve with them.
It’s worth mentioning that this isn’t easy to learn every idiom, even natives don’t know them all, but that isn’t a reason to delay regarding this topic. This doesn’t mean you need to do everything on day one and try to learn hundreds of them as you don’t want to overwhelm yourself and have to start again with your study plan. Instead, progress steadily, learn idioms as you see them and don’t work to exhaustion, just deal with each new thing when you need to. There are of course lots of areas you could focus on when studying, but we advise you not to rely on one thing to improve, instead try to study a little of everything.
It’s nice when your efforts start to show positive results and you realise that you can understand colloquial speech without hesitation. You may find that your hard work eventually achieves two things with one action, allowing you to make friends as well as advance at work. Nobody wants to miss an opportunity when promotions are awarded, nor be considered to be crazy or not intelligent, just because of language barriers. This is a horrible situation where people are judged unfairly and we’d all prefer to be thought of as someone who understands and who can do something exactly right when asked questions or to perform a specific task.
So, don’t feel angry if you feel frustrated about confusing expressions in English, instead stay positive and try to work as hard as others regarding your studies. Remember that it’s your responsibility, so don’t do things the fastest way, just do the best you can. If you want to make more effort than is expected of you that’s great and we’re sure your teacher will appreciate this.
Finally, have fun with your language learning, plan your study time, go to bed if you’re tired and keep practicing! It’s really worth it.
Lea también: Meet the "Grammars" (Yes, there are several!)
Expresiones idiomáticas (Solo por diversión)
Comencemos por decir algo que todos sabemos, aprender un idioma no podría estar completo si no aprendemos algunas expresiones idiomáticas. Estas son esas expresiones “graciosas” que como su nombre lo sugiere, son idiomáticas (ellas no significan literalmente lo que dicen). Entonces, comencemos y veamos cómo podemos aprenderlas eficientemente y que podemos alcanzar con ellas.
Vale la pena mencionar que no es fácil aprender cada expresión idiomática, inclusive los nativos de un idioma no las conocen todas, pero eso no significa que sea motivo para atrasar tu aprendizaje. Tampoco significa que necesites hacerlo todo en el primer día o aprenderte cientos de ellas en la primera semana, así como tú no quieres abrumarte y tener que comenzar de nuevo con tu plan de estudio. En lugar de ir rápido, progresa despacio, apréndete las expresiones idiomáticas cuando las veas y no trabajes hasta agotarte, y ocúpate de solo una cosa nueva a la vez cuando lo necesites. Por supuesto que hay muchas áreas más en que preocuparse cuando se estudia, pero no te recomendamos fiarte en solo una cosa para mejorar, es mejor estudiar un poco de todo.
Es bonito cuando los esfuerzos comienzan a mostrar resultados positivos y tú te das cuenta que puedes entender el habla coloquial sin ningún titubeo. Y te podrás dar cuenta que tu trabajo duro finalmente logró dos objetivos con una sola acción, permitiéndote hacer amigos, así como un ascenso laboral. Nadie quiere perderse una oportunidad, cuando los concursos son publicados, ni ser considerado loco o poco inteligente, solo por las barreras del idioma. Esta es una situación horrible donde las personas son juzgadas injustamente y todos preferimos ser considerados como alguien quién comprenda y pueda hacer las cosas bien cuando se pregunta algo o que puedas realizar tareas específicas.
Entonces, no te sientas enojado o frustrado si confundes expresiones idiomáticas en inglés, mejor debes estar positivo y tratar de esforzarte al igual que otras personas en relación a sus estudios. Recuerda que es tu responsabilidad, no hagas las cosas de una manera acelerada, solo hace lo mejor que puedas. Pero, si quieres poner más empeño del que tú mismo esperas, está bien estamos seguros que tu profesor lo apreciará.
Finalmente, ¡diviértete en tu aprendizaje del inglés, planea tu horario de estudio, ve a la cama si te sientes cansado y sigue practicando después! Realmente vale la pena.
