The competence in identifying and comprehending the meaning of idiomatic expressions developed at an early age. However, second language learners reach the comprehension skill differently within the age and at pace. There are many unresolved questions regarding the age which children start to comprehend L2 idioms. The objective of this study was to investigate the age at which children in Moi primary school in Nairobi were able to identify and comprehend the meaning of English idioms. The 60 participants were selected using purposive sampling. The children were divided into three age groups: 5-8 years old, 9-12 years old, and 13-16 years old. The participants were balanced in gender and level of formal education. They were asked to identify the correct non-literal meaning of the 20 idioms presented. It was reported that the group with an age range from 5-8 years old scored the lowest among the other.The findings showed that as early as five years of old (preschool age), children begin to understand some kinds of idiomatic expressions and that such ability slowly develops throughout childhood. At the age of 9, children mainly interpreted idioms literally. By the age of 12, they started to understand the non-literal meanings of idiomatic expressions correctly and continued to expand until the age of 16. It implied that age is a factor in the comprehension of idioms among children. Therefore, exposure to language input is vital in the process of early acquisition. The study provides pedagogical observation on early language acquisition. This study also assists the language teachers and language practitioners and material developers in decision making that lead to the development of a better curriculum.

The Coronavirus has changed the world in many ways, including education. The epidemic outbreak led to the conversion of courses in many schools and universities from traditional face-to-face classrooms to virtual courses. This situation is a major challenge in a country like Kenya, where IT facilities remain basic. Not all students have the advantage of technological conditions or a supportive family environment. This qualitative case study design is aimed to explore how students portrayed their participation in remote online courses. This study focuses on the experiences of six Standard Eight students in one of the elementary schools in Kisii, Kenya, with ages between 13-15 years old, to cope with multilevel challenges during the Covid-19 pandemic. The data were collected through semi-structured telephone interviews with each participant after permissions were acquired from the students’ parents or guardians. The findings of the study show six emergent themes and sub-themes. The themes that emerged from the interviews are 1) Course descriptions; 2) learning experience; 3) Delivery methods; 4) Materials; 5) Interactions; 6) Challenges.

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.