Does pictorial elucidation foster recollection of idioms?

Abstract

Experimental evidence suggests that pictorial elucidation helps learners comprehend and remember the meaning of second language (L2) idioms. In this article we address the question whether it also helps retention of the form of idioms, i.e. their precise lexical composition. In a small-scale experiment, the meaning of English idioms was clarified to students with reference to the original, literal use of the expressions. This was done with a view to stimulating dual coding, i.e. the association of the figurative phrases with images of concrete scenes. For half of the idioms, photographs or drawings depicting those concrete scenes were added to the verbal explanations. The learners’ recollection of the content words of the expressions was subsequently gauged in a gap-fill test. Overall, the results suggest that the addition of pictorial elucidation contributes little to learners’ retention of linguistic form. Distraction by pictures may even have a detrimental effect when it comes to retaining unfamiliar and difficult words, and this seems to apply especially to learners whose learning style shows a predisposition for processing vocabulary through imagery. Insofar as our findings are transferable to vocabulary learning in general, they may call into question the rather indiscriminate and abundant use of pictorials in modern textbooks and CALL packages.

A Comparative Study of the Effectiveness of Two Strategies of Etymological Elaboration and Pictorial Elucidation on Idiom Learning: A Case of Young EFL Iranian Learners

“…For example, Boers, Piquer Piriz, Stengers, and Eyckmans (2009) suggest that pictorial elucidation helps learners comprehend and remember the meaning of L2 idioms.…”

The Effect of Mental Imaging Technique on Idiom Comprehension in EFL Learners

“…All the participants answered 20 questions about their preferred cognitive style of learning adopted from Boers et al (2009). The questions were posed on a Likert scale from 1 to 4 stating: 1) almost never 2) sometimes 3) often 4) very often.…”

“…In this study, preferred cognitive style test was adapted from Boers et al (2009 The cognitive linguistic view suggests that the meaning of most of the idioms are not arbitrary but rather based on the conventional facts (Kovecses, 2010). Cognitive linguists assume that the meaning behind all metaphorical language originates from language speaker's knowledge of and personified experience with their physical environment (Gibbs, 1994;Gibbs & Colston, 2012).…”

“…Sadoski (2005) summarized in his review article that Dual Coding Theory accounts for some of the most effective vocabulary learning strategies that have been devised for both sight word learning and the learning of meaningful vocabulary. Boers et al (2009) stated that according to Dual Coding Theory, association of verbal information with mental image is advantageous as it provides an additional pathway for recollecting the verbal information. Boers et al (2007) investigated the effects of image-based pedagogy on idiom learning and examined the mnemonic effect of pictorials on the acquisition of meaning and form of L2 idioms.…”

The Perceptions of EFL Jordanian University Instructors of the Process of Teaching/Learning the Translation of Idioms

“…Several articles (e.g. Boers, Piquer Pí riz, Stengers and Eyckmans, 2009, Boers and Lindstromberg, 2005, Boers and Lindstromberg, 2006 have explored the possibility of using imagery and sounds to teach idioms. They discuss whether or not images or sounds can help learners to remember, and even re-produce, idioms.…”