Overcoming idioms as stumbling block
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="Please">Please</span> <span word="explain">explain</span> <span word="sentence">sentence</span>: “<span word="Idioms">Idioms</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="common">common</span> <span word="stumbling">stumbling</span> <span word="block">block</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="learners">learners</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="foreign">foreign</span> <span word="language">language</span>.” <span word="Stumbling">Stumbling</span> <span word="block">block</span>?</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="How">How</span> <span word="true">true</span>.</p><p><span word="Stumbling">Stumbling</span> <span word="block">block</span>, <span word="an">an</span> <span word="idiom">idiom</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="own">own</span> <span word="right">right</span>, <span word="is">is</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="problem">problem</span> <span word="here">here</span>. <span word="An">An</span> <span word="idiom">idiom</span>, <span word="by">by</span> <span word="definition">definition</span>, <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="group">group</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="words">words</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="meaning">meaning</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="own">own</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="different">different</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="meanings">meanings</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="each">each</span> <span word="word">word</span> <span word="put">put</span> <span word="together">together</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="words">words</span>, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="always">always</span> <span word="guess">guess</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="idiom">idiom</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="meaning">meaning</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="reading">reading</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="words">words</span> <span word="individually">individually</span>.</p><p><span word="Idioms">Idioms</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="often">often</span> <span word="shortened">shortened</span> <span word="versions">versions</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="longer">longer</span> <span word="expression">expression</span>. <span word="Originally">Originally</span>, <span word="for">for</span> <span word="example">example</span>, <span word="someone">someone</span> <span word="makes">makes</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="remark">remark</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="it">it</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="last">last</span> <span word="bundle">bundle</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="straw">straw</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="breaks">breaks</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="back">back</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="camel">camel</span>. <span word="People">People</span> <span word="hear">hear</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="it">it</span>. <span word="So">So</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="repeat">repeat</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="others">others</span>. <span word="After">After</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="time">time</span>, <span word="usually">usually</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="long">long</span> <span word="period">period</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="time">time</span>, <span word="all">all</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="seem">seem</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="able">able</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="use">use</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="understand">understand</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="expression">expression</span>. <span word="Then">Then</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="begin">begin</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="shorten">shorten</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="expression">expression</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="economy">economy</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="convenience">convenience</span>.</p><p><span word="So">So</span>, <span word="today">today</span>, <span word="we">we</span> <span word="simply">simply</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="the">the</span> “<span word="last">last</span> <span word="straw">straw</span>”.</p><p><span word="Simple">Simple</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="that">that</span>.</p><p><span word="Not">Not</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="simple">simple</span>, <span word="of">of</span> <span word="course">course</span>, <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="foreign">foreign</span> <span word="student">student</span>. <span word="Not">Not</span> <span word="initially">initially</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="any">any</span> <span word="rate">rate</span>.</p><p><span word="When">When</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="foreign">foreign</span> <span word="student">student</span> <span word="reads">reads</span> “<span word="stumbling">stumbling</span> <span word="block">block</span>”, <span word="he">he</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="take">take</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="meaning">meaning</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="block">block</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="stumbles">stumbles</span>. <span word="After">After</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="while">while</span>, <span word="having">having</span> <span word="come">come</span> <span word="across">across</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="term">term</span> <span word="many">many</span> <span word="times">times</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="different">different</span> <span word="contexts">contexts</span>, <span word="he">he</span> <span word="realizes">realizes</span> <span word="it">it</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="block">block</span>, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="rather">rather</span> <span word="large">large</span> <span word="rock">rock</span> <span word="blocking">blocking</span> <span word="your">your</span> <span word="way">way</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="street">street</span>, <span word="that">that</span> <span word="stumbles">stumbles</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="person">person</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="tries">tries</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="step">step</span> <span word="over">over</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="rock">rock</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="stumbles">stumbles</span>.</p>
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