Keeping tabs on idioms : a sociolinguistic study of the use of English idioms
Date
2002
Authors
Smith, Mavis Anne
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Abstract
This study investigates sociolinguistic aspects of the use of English idioms in order to determine if there are age and gender differences related to idiom usage. Varying definitions of the term "idiom" exist in the literature; therefore, an integral part of this study is a critical review of existing definitions and the development of an operational definition of "idiom." I have used the ethnographic methodology developed by Hymes (1972) to examine the use of idioms among 319 native English speakers engaged in spontaneous conversation. Speakers were observed without the active participation of the researcher in order to eliminate the effects of the "observer's paradox." The results indicate an idiom frequency of 2.4 idioms per hour in 42 hours of speech, reveal a low rate of repeated idioms ( 4%), and suggest that male speakers in their forties and older make the most frequent use of idioms. Implications for second language teaching are discussed.