DEVELOPING IDIOMATIC COMPETENCE OF PRE-INTERMEDIATE KARAKALPAK STUDENTS

16 DEVELOPING IDIOMATIC COMPETENCE OF PRE-INTERMEDIATE KARAKALPAK STUDENTS Esmurzaeva A., school №55, Nukus DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17711912 Annotation. This article examines how idiomatic competence may be developed among preintermediate learners in a specific context—Karakalpak students-identifying challenges such as limited exposure, literal interpretation, and cultural unfamiliarity. It proposes concrete strategies— contextual teaching, multimodal input, technology, peer interaction, visual aids—and outlines sample lesson interventions and assessment methods. The piece aims to inform curriculum design and teacher training tailored to this student group. Key words: idiomatic competence, learners, multimodal instruction, cultural context. Rezume. Ushbu maqolada ma’lum bir kontekstda, ya’ni qoraqalpoq o‘quvchilarida idiomatik kompetensiyani qanday rivojlantirish mumkinligi ko‘rib chiqiladi, bunda cheklangan ta’sir, so‘zmaso‘z talqin qilish va madaniy notanishlik kabi muammolar aniqlanadi. U aniq strategiyalarni taklif etadi - kontekstli o‘qitish, multimodal kirish, texnologiya, tengdoshlar o‘rtasidagi o‘zaro ta’sir, ko‘rgazmali vositalar va namunaviy dars aralashuvlari hamda baholash usullarini belgilaydi. Asar o‘quvchilarning ushbu guruhiga moslashtirilgan o‘quv dasturlarini loyihalash va o‘qituvchilarni tayyorlash haqida ma’lumot berishga qaratilgan. Tayanch iboralar: idiomatik kompetensiya, ta’lim oluvchilar, multimodal ta’lim, madaniy kontekst. Аннотация. В данной статье рассматривается, как развивать идиоматическую компетентность у учащихся до среднего образования в конкретном контексте - каракалпакских студентов - выявляя такие проблемы, как ограниченная экспозиция, буквальное толкование и культурное незнакомство. Она предлагает конкретные стратегии - контекстуальное обучение, мультимодальный ввод, технологии, взаимодействие со сверстниками, наглядные пособия - и описывает примеры уроков и методы оценки. Работа направлена на информирование о разработке учебных программ и подготовке учителей, адаптированных к этой группе учащихся. Ключевые слова: идиоматическая компетентность, обучающиеся, мультимодальное обучение, культурный контекст. 1. Introduction Language learners often struggle with the non-literal aspects of idiomatic expressions—phrases whose meanings cannot be deduced from individual words. For Karakalpak students, whose native language (Karakalpak, a Turkic language) shares some but not all idiomatic forms with English, the mismatch in cultural references, syntax, collocation, and pragmatics can make idioms particularly challenging. Preintermediate learners are at a stage where they have sufficient vocabulary and some grammar but limited exposure to natural colloquial expression. Developing idiomatic 17 competence at this level can help improve comprehension, speaking fluency, listening, reading comprehension, and overall communicative competence. 2. Literature Review • Definition of idiomatic competence: It involves knowing idioms (both comprehension and productive use), understanding their cultural background, usage contexts, register, and syntactic/semantic constraints [1:23]. • Challenges found in EFL contexts: Many studies report that learners interpret idioms literally, have difficulty recognizing idiomatic vs literal usage, lack exposure to idioms in authentic contexts, and face cultural gaps. [2: 97]. • Effective teaching methods: Methods that have been found useful include multimodal teaching (using visual, audio, contextual cues), using games, peer interaction, exposure to authentic materials/media, using technology such as apps or social platforms [3.95]. 3. Learner Difficulties among Pre-Intermediate Karakalpak Students Some of the specific difficulties anticipated (or observed) are: 1. Literal interpretation: Students tend to parse idioms word by word rather than recognizing them as fixed expressions. 2. Limited exposure: Less contact with native or authentic spoken English idioms (films, conversational speech, internet). 3. Cultural unfamiliarity: References in idioms may rely on cultural or historical knowledge not known to Karakalpak students. 4. Vocabulary limits: If component words are unknown, idioms become doubly difficult. 5. Syntax / collocation issues: Even when meaning is somewhat known, using idiomatic expressions with correct grammar, verb tense, prepositions can be hard. 4. Pedagogical Strategies for Developing Idiomatic Competence To address these challenges, the following strategies are proposed: • Contextual teaching: Introduce idioms embedded in natural conversations, stories, or authentic listening passages rather than in isolation. • Multimodal input: Use video, images, role-plays, gestures to show both literal and figurative meanings. • Repetition and recycling: Revisit the same idioms across multiple lessons in different contexts so that learners consolidate understanding. • Cultural bridges: Compare idioms in English with those in Karakalpak, when equivalents exist; explain cultural references in idioms. • Peer interaction and communicative tasks: Dialogues, interviews, group work where students use idioms. 18 • Use of technology and authentic media: Songs, short videos, social media, perhaps messaging apps to see idioms used in real life. • Games and fun tasks: Matching idioms to meanings, fill-in tasks, gap fills, role plays, idiom “treasure hunts”. • Visual aids and dual coding: pairing idioms with pictures or visuals to help with non-literal sense. 5. Sample Classroom Intervention Below is a sample plan for one lesson sequence (2-3 classes) for pre-intermediate Karakalpak students. Stage Activities Pre-teach vocabulary & relevant idioms Select 5-7 idioms appropriate to students’ level (e.g. “a piece of cake,” “break the ice,” “on cloud nine,” “hit the books,” “kick the bucket”). Teach their literal parts, figurative meaning, usage, origin if simple. Contextualization Provide short listening passage/video/dialogue that includes the idioms; students listen / watch and identify them. Meaning negotiation Discuss what each idiom means; compare to possible Karakalpak equivalents; ask students to guess meaning first, check dictionary. Practice Controlled tasks: matching idioms with meanings; fill gaps; rewriting sentences; choosing correct idiom in a context. Production Role-plays, dialogues, or small group dialogues using the idioms; perhaps students make short skits. Also, homework: write short paragraphs/stories using at least 2 idioms. Feedback & assessment Error correction; peer evaluation; short quiz. Collect data to track which idioms students are reliably using. 6. Assessment and Monitoring Assessment should focus on both receptive (understanding) and productive (use) idiomatic competence. • Preand Post-tests: Test knowledge of idioms before the intervention (recognition, meaning), and after. • Continuous classroom assessment: Observation, tasks, peer and self-evaluation. • Use of authentic material tasks: Listening/reading tasks with idioms in context to see whether students interpret correctly. • Production assessment: Written or spoken tasks in which students must use idioms appropriately. Monitoring progress over time is important: keeping idiom portfolios or journals can help students see growth. 7. Implications for Curriculum and Teacher Training 19 • Curriculum should integrate idioms across levels, not leave them as optional or “extra” content. For pre-intermediate Karakalpak students, gradual introduction is key. • Textbooks should include idiomatic expressions, with explanations, contexts, and practice. • Teacher training needs to prepare teachers to select idioms sensibly (appropriate difficulty, cultural relevance), to use interactive and multimodal techniques, and to provide feedback on idiom use. 8. Conclusion Developing idiomatic competence for pre-intermediate Karakalpak students is both needed and feasible. With appropriate selection of idioms, multimodal and contextual teaching, sufficient exposure, and good assessment and feedback, learners can begin to understand and use idioms more naturally. This contributes to greater fluency, comprehension, and confidence in English. Further empirical research in Karakalpak classrooms would help validate methods and refine best practices. References 1. Figurative Idiomatic Competence: An Analysis of EFL Learners in Vietnam. Language Education in Asia, 4(1), 23-38. 2. Li, Z., & Liontas, J. I. (2023). English VP Idiom Learning and WeChat: Developing Idiomatic Competence among Chinese EFL Learners. Iranian Journal of Language Teaching Research, 11(2), 95-117. 3. Ban Hassan Jasim, B. (2020). Exploring the EFL Iraqi Students’ Competence in Using and Understanding Idiomatic Expressions. International Journal of Psychosocial Rehabilitation, 24(2), 9382-9396. 4. Sulaiman Alnujaidi et al. (2025). Enhancing EFL Students’ Idiomatic Competence: A Comparative Analysis of Lexical, Etymological, and Multimodal Approaches. Journal of Language and Education. 5. Usmonova, D. I. (2025). Developing Students’ Idiomatic Competence: Approaches and Strategies. Prospects of Teaching English for Professional Purposes in Non-Philological Higher Education Institutions: Problems and Solutions.