The impact of english idioms on learning english in Tanzania

Empirical research shows that both native speakers and non-native speakers of a language have problems understanding its idioms albeit at relatively different levels. Kiswahili-speaking English learners and speakers fail to relate the idioms such as kick the bucket, hit the bull’s eye and iron hand to their meanings. What is it that they understand upon encountering such expressions? This question was the initial motivation for this study. This study focuses on the impact of idioms in relation to the general proficiency of the English language in Tanzania. The kernel of the study is on the difficulty in understanding English idioms. Given the fact that English is not used in daily communication in Tanzania, coupled with the inadvertent neglect of teaching English idioms properly, learners find it difficult to comprehend idioms. This has far-reaching effects on English language use in Tanzania. While it can be said that English does not enjoy considerable proficiency among Tanzanians because it is not used widely, it can also be asserted that the business of teaching English in Tanzania has inadvertently sidelined learning idioms as part of the mastery of the language. This study has investigated the magnitude of the problem among English learners and suggested methods of handling English idioms in a better way. These methods would help both teachers and learners to understand the complexities pertinent to English idioms and therefore be able to handle them properly.