Cultural Essence and Educational Power of Idiomatic Expressions

By Elvira G. Di Fabio, Ph.D.

As the authors of “Parliamo Italiano!”, Suzanne Branciforte and I firmly believe in the transformative power of teaching both language and culture. Our approach is to integrate culture—the fifth competence—right from the beginning level, embodying our program’s motto: “lingua è cultura” (language is culture). One of the ways we achieve this is by consistently incorporating idiomatic expressions and conversational gambits throughout the units, ensuring they form an integral part of the essential vocabulary and linguistic structures.

Idiomatic expressions are more than just linguistic tools; they are vibrant reflections of a culture’s identity and mindset. These expressions, often colorful and metaphorical, carry meanings that go beyond the literal interpretation of words. They embody the history, values, and humor of a culture, making them an indispensable part of language learning and teaching. In this blog, we will explore the significance of idiomatic expressions in fostering cultural understanding, enhancing student motivation, and encouraging authentic communication.

Idiomatic expressions and Conversational Gambits in Parliamo italiano!

Parliamo italiano! (Vista Higher Learning, 5th edition) seeks to contextualize authentic language in real-world situations. Most “Incontro” sections of each unit are conversations with contextualized vocabulary and current language usage. These mini “encounters” signal the grammatical structures that will be explained later in the section, so that students see and hear the language in action prior to scrutinizing specific structures. Moreover, these exchanges incorporate conversational “gambits” or devices that help the speaker maintain the smooth flow of the conversation (see Glisan, E. and Donato, R., p.46). These include idioms, expressions and set phrases and are presented after the Incontro in special sections called “In altre parole”. If we consider the unit vocabulary and grammatical structures to be the “food” that students will consume in order to communicate, these gambits add spice, emotion and cultural awareness to the linguistic structures. Because these conversational gambits add flavor to the language students respond well to them and assimilate them very quickly. They allow for more natural, colorful communication, are found in daily speech, and reflect cultural identity. They add emotive purposes that lead to phatic communication, leading to social interaction rather than just conveying information or asking questions.

Idiomatic Expressions as Cultural Reflections

Idiomatic expressions are deeply embedded in the cultural fabric of a society. They offer insights into the collective psyche and historical experiences of a people. They serve as linguistic windows through which one can view the values, humor, and traditions of a community. By learning idiomatic expressions, language learners gain a deeper understanding of the culture, which enhances their ability to communicate effectively and empathetically.
Speaking of humor, for example, Parliamo italiano presents a whole list of idiomatic expressions that feature the humble cabbage, a ubiquitous vegetable that has a long history in Italian cooking, and slang, making for some very expressive conversational gambits, such as col cavolo! (Yeah, right! No way!), che cavola fai? (What the heck are you doing?), che cavolo! (What the heck!), una giornata del cavolo (a bad day), and the very expressive ci sta come il cavolo a merenda (literally, “it’s like having cabbage for a snack”, that is, when something is completely inappropriate for a particular context. Students therefore can “eat” this linguistic ingredient and really spice up their conversational skills!

Leveraging Student Motivation for Natural Speech

In the realm of language education, motivation is a key driver of success. Teachers have the unique opportunity to leverage student motivation by incorporating idiomatic expressions and conversational gambits into their lessons. These expressions, with their quirky and often humorous nature, can captivate students’ interest and stimulate spontaneous, natural speech.

By integrating idiomatic expressions into conversational practice, educators can create a dynamic and engaging learning environment. Students are encouraged to experiment with language, make mistakes, and learn from them. This approach not only boosts their confidence but also fosters a sense of curiosity and enthusiasm for language learning.

Rewarding Cultural Understanding

To further encourage the use of idiomatic expressions and cultural exploration, educators can implement a reward system that recognizes and values cultural understanding. By giving points or other incentives for the use of conversation gambits, teachers can reinforce positive behavior and motivate students to delve deeper into the cultural aspects of language.

This approach aligns with the idea that teachers are members of the “human improvement” professions, as noted by Glisan & Donato. Just as fitness trainers and psychotherapists measure success by their clients’ willingness to improve themselves. (Glisson & Donato, 56). The teacher’s success is measured by the student’s progress in embracing these natural, culturally authentic and flavorful expressions!

For more in-depth discussion on a positive discourse community and conversational gambits, please refer to chapter 2 of Glisan, E., & Donato, R. (2017). Enacting the Work of Language Instruction: High Leverage Teaching Practices. The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages.