CULTURAL SIGNS BEHIND ENGLISH IDIOMS: TEACHING PHRASEOLOGICAL UNITS AS SEMIOTIC TOOLS IN THE EFL CLASSROOM
Keywords:
English idioms; phraseological units; semiotics; cultural symbols; intercultural communicative competence; EFL teaching; cultural linguistics; metaphor and culture; cognitive linguistics; language and culture integration.,Abstract
Idioms are integral to the lexicon and cultural identity of a language, yet they remain among the most challenging linguistic elements for learners of English as a foreign language (EFL). This paper explores English idioms as semiotic and cultural signs, demonstrating how their symbolic references to animals, colors, gestures, and objects encapsulate cultural cognition and worldview. Drawing on semiotic theory) and cultural linguistics, the study proposes that idioms serve as semiotic tools for fostering intercultural competence. A small-scale qualitative analysis of 30 idioms was conducted, categorizing them by cultural origin and semantic field. The findings reveal that idioms are deeply anchored in culturally shared imagery and symbolism, often inaccessible to learners without cultural contextualization. The paper concludes by recommending pedagogical strategies for integrating semiotic awareness into idiom instruction, highlighting the benefits of visual semiotics, metaphor mapping, and intercultural comparison in EFL classrooms
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