A powerpoint presentation based on the "Contrastive Linguistics & Error Analysis" course offered by the University of Unindra, Jakarta, Indonesia

1. Idiomatic
Expressions &
Semantic Ranges
Presented by Fena Sara
StartStart
20122012

2. An idiom is a phrase where the
words together have a meaning
that is different from the
dictionary definitions of the
individual words
What’s
the
definiti
on of
idiom?

3. Idioms!
Next…Next…
IDIOMS !
• Idioms are funny sayings that have been
around for a long time.
• They are not to be taken literally—that
means that you shouldn’t do exactly what
they say.
• For example, if someone tells you to go fly a
kite, that means go away!

4. “It’s raining cats and dogs!”
Literal
Figurative

5. Never bite off more than you
can chew.
To take on a challenge that is too big

6. .
Give away a secret

7. When she started the job, she was still wet
behind the ears:
Either very young or inexperienced.

8. I am very
nervous
I have got butterflies in my stomach

9. You are "barking
up the wrong
tree" when you are
trying to find
something, but you
are looking in the
wrong place.

10. A task that
can be
accomplishe
d very
easily.
A Piece of Cake

11. Lend Me Your Ear:
To politely ask for someone's full attention.

12. Never bite the hand that feeds you.
To harm someone who has been helping
you.

13. Bite Your Tongue
To avoid
talking

14. SOME PROBLEM USING
IDIOMS :
• They are more difficult to
produce
• Idioms need specific settings to
be used
• You must understand the idiom
as a whole
• You use an idiom according the
context
• Idioms are too many you can’t
learn all of them
•

15. SOME BENEFITS USING
IDIOMS :
• Extend your knowledge of the
language
• Help you to understand more
• Build confidence
• Increase your vocabulary
• Improve your foreign language

16. SEMANTIC RANGESSEMANTIC RANGES

17. A word might have more than one
meaning (in context). The more
meanings, the greater the
word's semantic range.
This concept is especially important in
anthropology when different languages
as well as different cultures are
involved.

18. An example might be the word RUN which can
mean:
A race
A journey
A route
A damaged piece of fine net (like a stocking)
A bout
A flow of water
A duration
To move rapidly on foot
To flow
To control (as in machinery)
To manage or supervise
To continue
To be a candidate
To carry out or execute
To work

19. If one attempts to translate “Run”
into another, knowing that the word
has a great semantic range, then one
must be careful of the word or words
that is used in the translated language.

20. The English language, though widely
spoken throughout the world, isn’t as
easily understood even by some of it’s
native speakers. With so many different
plays on words, homophones, euphemisms
and idioms can be very misleading and
even lead to misunderstandings.
Misunderstandings in the
English Language

21. Misunderstandings in the English
Language
Sometimes, English sentences
can be misinterpreted or figures
of speech can be taken literally.
The children’s story of “Amelia
Bedelia” shows that even native
English speakers can get
confused.

22. CONCLUSION
• An idiom is the connotative meaning, so we
have to translate it based on its context and
as a whole phrase. It means that we can’t
translate it separately.
• Like our language, English also has its own
style in its language. It also has aphorism,
idiom, simile, connotation, denotation, etc.
• Idioms can be learned by understanding,
memorizing and practicing.