Idioms are phrases that have a different meaning than the individual words in them.

Often it is difficult to guess the meaning of an idiom, though sometimes you can.

Idiams, however, are very important.

Normal American speech is full of id idioms. Most Americans don't realize that

you didn't learn idioms in school. They will use idioms constantly when they

talk to you. This frustrates many students. Even

students with high tofel scores and big vocabularies have trouble with

normal conversation because they don't

understand the idioms. You must learn idioms. Unfortunately, schools

and textbooks don't teach them. I don't know why they don't.

It's just another example of how textbook English is not real English.

Also, you won't learn many idioms from reading. We use them much more in

speech than in writing. How can you learn idioms? Number one, get a dictionary of American idioms. Number two, review

the 80 most frequent idioms. Number three, use American movies to learn idioms.

And number four, get lessons that use idioms and real English. If you want to speak and understand English, not just read it,

you must learn idioms. Without idioms, you will never understand normal speech. Without idioms you

will never understand native speakers. But when you learn idioms, speech suddenly is easy.

You understand native speakers. They understand you.

It's a great feeling.

Idians are the key to Rio English conversation.