Best English Idioms and Phrases Every ESL Student Should Learn

Have you ever heard the phrase, “It’s a piece of cake”? If you have, you may be wondering what that means. Learning English isn’t all about grammar and vocabulary–it’s also about knowing everyday expressions and idioms. These expressions are confusing because their meanings aren’t always easily understood.

But learning them will make your speech sound more natural and confident. Knowing the correct expressions can make a big difference whether you’re learning for work, school, or everyday life. Keep reading to learn some of the most useful expressions and phrases!

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms and phrases are used in everyday conversation, so the more one practices, the better one feels confident speaking or listening to English. For instance, “Let’s call it a day ” does not mean reaching for the phone but stops working. Sometimes, if this is not known, it may leave you lost in the conversation.

Common Idioms and What They Mean

A few of the more common idioms and meanings to get one started follow:

• Break the ice: to get along well with.

             Example: We did icebreakers at the party.

• Piece of cake: Something achieved in a relatively short time. Example: The test was a piece of cake.
• Spill the beans: To say something controversial.

          Example: Don’t spill the surprise beans!

• Under the weather means feeling sick.

         For example, “I won’t be at work today because I am ill.”

• Hit the nail on the head: to say something exactly right.

          Example: Your answer nailed it.

These idioms will help during conversation and sound natural in your English speech.

Common Phrases Used at Conventions

Aside from idioms, common English phrases would be handy in your English. You hear and/or say these things daily:

• How’s it going: An informal question that means
• How are you? It’s one of those nice ways of saying it will be later.
• Hang on a second: Something said to beg indulgence for a little while.
• I’m just looking: Handy in shops when you are unprepared to buy anything.
• No Worries: Which rightly means “It’s okay” or “Don’t worry about it.

These will make conversations easy and much more enjoyable.

How to Learn Idioms and Phrases

Learning idioms and phrases isn’t always simple, but with practice and patience, it gets easier with time. To improve, practice using idioms in context by creating sentences reflecting their meanings. Watch films and television programs, listen to native speakers’ usage, and make notes when you come across new ones.

Reviewing the ones you learn regularly will assist with retention. If you’re unsure about the meaning of an idiom, don’t be afraid to ask someone to explain it to you. If you practice regularly and patiently, using idioms naturally will be second nature.

How Northwest Career College Can Help

Northwest Career College‘s ESL class helps improve your English skills, including conversational phrases and expressions, making you a good communicator. Interactive Learning: Our teaching is informal and interactive, with short practice sessions after each chapter. Instructors use engaging and practical techniques to impart everyday conversation, writing, and comprehension.
Take the Next Step: Do you want to become proficient in the language and use phrases and idioms confidently? Northwest Career College can help you with that. Call us today to begin your journey to fluency, or visit our website to learn more about our ESL program. Your path to language mastery starts here!