Understanding of Idiomatic Expressions in Children between 11 – 14 Years

Abstract

Introduction: Figurative language goes beyond the literal meaning of words, bringing an unclear concept alive. Understanding idiomatic expressions begins in early childhood, gradually improving with age. Objectives/Aim: As there is a dearth of Indian studies done on this aspect, it would be interesting to know the developmental trends in a multilingual country like India. Method: The participants in the study were selected from four age groups (11; 0, 12; 0, 13; 0 and 14; 0 years). A total of twenty-seven idioms were scrutinized and selected for the purpose of the study. An idiom interpretation task was administered. Participants were given a multiple choice task – figurative, literal and incorrect interpretation. They were asked to read the idiom and select its appropriate interpretation. Appropriate statistical methods were done to determine the mean percentage of all the interpretations across the age groups. The results yielded a significant main effect between the groups (p < 0.001). Literal interpretations were dominating in the 11 year age group, and predominant figurative interpretations in the subsequent groups, along with a decrease in the literal interpretations. A developmental trend was observed in the comprehension of idiomatic phrases.