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© British Council
The United Kingdom's international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities.
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© British Council The United Kingdom's international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. A registered charity: 209131 (England and Wales) SC037733 (Scotland). ICP#: 10044692

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Effective communication is one of the most important life skills we can learn-yet one we don't usually put a lot of effort into. Whether you want to have better conversations in your social life or get your ideas across better at work, here are some essential tips for learning to to communicate more effectively.

10. Watch Your Body Language

You tell your partner you're open to discussion but your arms are crossed; say you're listening but haven't looked up from your phone yet. Our non-verbal and non-written cues often reveal more than we think they do. Whether it's how you make eye contact or how you hold yourself during a video interview, don't forget that you're constantly communicating even when you're not saying a word. One strange way to tap into your body for better communication? Think about your toes. Or adopt a power pose if you need to boost your confidence before a big talk. Or learn how to read other people's body language so you can respond appropriately.

9. Get Rid of Unnecessary Conversation Fillers

Um's and ah's do little to improve your speech or everyday conversations. Cut them out to be more persuasive and feel or appear more confident. One way is to start keeping track of when you say words like "um" or "like." You could also try taking your hands out of your pockets or simply relaxing and pausing before you speak. Those silences seem more awkward to you than they do to others, trust us.

8. Have a Script for Small Talk and Other Occasions

Small talk is an art that not many people have mastered. For the inevitable, awkward silences with people you hardly know, it helps to have a plan. The FORD (family, occupation, recreation dreams) method might help you come up with topics to discuss, and you can also turn small talk into conversation by sharing information that could help you and the other person find common ground. Hey, all that small talk could make you happier in the long run.

7. Tell a Story

Stories are powerful. They activate our brains, make presentations suck less, make us more persuasive, and can even help us ace interviews. Learn the secrets of becoming a phenomenal storyteller with these rules from Pixar or by simply using the word "but" more to structure your narrative. Everyone's got at least one great story in them.

6. Ask Questions and Repeat the Other Person

Let's face it, we've all drifted off when someone else was talking or misheard the other person. Asking questions and repeating the other person's last few words shows you're interested in what they say, keeps you on your toes, and helps clarify points that could be misunderstood (e.g., "So to recap, you're going to buy the tickets for Saturday?").

It also helps for small talk and to fill in awkward silences. Instead of trying to stir up conversation on mundane topics like the weather, ask the other person questions (e.g., "Got any plans for the summer?" or "What are you reading lately?") and engage in their answers. It's more important to be interested than to be interesting.

5. Put Away the Distractions

It's pretty rude to use your phone while someone's talking to you or you're supposed to be hanging out with them. Maybe we can't get rid of all our distractions or put away technology completely, but just taking the time to look up could vastly improve our communication with each other.

4. Tailor Your Message to Your Audience

The best communicators adjust how they talk based on whom they're speaking to; you'd probably use a different style of communication with co-workers or your boss compared to when you're speaking with your significant other, kids, or elders. Always try to keep the other person's perspective in mind when you try to get your message across.

3. Be Brief Yet Specific

There's actually a BRIEF acronym-Background, Reason, Information, End, Follow-up-to help you keep your emails short without leaving anything out. It's a good policy for both writtena nd verbal communication (I've always felt that my job as a writer was to clearly get the point across and then get off the page as soon as possible. Just two more items on this list!) Clear and concise are two of the 7 Cs of communication, along with concrete, correct, coherent, complete, and courteous.

2. Up Your Empathy

Communication is a two-way street. If you practice taking the opposing viewpoint, you can reduce the difficulty and anxiety that sometimes arises when trying to truly communicate with others. (For example, knowing what your significant other really means when she says she's too tired to talk.) Developing empathy helps you better understand even the unspoken parts of your communication with others, and helps you respond more effectively.

1. Listen, Really Listen

Finally, going hand-in-hand with most of the points above, the best thing you can do to improve your communication skills is to learn to really listen-to pay attention and let the other person talk without interrupting. It's hard work, we know, but "A good conversation is a bunch of words elegantly connected with listening." Then, even if your communication styles don't match, at least you're both working off the same page. And hopefully the other person will be attentively listening to you too.
Lifehacker's Weekend Roundup gathers our best guides, explainers, and other posts on a certain subject so you can tackle big projects with ease. For more, check out our Weekend Roundup and Top 10 tags.

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Top 10 Ways to Improve Your Communication Skills

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Effective communication is one of the most important life skills we can learn-yet one we don't usually put a lot of effort into. Whether you want to have better conversations in your social life or get your ideas across better at work, here are some essential tips for learning to to communicate more effectively.

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English idioms: themes and alphabetical lists - with meaning and example | Learn English Today

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3000 English idioms and idiomatic expressions in alphabetical order and by theme, with their meaning and an example of use, for learners of English.

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Improve Communication Skills for Everyday Talk

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Misunderstanding and conflict are bound to happen when people interact. But you can minimize the frequency of these occurrences - and the accompanying headaches - simply by improving your communication skills. Good communication involves expressing yourself and active listening.

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Spoken English Tip #1:
Learn phrases, not just individual words

If you study individual English words in isolation, this is what happens:

When you need to speak, you have to think a lot in order to combine the individual words in the right order, using the right grammar, and in a way that makes sense.

That's WAY too much work!

If you focus on learning phrases instead, then you will have ready answers and responses for any situation - no need to over-think. Focusing on phrases will help you speak English in complete sentences more naturally.

Spoken English Tip #2: Listen to more English

Most English learners read too much and listen too little.

But when babies and children learn English, they listen first - then speak - and later learn to read and write.

Half of a conversation is hearing the other person - and if you don't understand what they're saying, how can you respond correctly? So if you want to improve your English speaking, spend more time listening!

Bonus: Listening more will also help you naturally improve your pronunciation and reduce your accent.

Practice speaking by yourselfSpoken English Tip #3:
(both reading aloud and speaking spontaneously)

When you speak English, there are two main difficulties:

The mental difficulty of thinking of the English words to say

The physical difficulty of pronouncing the English words correctly

Reading English texts out loud will help you with the second part without having to worry about the first part. It will train your mouth and lips to pronounce English words more easily.

Speaking English spontaneously by yourself is also EXTREMELY helpful in developing your ability to put your ideas into words... without the pressure of a real conversation. You can look at a list of discussion questions and respond out loud in English - speaking alone.

It might feel a little silly, but remember - this is GREAT training for your spoken English, and there's nobody to hear your mistakes!

Spoken English Tip #4: Practice thinking in English
Do you think in your native language and then translate it into English in your head before speaking?

Don't do this! It often results in sentences that don't sound natural in English, because the sentence structure is often different in English and your native language.

Also, it takes WAY too much time to think and translate when you're in a conversation.

One of the biggest secrets to speaking English fast and fluently is to learn to think directly in English. The great news is that this is is a skill you CAN develop with practice, and you can practice anytime - while taking the bus, while waiting in line, while sitting at home.

Try thinking in English for a few minutes today, to start building this habit!

Spoken English Tip #5:
Get an online conversation partner

"How can I practice speaking English if I have nobody to talk with?"

There are "conversation exchange" websites where you can find a partner who speaks English, but wants to learn your native language.

You can then schedule a conversation session and speak half in English, half in your native language so that both of you can practice.

It's also good to have someone help correct any errors in a relaxed, low-pressure situation.

Here are some examples of conversation exchange websites:

So if you don't have a conversation partner, get one today - it will really help you practice your speaking.

Spoken English Tip #6: Remember that communication is more important than grammar

Do you get nervous when speaking because you're afraid of making a mistake?

Remember that the #1 goal of speaking English is to communicate. Although grammar is important, it is less important than communication when speaking English.

Here's a simple example - if you say:

"Yesterday I go to party on beach."

The sentence isn't grammatically correct, but it DOES successfully communicate your message, and an English speaker will understand you. It's better to say something "wrong" and still communicate successfully than to say nothing!

Also, the grammar of spoken English is more flexible than the grammar of written English - so don't worry too much about grammar when speaking.

Trying to speak English too fast won't make you sound like a native speaker. Instead, it can actually make it more difficult for the other person to understand you.

Speaking English slowly has two advantages:

It gives you more time to think of what to say

It makes your speech clearer so the other person can understand

Over time and with practice, your spoken English will get faster naturally.

Spoken English Tip #8:
If you forget a word, use other words

It's very common for English learners to stop a sentence in the middle because they've forgotten the word they want to use - but try to be creative. The other person can help you if you describe the word you want by using other English words.

For example, one of my students was describing a recipe, and he didn't know the word for one of the vegetables. So he said "It's white, and like a ball, and when you cut it, you cry."

I said, "It's an onion."

So you can see that my student communicated successfully by using different words, even though he didn't know the word he wanted to use.

Spoken English Tip #9:
Relax & have a positive, confident attitude

If you make a mistake or forget a word when you are speaking English - it's OK! Don't be nervous or afraid.

The person who you're talking to will understand and be patient with you. If you are insecure when speaking English, it will be even more difficult to speak.

So DON'T say "My English is terrible" or "Sorry for my bad English." These are negative comments and they're not helpful.

Instead, think "I can speak English!" before every conversation in order to give yourself more confidence and help you speak better!

Spoken English Tip #10:
Learn real English phrases for everyday life

Today, you have the opportunity to take an English course that focuses on useful English in the context of conversations.

The Everyday English Speaking Course is a simple, fun, and effective way to learn new phrases and expressions - and improve your speaking ability.

Each lesson is based on conversations, and reading and listening to the dialogues will help you improve your understanding.

The next part of the lesson explains and expands upon the vocabulary you heard in the conversations, teaching you new expressions and showing you how to use them.

There are lots of practice phrases which you can listen to and repeat to improve your English speaking.

Finally, each lesson has quizzes to help you test yourself and remember the new phrases - and opportunities for you to send speaking samples and get feedback from me on your spoken English.

Learn English for Daily Life

In this course, you'll learn how to speak English in the typical situations of daily life:

You'll also learn important phrases for social English, so that you can interact with other English speakers successfully and confidently.

Learn Practical English

The course also covers practical vocabulary for talking about:

Interesting Topics in English

And finally, there are lessons on topics you don't often find in textbooks:

More than 100 students have taken this course and enjoyed it.
They describe the course as...

"Very good with clear explanations"

"Useful for daily life"

"Brilliant, warm, nice, and concrete"

"Totally worth it!"

Would you like to learn new phrases
and improve your speaking, using the same
expressions as native English speakers?

Other English websites charge a monthly fee for access, but when you sign up for Everyday English Speaking, you'll get instant and permanent access to the 45 lessons in the course.

You can take the lessons online or download them to your computer, and there's no time limit for finishing - you have access to the course forever.

Your investment in the course is $45 - that's just $1 per lesson - and you can pay by credit card, debit card, or PayPal through a secure connection that keeps your information safe.

For payment by bank deposit in Brazil, contact me for details.

Everyday English Speaking Course

45 Lessons
One-time payment... permanent access
Contact me to pay by Bank Deposit in Brazil
Everyday English Speaking Course - Lesson List
Lesson 1 - Telephone English Phrases
First let's learn some essential telephone vocabulary, and then you'll hear examples of formal and informal telephone conversations - learning phrases for making a call, answering a call, taking and leaving messages, and finishing the call.
Lesson 2 - Apartments & Neighborhoods
Today you'll learn phrases for searching for an apartment and talking about where you live. At the end of today's lesson, instead of a quiz, there's an opportunity for you to send me a speaking sample. Don't be shy!
Lesson 3 - Talking About TV & Movies
Emily and Dave are a husband and wife who are relaxing in front of the TV on a Saturday night. Listen to them decide on which TV show to watch. Bill and Wanda are two friends who are chatting about movies; from their conversation, you'll learn how to comment on movies.
Lesson 4 - Talking About Relationships
Today you're going to learn phrases for talking about every stage of a romantic relationship - from the first impressions upon meeting each other, to starting a relationship, making it official, and breaking up.
Lesson 5 - Talking About Your Hobbies
The word "hobby" refers to an activity or interest that you do for pleasure or relaxation. In this lesson, you'll learn vocabulary words for some of the most common indoor/outdoor hobbies, as well as phrases for talking about your passions.
Lesson 6 - Public Transportation
Today you'll learn how to ask for information, buy a bus/train ticket, and take a taxi. After this lesson, you'll be able to speak confidently when taking public transportation in English!
Lesson 7 - Driving & Directions
Listen to a conversation about a terrible road trip, and learn phrases for talking about driving actions/problems as well as asking for directions to your destination.
Lesson 8 - Restaurants - Part I
We're going to eat out - that means eating at a restaurant. Today you'll learn how to make reservations, what to say when you arrive at the restaurant, and how to understand the menu.
Lesson 9 - Restaurants - Part II
Today we'll continue our restaurant lesson by learning how to order the food, how to pay the bill, and how to talk about your experience at the restaurant.
Lesson 10 - Ordering Drinks, Coffee, and a Pizza
I hope you're still hungry, because today you're going to learn how to order drinks at a bar, order coffee at a cafe, and order pizza for delivery.
Lesson 11 - At the Post Office and Bank
Today we're going to run some errands. "Errands" are activities of daily life that you do outside your house. Let's go to the post office - that's the place where you can send mail and packages - and the bank.

Lesson 12 - Shopping

Today's lesson is all about shopping - let's begin by learning about the different types of stores. Then, you'll hear typical dialogues when shopping for clothes and shopping at the supermarket.

Lesson 13 - Getting Sick & Going to the Doctor

Today you're going to learn phrases for not feeling well, and how to talk to a doctor about health problems and treatments.

Lesson 14 - Crime & Safety

How to talk about different types of crime and criminals, the process of justice and punishments for crime, and how to report a crime to a police officer.

Lesson 15 - Talking about the Weather

In this lesson, you'll learn practical words and phrases for describing the current weather and temperature as well as predicting weather conditions in the future.

Lesson 16 - Airport (Part 1)

Are you ready to take a trip? We're going to start a series of lessons on practical English for use while traveling. Today we're going to go through the airport step by step, learning important vocabulary and useful phrases along the way.

Lesson 17 - Airport (Part 2)

Today you'll learn how to go through immigration and customs, what to say if you miss a flight, and how to report lost luggage.

Lesson 18 - At a Hotel

We'll continue our lessons about practical travel English with dialogues for making a hotel reservation, checking in and checking out, and describing problems with your hotel room.

Lesson 19 - Sightseeing

Today's dialogues focus on asking for tourist information and booking a tour. There are also two quizzes that test your listening ability.

Lesson 20 - Camping & Hiking

In today's lesson, you'll accompany George to the countryside and learn vocabulary and phrases for camping and hiking.

Lesson 21 - At the Beach

Listen to this conversation to learn phrases and vocabulary for describing a beach and talking about what you bring and what you can do there.

Lesson 22 - Social English: Basics

Many students are afraid of making a mistake or "saying the wrong thing" when talking with a native English speaker. These social English lessons will teach you phrases you can use with confidence in various social situations. Let's start with some basic expressions.

Lesson 23: Likes, Dislikes, and Preferences

Denise and Robert are discussing a new design for their website. Listen to their conversations to learn various phrases for talking about things you like (or love), things you don't like, and what you prefer.

Lesson 24: Invitations and Offers

Knowing how to make - and respond to - invitations and offers is a very important part of social English. It helps you build professional relationships as well as friendships. This lesson will teach you how to speak in these situations in a friendly way that's appropriate for the context.

Lesson 25: Agreeing & Disagreeing

Co-workers Shannon and Cathy agree that there need to be some changes in their office - but when they present their proposal to vice-president Dan, he disagrees with every single one of their ideas. In today's lesson, you'll learn multiple phrases for agreeing and disagreeing in formal and informal situations.

Lesson 26: Arguing & Swearing

Yesterday you learned how to disagree politely - but what if the disagreement turns into a real argument? Listen to this conversation between Christine and Tara, who share an apartment, to learn some of the common phrases used for arguing.

Lesson 27: Apologizing & Expressing Regret

In yesterday's lesson, you learned how to argue and swear in English - but after having an argument or fight, it's important to apologize in order to maintain a good relationship! This lesson will teach you about the different ways to say you're sorry and accept responsibility for what you did wrong.

Lesson 28: Expressing Concern, Sympathy, and Condolences

One of the most difficult social situations - for both native and non-native English speakers - is knowing what to say when someone tells you a piece of bad news. In today's lesson, you'll learn phrases for handling these conversations with sensitivity.

Lesson 29: Worrying, Reassuring, Cheering up, and Encouraging

In today's conversation, Kate worries about her final exams and her older sister Robin tries to encourage her. In this lesson, you'll learn phrases for expressing your concerns as well as helping other people feel better.

Lesson 30: Interrupting & Getting Back on Track

Knowing how to interrupt is an important skill in social English. The way you phrase your interruption will make a big difference in how it is received - so in today's lesson, you'll learn various phrases for interrupting politely.

Lesson 31: Asking Permission & Asking Indirect Questions

As you learned in the last lesson, the words you use make a big difference in whether your phrase is polite or impolite. Today we're going to study examples of how to ask questions in a polite and indirect way.

Lesson 32: Common Interjections

Everyday spoken English contains lots of little expressions like wow, oops, aww, ooh, huh? oh, and cool! - each of these interjections serves to express a particular emotion or attitude.

Lesson 33: Common Euphemisms

Today's lesson is about euphemisms. Euphemisms are indirect or vague expressions that are often used instead of words or phrases that are thought to be offensive or too direct. Most euphemisms are in topic areas that could be offensive if talked about too directly, such as love and sex, bodily functions, death, and mental capacity.

Lesson 34: Talking about Information

Today we'll begin the final section of the Everyday English Speaking Course - it's called functional English, and it focuses on practical phrases that you can use in a variety of situations and contexts. We'll start this section by learning how to talk about information.

Lesson 35: Certainty & Probability

Today you'll learn how to talk about certainty and probability - including all those confusing phrases like "I'm pretty sure," "must have," "might have," "could have," etc.

Lesson 36: Similarities & Differences

Kate mistakes a person in the supermarket for a friend of hers - and Jen tries to decide between two very different universities. These two dialogues will teach you various expressions for talking about similarities and differences.

Lesson 37: Talking about Decisions

How can you talk about easy and difficult decisions in English? What's the difference between "undecided" and "indecisive"? And what are some phrases for evaluating a decision after it was made? You'll learn the answers to all these questions in today's lesson.

Lesson 38: Opinions & Advice

In today's conversations, you'll learn a number of different phrases for asking for someone's opinion, giving your opinion, requesting advice, and giving advice.

Lesson 39: Complaining & Criticizing

When we want to make a complaint or criticism in English, we often use specific words or phrases to make it politer and less direct. This helps the other person to listen and understand the complaint/criticism without getting defensive.

Lesson 40: Discourse Markers

Today's lesson is on some of the most common discourse markers. What are discourse markers? They're words or small phrases that express the connections between ideas when writing or speaking. You've already learned some of these in this course: for example, starting a sentence with "as I was saying," to get back to the topic after an interruption.

Lesson 41: Idioms for Feelings

Idioms are small phrases that often have a different meaning than their individual words. Although idioms are not usually used in more formal written English, they are extremely common in spoken English - and we have a number of idioms to describe feelings and emotions.

Lesson 42: Using Vague Language

In spoken English, it's very common to use vague (not precise or exact) expressions. Listen to today's conversation: Martha is waiting for her teenage daughter, Rachel, to get home from a rock concert. Rachel finally walks in the door at 12:30 AM.

Lesson 43: Talking about Hypothetical Situations

This is often one of the most difficult grammar challenges for English learners. We use the second conditional and third conditional to do it. In today's lesson, you'll see examples in two interviews.

Lesson 44: Common Slang

Slang is not usually taught in textbooks, and you won't hear it in academic or professional situations - but in movies, TV shows, and informal conversations, these words are used frequently. In today's lesson, you're going to learn 15 common slang words used in American English.

Lesson 45: Differences between Speaking & Writing in English

There are some real differences between written and spoken English in terms of vocabulary and grammar. In this lesson, you'll learn three major ways that spoken English is different from written English.

Everyday English Speaking Course

45 Lessons
One-time payment... permanent access
Contact me to pay by Bank Deposit in Brazil

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Top 10 Tips to Improve Your Spoken English

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Spoken English Tip #1: Learn phrases, not just individual words If you study individual English words in isolation, this is what happens: When you need to speak, you have to think a lot in order to combine the individual words in the right order, using the right grammar, and in a way that makes sense.

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The English We Speak is your chance to catch up on the very latest English words and phrases. In under 3 minutes, we help you stay ahead of the pack by giving you 'must have' phrases that you can use in your everyday conversation. Amaze your friends, impress your teachers and delight your parents with these fantastic words and phrases.

Let us know how you get on using them on Twitter and Facebook.

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BBC Learning English - The English We Speak

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The English We Speak is your chance to catch up on the very latest English words and phrases. In under 3 minutes, we help you stay ahead of the pack by giving you 'must have' phrases that you can use in your everyday conversation.

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Global Blog - Explore our learning resources

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Here are 15 common English idioms and phrases that will enrich your English vocabulary and make you sound like a native speaker in no time.

1. 'The best of both worlds' - means you can enjoy two different opportunities at the same time.

"By working part-time and looking after her kids two days a week she managed to get the best of both worlds."

2. 'Speak of the devil' - this means that the person you're just talking about actually turns up at that moment.

"Hi Tom, speak of the devil, I was just telling Sara about your new car."

3. 'See eye to eye' - this means agreeing with someone.

"They finally saw eye to eye on the business deal."

4. 'Once in a blue moon' - an event that happens infrequently.

"I only go to the cinema once in a blue moon."

5. 'When pigs fly' - something that will never happen.

"When pigs fly she'll tidy up her room."

6. 'To cost an arm and a leg' - something is very expensive.

"Fuel these days costs and arm and a leg."

7. 'A piece of cake' - something is very easy.

"The English test was a piece of cake."

8. 'Let the cat out of the bag' - to accidentally reveal a secret.

"I let the cat out of the bag about their wedding plans."

9. 'To feel under the weather' - to not feel well.

"I'm really feeling under the weather today; I have a terrible cold."

10. 'To kill two birds with one stone' - to solve two problems at once.

"By taking my dad on holiday, I killed two birds with one stone. I got to go away but also spend time with him."

11. 'To cut corners' - to do something badly or cheaply.

"They really cut corners when they built this bathroom; the shower is leaking."

12. 'To add insult to injury' - to make a situation worse.

"To add insult to injury the car drove off without stopping after knocking me off my bike."

13. 'You can't judge a book by its cover' - to not judge someone or something based solely on appearance.

"I thought this no-brand bread would be horrible; turns out you can't judge a book by its cover."

14. 'Break a leg' - means 'good luck' (often said to actors before they go on stage).

"Break a leg Sam, I'm sure your performance will be great."

15. 'To hit the nail on the head' - to describe exactly what is causing a situation or problem.

"He hit the nail on the head when he said this company needs more HR support."

To test your new-found knowledge here are some sentences to practice with. Fill in the blank!

A) I can't afford this purse! It _______. I won't be able to pay my rent!

B) His birthday was supposed to be a surprise! I can't believe you _____. Now he knows!

C) Ha! John has been promising to paint the house for five years.... Maybe when _______.

D) Yeah, it'll _______. I need to sign some papers at Jenny's school anyway so i'll pick her up for you too.

E) I don't really like going out to bars anymore. I only go _______.

F) I'm sorry I can't come into work today. I'm ________. I have a sore throat and runny nose.

G) They tried ________ when installing the pipes for the house and now we have leaks only one month after purchasing it!

H) We missed our flight to Paris because the connecting flight was late and to ______ they made us pay for a new ticket as if it was our fault!

I) I can't wait to see you perform on stage tonight! ______!

J) Jane is just never on time to work, it's really annoying. O wow, ______ here she comes...

K) So we're going to London, then Munich, then we will fly out of Athens, right? Great. I'm so glad to be traveling with someone I _______ with.

L) Wow, she found her dream man and has now landed an amazing job. She really does have ______.

M) OK, she might not be the most attractive but _________. I'm sure she is a sweetheart.

N) I have been trying to figure this out for ages. Thanks so much, you're right. You _______.

O) I can't believe that was our test. I think it was easier than some of our homework! It was a ______.

So how did you do? Don't forget to try and use these idioms and phrases when practicing your English. And do let us know if you need further clarification on commonly used idioms by leaving a comment below.

Want to learn more? Visit our website to start learning English online today!

Answers: 6, 8, 5, 10, 4, 9, 11, 12, 14, 2, 3, 1, 13, 15, 7

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15 common English idioms and phrases with their meaning

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Here are 15 common English idioms and phrases that will enrich your English vocabulary and make you sound like a native speaker in no time. 1. 'The best of both worlds' - means you can enjoy two different opportunities at the same time.

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So you're in an American bar.

It's loud, but you can make out what people are saying.

You hear a fellow drinker talking about hitting books...

...another is talking about twisting someone's arm...

...and it sounds like someone's been stabbed in the back.

What the heck is going on?

You scratch your head and wonder why you're still lost even though you can translate the words.

Well, you've just had your first introduction to English idioms.

What Are English Idioms?

English idioms are a group of words which have a meaning which isn't obvious from looking at the individual words.

They have developed over time and so they might seem random to you. English idioms often rely on analogies and metaphors.

Because they're used so often in everyday English, if you don't know them, it's almost impossible to understand the context.

Why Learn English Idioms?

Does this sound familiar?

You took traditional classes.

You learned the grammar, the rules, and hundreds of exceptions.

You have a vocabulary that could rival an American student's.

You even have a couple of certificates hanging proudly on your wall stating you are indeed proficient in English....

...so why is it you just can't get it sometimes?

Well, what you learn from textbooks and what you learn from the real world are two totally different things when it comes to language learning.

What you really need is a stronger mastery of English idioms and expressions.

Learning common everyday English idioms will help you fit in with most situations whether it's at a basketball game, over a beer, studying or going out on a hot date.

The key to understanding English idioms is never to look at them or read them in a literal sense - once you unlock the secrets of idiomatic English language then you'll have cracked the code!
To help you master English idioms, we've gathered together 20 of the most common American English idioms and expressions. They're useful for ESL students, or anyone learning English. Enjoy!

1. (To) Hit the books

Literally, hit the books means to physically hit, punch or slap your reading books. However, this is a common English idiom among students, especially American college students who have a lot of studying to do. It simply means "to study," and is a way of telling your friends that you're going to study. It could be for a final exam, a mid-term test or even an English exam.
"Sorry but I can't watch the game with you tonight, I have to hit the books. I have a huge exam next week!"
2. (To) Hit the sack

Just like the first idiom, the literal meaning of this would be physically hitting or beating a sack (a large bag usually used for carrying things in bulk such as flour, rice or even soil). But actually to hit the sack means to go to bed, and you'd use this to tell your friends or family that you're really tired, so you're going to sleep. Instead of saying hit the sack you can also say hit the hay.
"It's time for me to hit the sack, I'm so tired."
3. (To) Twist someone's arm

To twist someone's arm literally means to take a person's arm and turn it around, which could be really painful if you take it exactly word for word. If your arm has been twisted it means that someone has done a great job of convincing you to do something you might not have wanted to to do.

And if you manage to twist someone else's arm it means that you're great at convincing them, and they've finally agreed to do something after you've been begging them.
Tom: Jake you should really come to the party tonight! Jake: You know I can't, I have to hit the books (study). Tom: C'mon, you have to come! It's going to be so much fun and there are going to be lots of girls there. Please come? Jake: Pretty girls? Oh all right, you've twisted my arm, I'll come!
4. (To be) Up in the air

When we literally think about something up in the air, we have the idea that something's floating or flying in the sky, perhaps an airplane or a balloon. But really if someone tells you that things are up in the air it means that these things are uncertain or unsure; definite plans have not been made yet.
"Jen have you set a date for the wedding yet?" "Not exactly, things are still up in the air and we're not sure if our families can make it on the day we wanted. Hopefully we'll know soon and we'll let you know as soon as possible."
5. (To) Stab someone in the back

If we take this idiom literally we could find ourselves in a whole lot of trouble with the police, as it would mean taking a knife or another sharp object and putting into a person's back.

However, as an idiom to stab someone in the back means to hurt someone who was close to us and trusted us by betraying them secretly and breaking their trust. We call the person who does this a back stabber.
"Did you hear that Sarah stabbed Kate in the back last week?" "No! I thought they were best friends, what did she do?" "She told their boss that Kate wasn't interested in a promotion at work and Sarah got it instead." "Wow, that's the ultimate betrayal! No wonder they're not friends anymore."
6. (To) Lose your touch

Literally this means to no longer have the ability to touch or feel with your fingers or hands. But to lose your touch actually means that you lose your ability or talent you once had when dealing with things, people or situations.

We use this when you're usually good at a certain skill or talent, but then things start to go wrong.
"I don't understand why none of the girls here want to speak to me." "It looks like you've lost your touch with the ladies." "Oh no, they used to love me, what happened?"
7. (To) Sit tight

To sit tight is a strange English idiom and it literally means that you sit down squeezing your body in a tight way, which if you did it would be very uncomfortable, not to mention you'll look really strange.

But if a person tells you to sit tight they want you to wait patiently and take no action until you hear otherwise.
"Mrs. Carter, do you have any idea when the exam results are going to come out?" "Who knows Johnny, sometimes they come out quickly but it could take some time. You're just going to have to sit tight and wait."
8. (To) Pitch in

This English idiom actually makes no sense if you try to take it literally. However, figuratively speaking it means to contribute (give) to something or someone or to join in.

So if your dad tells the family that he wants everyone to pitch in this weekend and help clear the backyard, it means he wants everyone to join in on the efforts to clear the yard and get things done quicker.
"What are you going to buy Sally for her birthday?" "I don't know I don't have much money." "Maybe we can all pitch in and buy her something great."
The above conversation suggests that every one of Sally's friends should contribute a little bit of money so they can afford to buy her a bigger and better present together.

9. (To) Go cold turkey

Sound weird? Well, you're right, it does, how can anyone literally go cold turkey? A person can't transform into the bird we all love to eat for celebrations such as Christmas and Thanksgiving.

The origins of this English idiom are strange and to go cold turkey means to suddenly quit or stop addictive or dangerous behavior such as smoking or drinking alcohol.

This English idiom is said to have originated in the late 20th century and suggests that a person who suddenly quits something addictive-such as drugs or alcohol-suffers from side effects that look like a cold, uncooked turkey. This includes pale (very white) skin and goosebumps (little small bumps on the skin when we're cold or sick).
"Shall I get your mom a glass of wine?" "No, she's stopped drinking?" "Really, why?" "I don't know. A few months ago, she just announced one day she's quitting drinking." "She just quit cold turkey?" "Yes, just like that!"
10. (To) Face the music

In literal terms facing the music means to turn your body to the direction of the music and stand in front of it. But if your friend or your parents tell you to face the music, there's a much harsher meaning.

It means to "face reality" or to deal with the reality of the situation and accept all the consequences good or bad (but mostly bad). Perhaps you've been avoiding something because you feel unsure or scared of the outcome. Maybe you lied to your teacher and she discovered the truth and now you have to face the music and accept the punishment.
"I can't understand why I failed math." "You know you didn't study hard, so you're going to have to face the music and take the class again next semester if you really want to graduate when you do."
11. (To be) On the ball

If you look at this English idiom literally, it means to be either standing or sitting on a ball-but who would do that?

If you're on the ball it means that you're very quick to understand certain things, very prepared for something or react quickly (and correctly) to a situation.

For example, if you're planning your wedding that is still one year away from now and you've almost finished with all the planning already, you're definitely on the ball because not many people are that prepared!
"Wow, you've already finished your assignments? They are not due until next week, you're really on the ball. I wish I could be more organized."
12. (To) Ring a bell

If we look at the literal meaning of ring a bell, it's just that: You could be ringing the school bell to tell students it's time to go to class or ringing someone's doorbell.

But the idiom means that somebody has mentioned something that sounds familiar to you, perhaps you've heard it before. In other words, when someone says something that you believe you've heard in the past, alarm bells start ringing and you try to remember how or why that name or place sounds familiar.
"You've met my friend Amy Adams, right?" "Hmmm, I'm not sure, but that name rings a bell. Was she the one who went to Paris last year?"
13. Rule of thumb

Can thumbs rule or can you literally rule a thumb? If you think about it logically, it means absolutely nothing and makes no sense. However, if you hear someone say as a rule of thumb, they mean that it's a general unwritten rule for whatever they're talking about.

These rules of thumb are not based on science or research, and are instead just a general principle. For example, there's no written scientific rule that you must add oil to boiling water when cooking pasta, but it's a rule of thumb and is practiced by most people so the pasta won't stick to the bottom of the pan.
"As a rule of thumb you should always pay for your date's dinner." "Why? There's no rule stating that!" "Yes, but it's what all gentlemen do."
14. (To be) Under the weather

Can you be under the weather literally? Probably yes, if you think about standing under the clouds, rain and sun, but it makes no sense. If you're feeling under the weather, you're not your usual self and could be feeling a little sick. The sick feeling is nothing serious; perhaps it's just extreme tiredness from studying too much, or having a bad headache because you're starting to get the flu.
"What's wrong with Katy, mom?" "She's feeling a little under the weather so be quiet and let her rest."
15. (To) Blow off steam

In reality a person cannot blow off steam (the hot rising air from boiling water)-only electrical equipment can, such as the electric jug (appliance for boiling water for coffee). So what does it mean when a person blows off steam?

If you're feeling angry, stressed or are experiencing some strong feelings and you want to get rid of them so you feel better again, you will blow off steam by doing something such as exercise to get rid of the stress.
"Why is Nick so angry and where did he go?" "He had a fight with his brother, so he went for a run to blow off his steam."
16. (To) Look like a million dollars/bucks

Wouldn't it be great if we really could look like a million dollars?We'd be rich, but that's not the case. If someone tells you that you look like a million bucks, you should take it as a huge compliment because it means you look absolutely fabulous and really attractive.

While sometimes we use this English idiom for guys, it's more commonly used to compliment females. And while some of your female friends may look beautiful every day, you should save this English idiom for when they've really made an effort and it's a special occasion, like prom or a wedding.
"Wow, Mary, you look like a million dollars/bucks this evening. I love your dress!"
17. (To) Cut to the chase

When somebody tells you to cut to the chase it means that you've been talking too long and haven't gotten to the point. When a person uses this idiom, they are telling you to hurry up and get the important part, without all the details. Be careful how you use this idiom, because if used while talking to someone like a college professor or your boss, it's rude and disrespectful.

If you're speaking to a group of people, like your employees, and say I'm going to cut to the chase, it means that there are a few things that need to be said but there's very little time, so you'll skip to the important parts so everyone understands.
"Hi guys, as we don't have much time here, so I'm going to cut to the chase. We've been having some major problems in the office lately."
18. (To) Find your feet

Is it possible to lose your feet? No way, they're attached to your body! So what does it mean when somebody says they're trying to find their feet? If you find yourself in a new situation, for example living in a new country and having to get used to a new college, you could say I'm still finding my feet.It means that you're still adjusting and getting used to the new environment.
"Lee, how's your son doing in America?" "He's doing okay. He's learned where the college is but is still finding his feet with everything else. I guess it'll take time for him to get used to it all."
19. (To) Get over something

If you think about it, it's possible to literally get over something, for example get over a fence-but this is not how the phrase is generally used in the English language.

Imagine having a really difficult time, like breaking up with your girlfriend or boyfriend-it's hard. But eventually once time passes and you no longer think about your ex, it means that you've gotten over him/her, you no longer worry about it and it no longer affects you in a negative way. It's also possible to get over an illness too, which would mean that you've fully recovered.
"How's Paula? Has she gotten over the death of her dog yet?" "I think so. She's already talking about getting a new one."
20. (To) Keep your chin up

Did you just have a massive fight with your friend? Did you fail your English finals? Did your team lose the final match? Did you lose your job? If you answered "yes" to any of the questions, then you're probably feeling sad and a little depressed, right?

In this situation, a supportive friend might tell you to keep your chin up. When they tell you this, they're showing their support for you, and it's a way of saying "stay strong," you'll get through this. Don't let these things affect you too badly.
"Hey, Keiren, have you had any luck finding work yet?" "No, nothing, it's really depressing, there's nothing out there!" "Don't worry, you'll find something soon, keep your chin up buddy and don't stress."
If you're really serious about learning English well and finding your feet with the language abroad, make sure you spend some time focusing on English idioms to make your transition and easier one. Good Luck and keep your chin up!

Other Resources on Learning English Idioms for ESL Students

English Idioms & Proverbs at the English Language Cyber Center: A very comprehensive resource with pictures and examples.

English Idioms, Sayings, and Slang: Another comprehensive resource with examples.

FluentU's English language video library: With FluentU, you'll have the chance to learn new idioms and hear them used by native English speakers. It is great to learn new words and phrases, but it is absolutely essential for you to hear these words and phrases used naturally in conversation.

The more you hear them, the better you will remember them.

And One More Thing...

If you like learning English idioms, then you'll love FluentU. FluentU uses popular talk shows, catchy music videos, and funny commercials to teach you English:

FluentU makes it really easy to watch English videos. How? There are interactive captions. In other words, you can tap on any word to see an image, definition, and useful examples.

For example, if you tap on the word "brought," then you see this:

You can learn any video's vocabulary with FluentU. Swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you're learning.

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20 Essential English Idioms for Sounding Like a Native

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So you're in an American bar. It's loud, but you can make out what people are saying. You hear a fellow drinker talking about hitting books... ...another is talking about twisting someone's arm... ...and it sounds like someone's been stabbed in the back. What the heck is going on?