Jurnal Kajian Penelitian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan

Vol. 2 No. 2 April 2024
e-ISSN : 2964-0342, p-ISSN : 2964-0377, Hal 188-202

DOI: https://doi.org/10.59031/jkppk.v2i2.429

Exploring the Relationship between Idiomatic Expression
Mastery and Reading Comprehension among Students
Melina Ayu Pratiwi1, Istiqomah Nur Rahmawati2, Yulan Puspita Rini3
UIN Raden Intan Lampung1,2,3
Alamat: Program Studi Pendidikan Bahasa Inggri, Fakultas Tarbiyah dan Keguruan, UIN Raden
Intan Lampung, JL. Letkol Endro Suratmin, Sukarame, Bandar Lampung1,2,3
Istiqomah Nur Rahmawati : istiqomahnurrahmawati@radenintan.ac.id

Abstract. This research investigates the correlation between mastery of idiomatic
expressions and reading comprehension among tenth-grade students at one of high
schools in Way Pengubuan during the second semester of the 2022/2023 academic year.
Mastery of idiomatic expressions, which improves through childhood and adolescence
into adulthood, is essential for accurate comprehension. Reading comprehension is the
ability to extract specific information from texts. The study involved 138 students, with a
sample of 64 selected through cluster random sampling. Data were collected via tests
comprising 20 items each for idiomatic expression and reading comprehension, ensuring
the validity of the test items. Analysis was conducted using SPSS 25.0. The findings
revealed a high correlation between students' idiomatic expression mastery and their
reading comprehension, with a correlation coefficient of 0.986, indicating a strong
relationship. This suggests that proficiency in understanding idiomatic expressions
significantly enhances reading comprehension.
Keywords: Correlation Research, Idiomatic Expression, Reading Comprehension.
Abstrak. Penelitian ini menginvestigasi korelasi antara penguasaan ekspresi idiomatik
dan pemahaman membaca di antara siswa kelas sepuluh di salah satu sekolah menengah
atas di Way Pengubuan pada semester kedua tahun ajaran 2022/2023. Penguasaan
ekspresi idiomatik, yang meningkat selama masa kanak-kanak dan remaja hingga dewasa,
sangat penting untuk pemahaman yang akurat. Pemahaman membaca adalah kemampuan
untuk mengekstrak informasi spesifik dari teks. Penelitian ini melibatkan 138 siswa,
dengan sampel 64 siswa yang dipilih melalui cluster random sampling. Data dikumpulkan
melalui tes yang terdiri dari 20 butir soal untuk ekspresi idiomatik dan pemahaman
membaca, untuk memastikan validitas butir soal. Analisis dilakukan dengan
menggunakan SPSS 25.0. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan korelasi yang tinggi antara
penguasaan ekspresi idiomatik siswa dan pemahaman membaca mereka, dengan
koefisien korelasi sebesar 0,986, yang menunjukkan hubungan yang kuat. Hal ini
menunjukkan bahwa kemahiran dalam memahami ekspresi idiomatik secara signifikan
meningkatkan pemahaman membaca.
Kata kunci: Ekspresi Idiomatik, Pemahaman Membaca, Penelitian Korelasi.
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Reading comprehension is crucial in language acquisition, especially for English
as a Second Language (ESL) learners. Idiomatic expressions, ubiquitous in English with
around 25,000 in common use, present a significant challenge. These expressions
Received Maret 30, 2024; Accepted April 26, 2024; Published April 30, 2024
*Istiqomah Nur Rahmawati, istiqomahnurrahmawati@radenintan.ac.id

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frequently appear in recount texts, which narrate events or experiences using informal
language. For Indonesian students, idioms often obstruct comprehension due to their
metaphorical nature, which differs from the literal meanings of individual words.
Indonesian students often translate idioms word-by-word, leading to misunderstandings.
For example, idioms like "keep in touch" or "down to earth" are commonly
misinterpreted. Mastering idiomatic expressions is essential for achieving fluency and
effective communication, as lexical errors can be more disruptive than grammatical ones.
Research at one of high schools in Way Pengubuan highlights the challenges of idiomatic
comprehension. Interviews with students and teacher Ibu M, S.Pd., (her name is being
anonymous), revealed frequent misinterpretations of idioms, resulting in lower
comprehension scores. The mean reading comprehension scores in the tenth grade were
below the competence threshold of 70, indicating a need for intervention. Students who
understand idioms tend to have better overall comprehension. This research aims to
explore this correlation. By focusing on recount texts rich in idioms, the study seeks to
provide insights into improving reading comprehension through idiom mastery. This
research will inform language teachers, practitioners, and curriculum developers, offering
strategies to enhance ESL instruction and support comprehensive language development
for ESL students. By providing a foundational understanding and demonstrating the
importance of this correlation, the research encourages additional studies and innovative
approaches to teaching and understanding idiomatic language, allowing future
researchers to explore new methodologies and educational tools that can further enhance
language learning.
This study distinguishes itself from previous research in several key ways. While
in 2005 Cain, Oakhill, and Lemmon focused on young children, this research targets
senior high school students, offering insights specific to this age group. Moreover,
Cateliana's study (2011) explored the benefits of idioms for speaking skills, whereas this
research centers on reading comprehension. Then when Andriani (2014) examined
idiomatic mastery and reading achievement but utilized different methodologies and
participant demographics. Her research on recount texts aligns closely with this study but
addresses a broader age range. The significance of this research lies in its specific focus
on the correlation between idiomatic mastery and reading comprehension among senior
high school students, an underrepresented demographic in existing studies. By addressing
this gap, the research provides valuable insights that can enhance teaching strategies and

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COMPREHENSION AMONG STUDENTS

improve reading comprehension outcomes for this group. The novelty of the study is
reflected in its methodological approach and its potential to influence curriculum
development and instructional practices in ESL education.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Reading is considered a foundational skill that must be learned before other skills.
This is because in real life, students encounter various reading materials such as
newspapers, magazines, booklets, and social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and
YouTube. In the context of school subjects, written texts are often used as vehicles for
introducing new vocabulary and structures. Anderson and Pearson (1984) state that
reading comprehension is a multifaceted process that involves decoding symbols,
understanding meanings, and interpreting the text in context. Reading is not merely the
act of recognizing words; it requires comprehension to understand the message the writer
intends to convey. According to Snow (2002), reading comprehension is a process of
simultaneously extracting and constructing meaning through interaction and involvement
with written language. This process necessitates a range of skills including the ability to
analyze text structure, grammar, and word knowledge. As Perfetti, Landi, and Oakhill
(2005) suggest, successful reading comprehension involves integrating these elements to
form coherent understanding.
A significant aspect of vocabulary encountered in reading passages is idiomatic
expressions. Idioms are phrases consisting of two or more words that collectively have a
different meaning from the literal meanings of the individual words (Fernando, 1996).
For example, idiomatic expressions like "kick the bucket" or "spill the beans" cannot be
understood by translating each word literally. Instead, idioms require holistic translation
and contextual guessing to grasp their meanings (Gibbs, 1987). This makes idioms
particularly challenging for students learning English as a second language. When
students read, they often attempt to translate word by word to understand the text.
However, this method falls short when dealing with idioms. Understanding idioms
requires recognizing them as units and understanding their meanings within context.
Cooper (1999) emphasizes that idioms should be taught and practiced within
contextualized settings to help learners grasp their meanings more effectively. As students
become more familiar with idioms, their reading comprehension improves because
idioms frequently appear in English texts. Therefore, students must be aware of and
familiar with idiomatic expressions to aid their comprehension.

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The more students master idioms, the better they become at reading
comprehension. Idioms appear in almost every English text, so being adept at
understanding idioms can significantly enhance students' ability to comprehend written
material. This connection between idiomatic expression mastery and reading
comprehension underscores the importance of teaching idioms as part of language
instruction. As stated by Cain, Oakhill, and Lemmon (2005), there is a direct relationship
between a child's comprehension level and their understanding of idioms, highlighting
the importance of idiom instruction in language learning curricula.
RESEARCH METHOD
The research design for this study is a descriptive quantitative approach utilizing
a correlational design. Creswell (2012) stated correlation is a statistical test used to
determine the tendency or pattern for two or more variables to vary consistently. In the
context of two variables, this means that they share common variance or co-vary together.
This study employed this approach to examine and measure the relationship between two
variables:

idiomatic

expression

mastery (independent

variable)

and

reading

comprehension (dependent variable) among tenth-grade students at the school. Data
collection was achieved through testing, and the research followed these procedures:
obtained permission from the Headmaster and English teachers at the school; selected the
research sample; explained the research purpose to the students; administered idiomatic
expression and reading comprehension tests to the students; collected the research data;
analyzed the data using SPSS version 25; and concluded the results would be the last step.
The population comprised the entire group of subjects relevant to the research. As
in line with Sugiyono in 2018, a population is a generalization area consisting of objects
and subjects with specific qualities and characteristics to be studied and concluded. The
population includes not only people but also objects and other natural phenomena. In this
study, the population consisted of 128 tenth-grade students from four classes. This
research employed cluster random sampling to select the sample. In 2012, Fraenkel and
Wallen mention that cluster random sampling involves selecting groups or clusters of
subjects rather than individuals. A sample is a subset of the population selected to
represent the population in the research. For a correlation study, at least 64 participants
are recommended to ensure the accuracy of the relationship among variables. This study
selected a sample of 64 students to provide reliable and generalizable results. Data were

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EXPLORING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN IDIOMATIC EXPRESSION MASTERY AND READING
COMPREHENSION AMONG STUDENTS

collected using tests, which included tests on idiomatic expressions and reading
comprehension. The reading comprehension test consisted of 20 multiple-choice
questions, and the idiomatic expression test also had 20 multiple-choice questions. The
following tables provide the blueprints for these tests:

N
o
1
2
3
4

5

6

7
8

No
1

2

3

4

5

6

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Table 1.
Blue Print of Reading Comprehension After Validity
Aspect
Indicator
Item
Number
Main idea /Topic
Students can find the main idea of
10, 16
Sentence
the passage
Expression/Idiom/ Students can find idiom/phrases in 11, 36, 42
Phrases in context context
Inference
Students can find what is inferred
41, 43
in the passage
Grammatical
Students can match between the 13, 19, 39,
features
pronoun and what or who it stands
44
for
Detail (scanning
Students can scan for a specially 12, 17, 38
for a specially
stated detail
stated detail)
Excluding facts
Students can scan for unstated
20, 40
not written
detail
(unstated details)
Supporting idea
Students can find the supporting
18, 37
idea to support the main idea
Vocabulary in
Students can guess the meaning of
14, 15
context
difficult vocabulary from context
provided.
20
Total
Table 2.
Blue Print of Idiomatic Expression After Validity
Aspect
Indicator
Item
Number
Ordinary
The students are able to
3,7,17
Grammatical
understand idiomatic expression
usage
of ordinary grammatical usage
Deviation from
The students are able to
6,11,20
strict grammar
understand idiomatic expression
of deviation from strict grammar
Allusive
The students are able to
2,12,16
expression
understand idiomatic expression
of allusive expression
Conventional
The students are able to
4,8,13
phrase
understand idiomatic expression
of conventional phrase
Phrasal verb
The students are able to
5,10,18
understand idiomatic expression
of phrasal verb
Metaphorical
The students are able to 1,9,14,15,1
idiom
understand idiomatic expression
9
of metaphorical idiom
20
Total

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FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
The study investigated the correlation between students' idiomatic expression and
their reading comprehension among tenth-grade students at this school. Here were the
key findings and interpretations: There were two kinds of scoring in this research. Firstly,
the score was taken from idiomatic expression and the second one was reading test. The
result of statistical computation by using SPSS 25.0 as follows:
Table 3. Idiomatic Expression Score
Valid
64
Missing
0
Mean
60.16
Median
60.00
Mode
55
Sum
3850
N

Based on statistical computation by using SPSS above, it can be seen that the
mean of idiomatic expression was 60.16, median was 60.00, mode was 55 and sum was
3850. The researcher describes the result of idiomatic expression score in form of figure

frequency

as follows:
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90

Scores
Figure 1
Students’ Score of Idiomatic expression

Based on the figure above, it can be seen that there were 4 students who got score
30, 4 students who got score 35, 4 students who got score 40, 4 students who got score
45, 6 students who got score 50, 8 students who got score 55, 6 students who got score
60, 6 students who got 65, 4 students who got score 70, 4 students who got score 75, 6
students who got score 80, 4 students who got score 85 and 4 students who got score 90.
Meanwhile, the second test was students’ reading comprehension). The researcher
described the result of writing test in the table and figure as follows:
Reading Comprehension Score

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COMPREHENSION AMONG STUDENTS

N

Valid
Missing
Mean
Median
Mode
Sum

64
0
72.50
72.50
60
4640

Based on statistical computation by using SPSS above, it can be seen that the
mean for students’ reading comprehension test was 72.50, median 72.50, mode as 60 and
sum was 4640. The researcher describes the result of reading comprehension in form of
figure as follows:
12

frequency

10
8
6
4
2
0
50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95

Scores
Figure 2
Students’ Score of Reading Comprehension

Based on figure above, it can be seen that there were 4 students who got score 50,
6 students who got score 55, 10 students who got score 60, 8 students who got score 65,
4 students who got score 70, 8 students who got score 75, 6 students who got score 80, 4
students who got score 85, 8 students who got score 90 and 6 student who got score 95.
1. Normality Test
In this research, the researcher used SPSS (Statistical Package for Social
Science) to count the data of research. Normality test aimed to know whether or
not the data have normal distribution. The researcher analyzed the data from the
score of idiomatic expression and reading comprehension.

With the criteria as follows:
H0 = the data have normal distribution.
H1 = the data do not have normal distribution.
The criteria of acceptance or rejection of the hypotheses for normality test were:

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H0 is accepted if Sig. (Pvalue) > α = 0.05
H1 is accepted if Sig. (Pvalue) < α = 0.05

Normality Test
a.
b.
c.

Tabel 4
Normality Test Data
Kolmogorov-Smirnov
.090

Df
64

Sig
0.200

Test distribution normal
Calculated from data
Lilliefors significance correction

Based on the output data from SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Science)
by using One Sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov Test, it showed that the data have
normal distribution because sig > α = 0.05 (0.200 > 0.05).

2. Linearity Test
Linearity test aimed to know if there was any relation between X (Idiomatic
Expression) and Y (Reading comprehension) variable. In the research, the
researcher used the statistical computation by using SPSS (Statistical Package for
Social Science). The test of linearity and the criteria as follows:
The variables have linear relation if sig > α = 0.05
The variables have no linear relation if sig < α = 0.05
Table 5
The Linearity Data
Anova Table
Idiomatic Expression *
df
Mean
Reading Comprehension
square
1
12059.146

F

Sig

3280.088

.142

Based on the data above, it can be seen that the result of linearity was 0.142
it was higher than significance 0.05. Therefore, the variables have linear
relationship.

3. The

Correlation

between

idiomatic

expression

and

reading

comprehension
This research aimed to find whether there was correlation between students’
idiomatic expression and their students’ reading comprehension. The data was
obtained by using SPSS version 25.0. The researchers used Product Moment
formula to find the result of correlation. The result can be described as follows:
Table 6
SPSS IBM Correlation between Idiomatic Expression

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COMPREHENSION AMONG STUDENTS

and Students’ Reading comprehension
Idiomatic
Reading
Expression
Comprehen
(x)
sion (y)
Pearson
1
.986
Students’
correlation
idiomatic
expression
Sig. (2-tailed)
.000
N
64
64
Pearson
.986
1
Students’
correlation
reading
comprehension
Sig. (2-tailed)
.000
N
64
64
*Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed).

From the calculation about the correlation between the students’ idiomatic
expression and the students' reading comprehension at the tenth grade of a high
school in Way Pengubuan obtained the result that rxy 0.986, significant (2-tailed)
0.000 and the number of subjects was 64.
However, the statistical hypothesis on this research:
H1 : sig.2 tailed < 0.05 (there was a correlation between the students’ idiomatic
expression and the students' reading comprehension at the tenth grade.
H0 : sig. 2 tailed > 0.05 (there was no correlation between the students’ idiomatic
expression and the students' reading comprehension at the tenth grade.
The result of the computation showed that the coefficient of correlation
between

students’

idiomatic

expression

(X)

and

students’

reading

comprehension (Y) was 0.986. Then the significant was 0.000 lower than 0.05
(sig. 2 tailed 0.000 < 0.05). Therefore, H1 was accepted. It can be concluded that
there was correlation between students’ idiomatic expression and the students'
reading comprehension at the tenth grade of a high school in Way Pengubuan.
The interpretation about the rate of the correlation coefficient was formed by
certain rule, were as follows:

No
1
2
3
4
5

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Table 7
The Index of Correlation
Coefficient Interval
Level of Correlation
0.800-1.000
High Correlation
0.600-0.800
Sufficient Correlation
0.400-0.600
High correlation
0.200-0.400
Low Correlation
0.000-0.200
Very Low Correlation

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Based on the computation, it was known that the value of rxy= 0.986. It was
categorized by using coefficient correlation criteria above. It was obtained that
0.986 and classified interval 0.800 – 1.000 on the high correlation.

Idioms refer to expressions or phrases which are peculiar to a given language and
which carry either a literal meaning or a non-literal meaning depending on the intent
of the writer. In other words, idioms as the term are used here, are ambiguous, and
to be understood must either be known as a unit or deduced from the context. That
is, the intended meaning cannot be arrived at by literal analysis. 'He kicked the
bucket' can literally mean just that, but it usually conveys its idiomatic meaning: 'he
died'.
Students tend to take longer to finish the test of idiomatic expression questions
because they interpret one by one the word at a time so that in the end they are
confused about the meaning of these words, even though students should not
interpret one by one the word at a time but must understand the context of the text
they are reading. It is supported by Cain et al that if students understand the context
of a story, they will be able to interpret the idioms contained in the text. It is clear
that idiomatic expression has relation to reading comprehension.
There are several texts in the idiomatic expression questions and the researcher
provided questions regarding idiomatic expressions such as hit the sack, a bird in the
hand is better than two in the bush, like fish out of water, make a long story short,
and so on. It can be seen that the students took longer to finish on idiomatic
expression questions than reading comprehension. The researchers monitored and
asked the students a little why they looked confused. Students answered that they
had never worked on specific idiom questions like this because usually there were
only one or two questions in English regarding idiomatic expressions, so they were
not used to working on this many questions. That was why they need more time than
usual.
This research was about finding the answer whether there was correlation
between the students’ idiomatic expression and students’ reading comprehension.
The researcher took the data of research in two classes which consisted of 64
students. First, the researchers gave research permission to the school, then
conducted research in a not so long period of time, approximately one week. The

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researchers gave 20 questions about idiomatic expressions and 20 questions about
reading comprehension as well.
After carrying out both idiomatic expression and reading comprehension tests,
the researcher then analyzed the scores obtained by the students. It can be seen that
scores on idiomatic expressions tend to be lower than reading comprehension scores.
It can be seen that the highest score obtained by students on the idiomatic expression
test was 90. Although it was not too different from the reading comprehension score,
which was 95, in order to understand idiomatic expressions students looked very
confused and often asked different questions to the researcher than when they were
working on reading comprehension questions.
This research was completed with two types of completion. The first test was
about reading comprehension. The first test was given directly to students at school
and the second was through the Google form. This was because the school does not
allow the researchers to linger on research at school due to limitation of time. The
school does not want students to be disturbed by the researchers. When the students
did idiomatic test, they could no longer control the situation since they had no idea
whether they cheated to look for the answers on internet or not.
The researchers could not control the students while the test online, but when
viewed from the range between the scores between students who took the test using
the Google form, they got almost similar score to students who took the test directly
in class. It can be concluded from these factors that if students are able to take the
idiomatic expression test, it will automatically be easy for them to take the reading
comprehension test.
These factors imply that the students’ activity and frequency in students’
idiomatic expression gave a useful contribution to enlarge their students’ reading
comprehension. It means that if the student understands idiomatic expression, it
could increase their reading comprehension skill to be better. From the findings and
the discussion above, the researchers concluded that there was high correlation
between students’ idiomatic expression and their students’ reading comprehension
at the second semester at the tenth grade in that school. Therefore, the null
Hypothesis (H0) was rejected and the alternative hypothesis (H1) could be accepted.
In other words, the more students deepen their knowledge of idiomatic
expressions the easier it will be for them to learn reading comprehension questions

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because idiomatic expression questions are considered difficult for students, so if the
most difficult questions can be solved it will be easy for students to work on normal
level questions. Even though idioms are not often found in a text, they can interfere
with understanding if students do not understand their meaning. Therefore, to
understand the meaning of idioms, the reader cannot translate or separate the words
into a single part of semantic unit because the meaning of the idiom can be
interpreted by interrelate of its words.
Based on the results of the research which showed that students took longer to
complete the idiom test than reading comprehension, the students should be taught
to recognize idioms. It is the same as theory stated by Titone et al that in mastering
idiomatic, the students not only study about the meaning of words, but they also
study the interpret the specific meaning of each idiom (2020). In other words,
mastering idiomatic expression means complete knowledge or great skill of a list of
words for a particular language including the meaning, phrasal and compound
idioms.
Is it possible to train students to discern idioms by the use of 'context clues', or
through an understanding of metaphorical language. Students can also learn
idiomatic expressions from various sources. The best source for learning idiomatic
expression is by watching foreign talk shows such as Ellen Talk Show and western
films such as Harry Potter, Spiderman, Batman etc where all actors and actress are
native speakers. Therefore, the students will get used to hearing and remembering
the idioms they have watched.
In the end, the researchers concluded that one of the factors affecting students'
reading comprehension achievement is their ability to express themselves
idiomatically. If idiom comprehension is related to general abilities in processing
linguistic information, then students who are proficient in text comprehension should
also be more adept at comprehensive and idiomatic expression than students who are
less proficient. In other words, a student’s reading aptitude and understanding
abilities should be closely associated. It means the idiom mastery must be directly
proportional to the aim of reading comprehension. It can be said that students who
master idioms well get better in reading comprehension.
CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION

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The conclusion drawn from the research indicates a high correlation between
students' mastery of idiomatic expressions and their reading comprehension abilities at
the tenth grade of the intended high school in the academic year 2023/2024. This
conclusion is supported by a correlation coefficient of 0.986, indicating a strong positive
correlation between the two variables. This significant finding underscores the
importance of idiomatic expression mastery as a critical component of reading
comprehension skills among students.
Based on the findings, several recommendations can be made to enhance students'
proficiency in idiomatic expressions and improve their overall reading comprehension
skills. Students are encouraged to actively engage with idiomatic expressions by watching
and understanding content from Western films and talk shows featuring native speakers.
This exposure will help them familiarize themselves with idiomatic language and
facilitate quicker comprehension during tests. Additionally, students should practice
identifying idioms within texts, particularly in genres like recount texts where idiomatic
expressions are commonly used. By honing this skill, students can improve their ability
to understand and interpret idioms within context.
Teachers should provide ample examples of idiomatic expressions to students, as
these expressions are often challenging to encounter in written texts. Incorporating idioms
into lesson materials, such as recount texts and talk show scripts, can aid in exposure and
understanding. Furthermore, teachers should explore various teaching methods to help
students grasp idiomatic expressions, including the use of context clues and real-life
examples from talk shows. By employing diverse instructional strategies, teachers can
cater to different learning styles and enhance students' comprehension of idiomatic
language.
Future research endeavors in this area should take inspiration from this study and
further explore the relationship between idiomatic expression and reading comprehension
or introduce innovative approaches to studying idioms. The findings of this research can
serve as a reference for future investigations into language learning and comprehension.
Researchers can build upon these results to deepen our understanding of how idiomatic
expression impacts language proficiency. Conducting future research directly in the
classroom setting is recommended as it allows for better control over variables and
ensures more effective data collection compared to online methods.

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