International Student Newsletter

Dear International Students,

Happy fall! We hope you have been acclimating to the new school year, creating new connections, and exploring everything that BU has to offer! As always, our goal with the newsletter is to share helpful information and resources to help you make the most of your experience at BU.

在公告部分，了解霍华德瑟曼中心的每周节目，包括减压，手工艺和聊天，以及读书俱乐部（秋季学期的书是外面有一场革命，我的爱：危机的来信）。如果你是一名澳门威尼斯人注册网站研究生或博士生，想认识来自不同部门的人，可以考虑加入波士顿大学的Meetup——这是一项波士顿大学的福利计划，允许澳门威尼斯人注册网站研究生在学术单位之间享受更多的随意互动。此外，波士顿大学的第12届国际教育周将于11月6日至10日举行，校园内将举行许多活动来庆祝波士顿大学的全球倡议和多样性。考虑报名参加11月9日的国际服装展示会，分享和庆祝你的文化和祖国的传统服装！最后，考虑加入由波士顿大学学生健康服务部领导的新的国际学生支持小组，该小组旨在帮助国际学生更好地了解文化适应过程，分享社区意识和资源，以增强他们在波士顿大学的体验。在“学生经历”部分，我们将与大四学生余茜茜分享她参与课外活动的经历，以及她在这个过程中对自己的了解。在文化角，学习不同类型的习语，何时使用它们，以及为什么它们对语言学习者来说是具有挑战性的。

We hope you enjoy this content, and if you have any feedback or suggestions for future newsletters, please contact Kamelia Turcotte at kameliat@bu.edu.

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Culture Corner

Idioms: What are they and how to use them?

Definition

An idiom (derived from the ancient Greek “idioma” which means “peculiar phraseology”) is a phrase or expression that typically presents a figurative, non-literal meaning attached to the phrase. Idioms are phrases that are intuitive to fluent speakers (every language has its idioms) but might appear strange or challenging to language learners.

Types

There are four different types of idioms, including pure idioms, binomial idioms, partial idioms, and prepositional idioms.

• Pure idiom: This is a typical idiom, the meaning of which can’t be deduced by its individual components. For example, when someone says, “Spill the beans,” they’re asking someone to reveal a secret, not to pour out a can of beans.
• Binomial idioms: This idiom is a phrase that contains two words joined by a conjunction or a preposition. Examples include “by and large” (meaning: everything considered), and “dos and don’ts” (meaning: guidelines on what to do or avoid in a certain situation).
• Partial idioms: This idiom is one that’s been shortened into one part, with the second part generally being understood by fluent speakers. For example, people often use the partial idiom “when in Rome,” with the understanding that the other person knows the second part: “do as the Romans do.”
• Prepositional idioms: This idiom is a phrase that combines a verb and a preposition to create a verb with a distinct meaning. The phrase “agree on” is a prepositional idiom that combines the verb “agree” with the preposition “on” and is used to express that you share an opinion with someone.

Idiom examples

Examples of idioms in the English language include:

• Under the weather / Meaning: not feeling well
• A ball is in your court / Meaning: the decision is up to you
• Have (get) your ducks in a row / Meaning: get everything organized
• Pitch in / Meaning: contribute
• Up in the air / Meaning: something is unclear or uncertain
• Up the ante / Meaning: raise the stakes
• Take with a grain of salt / Meaning: accept something with a degree of skepticism
• Beat around the bush / Meaning: avoid saying something
• Play it by ear / Meaning: respond to circumstances as they develop without having a plan
• A square peg in a round hole / Meaning: a person in a situation unsuited to their character or abilities

Source and more information about the difference between idioms, proverbs, and euphemisms, when to use idioms and why they are challenging for language learners, can be found at What is an Idiom? Definition and Examples. The most common English idioms can be found here.

The Compass

There are over 250 academic, housing, community, and employment resources currently on the Compass and each issue we will highlight two.