The language minefield student copy

1 What do the following idioms mean? Check any you dont know in your dictionary and be prepared to tell your tutor what they mean and in what circumstances you might use them: To go bananas To laugh your head off To pull your socks up It cost him an arm and a leg I gave him a piece of my mind Its raining cats and dogs! 2 Do you think language learners may interpret these expressions literally? Why? Why not? 3 You are going to read an article about a person with autism and their interpretation of language. Read through the questions, then read the answers and match each question (A-H) to an answer (1-8). Read through the article again in the correct order and be prepared to explain to your tutor, in your own words, Michaels answers to the questions.

Mapping the language minefield for kids with autism

Going bananas. Laughing your head off. Phrases that aren't literally true make no sense if you have autism, like Michael Barton
Profile
Michael Barton has highfunctioning autism, studies physics at the University of Surrey, UK, plays jazz piano and gives talks on the positive aspects of autism. His book It's Raining Cats and Dogs is published by Jessica Kingsley

The language minefield page 2

A Why do people with autism, like yourself, find the English language so confusing?. B Tell me about the time your teacher told you to "pull your socks up". C What if you saw a sign saying "Passengers are to remain seated at all times"? D What goes through your mind when you hear expressions like "It cost him an arm and a leg?" or "I gave him a piece of my mind"? E Is this what prompted you to write your book, It's Raining Cats and Dogs: An autism spectrum guide to the confusing world of idioms, metaphors and everyday expressions ? F You say that the only times people speak to you in a clear and concise way are during mathematics and physics lectures, and when you travel to a foreign country. G You have high-functioning autism. What does this mean for your everyday life? H You think there are many positive aspects to being on the autism spectrum. Could you tell me about them? 1 I originally started drawing pictures at junior school to help me remember what these phrases meant. Before long I had filled a whole folder and people started asking for copies. I hope the book will help autistic kids learn about idioms, and help adults who deal with autistic kids to understand them better. 2 Communicating science concepts is easy everyone speaks the same language. When you go to a foreign country people make an effort to speak clearly and without ambiguities, because they know that if they don't, you may not understand 3 Autistic people think in black and white and therefore interpret everything literally. Ordinary people seem to love using idioms, metaphors and figurative speech, whether to aid communication or simply to make life more interesting, whereas for autistic people they simply make no sense. 4 I bent down and did just that. Of course the teacher got annoyed and thought I was being cheeky. This is a common problem with children on the spectrum and it is important that teachers understand that the student is simply obeying instructions. At junior school my pencil broke, so the teacher asked me to see if there were any in the cupboard. When I returned, pencil-less, she said "Were there any? " and I said "Yes, lots". 5 When I was 7 my parents bought me a huge K'nex construction kit. I spent the next 5 hours, without a break, constructing an enormous Ferris wheel. This ability to stick at things, combined with the logical thought processes, makes us ideally suited to the modern technological world, whether it be in science, computer programming or mathematics. There has been a threefold increase in autism diagnoses in California's Silicon Valley over the last decade. In Eindhoven, the hub for IT and technology in Holland, there are four times as many people with autism than in the general population. This suggests that evolution is actively selecting autistic genes because they are of substantial benefit to modern society. 6 It means that I have a logical mind and can concentrate and focus for extended periods. It means that I'm good at both science and music. On the other hand, it can be extremely frustrating trying to get ordinary people to understand me. 7 I have learned that if a sign seems bizarre, it probably doesn't mean what it says, so I watch what other people do. If they are all ignoring the sign by standing up and leaving the bus, then I can assume the sign wasn't meant to be taken literally. 8 When I hear these, a mental image appears of someone without an arm and a leg, or of someone with some of their brain in their hands giving it to someone else. When I was younger it never occurred to me that there might be another explanation, but now, if something sounds ridiculous, I can guess that it is probably an idiom, and then usually work out the meaning.

The language minefield Teacher Copy

1 What do the following idioms mean? Check any you dont know in your dictionary and be prepared to tell your tutor what they mean and in what circumstances you might use them: To go bananas To laugh your head off To pull your socks up It cost him an arm and a leg I gave him a piece of my mind Its raining cats and dogs! 2 Do you think language learners may interpret these expressions literally? Why? Why not? 3 You are going to read an article about a person with autism and their interpretation of language. Read through the questions, then read the answers and match each question (A-H) to an answer (1-8). Read through the article again and be prepared to explain, in your own words, Michaels answers to the questions.

A 3

B 4

C 7

D 8

E 1

F 2

G 6

H 5

Mapping the language minefield for kids with autism

Going bananas. Laughing your head off. Phrases that aren't literally true make no sense if you have autism, like Michael Barton

Profile
Michael Barton has highfunctioning autism, studies physics at the University of Surrey, UK, plays jazz piano and gives talks on the positive aspects of autism. His book It's Raining Cats and Dogs is published by Jessica Kingsley

The language minefield page 2

A Why do people with autism, like yourself, find the English language so confusing?. B Tell me about the time your teacher told you to "pull your socks up". C What if you saw a sign saying "Passengers are to remain seated at all times"? D What goes through your mind when you hear expressions like "It cost him an arm and a leg?" or "I gave him a piece of my mind"? E Is this what prompted you to write your book, It's Raining Cats and Dogs: An autism spectrum guide to the confusing world of idioms, metaphors and everyday expressions ? F You say that the only times people speak to you in a clear and concise way are during mathematics and physics lectures, and when you travel to a foreign country. G You have high-functioning autism. What does this mean for your everyday life? H You think there are many positive aspects to being on the autism spectrum. Could you tell me about them? 3 Autistic people think in black and white and therefore interpret everything literally. Ordinary people seem to love using idioms, metaphors and figurative speech, whether to aid communication or simply to make life more interesting, whereas for autistic people they simply make no sense 4 I bent down and did just that. Of course the teacher got annoyed and thought I was being cheeky. This is a common problem with children on the spectrum and it is important that teachers understand that the student is simply obeying instructions. At junior school my pencil broke, so the teacher asked me to see if there were any in the cupboard. When I returned, pencil-less, she said "Were there any? " and I said "Yes, lots". 7 I have learned that if a sign seems bizarre, it probably doesn't mean what it says, so I watch what other people do. If they are all ignoring the sign by standing up and leaving the bus, then I can assume the sign wasn't meant to be taken literally. 8 When I hear these, a mental image appears of someone without an arm and a leg, or of someone with some of their brain in their hands giving it to someone else. When I was younger it never occurred to me that there might be another explanation, but now, if something sounds ridiculous, I can guess that it is probably an idiom, and then usually work out the meaning. 1 I originally started drawing pictures at junior school to help me remember what these phrases meant. Before long I had filled a whole folder and people started asking for copies. I hope the book will help autistic kids learn about idioms, and help adults who deal with autistic kids to understand them better. 2 Communicating science concepts is easy everyone speaks the same language. When you go to a foreign country people make an effort to speak clearly and without ambiguities, because they know that if they don't, you may not understand. 6 It means that I have a logical mind and can concentrate and focus for extended periods. It means that I'm good at both science and music. On the other hand, it can be extremely frustrating trying to get ordinary people to understand me. 5 When I was 7 my parents bought me a huge K'nex construction kit. I spent the next 5 hours, without a break, constructing an enormous Ferris wheel. This ability to stick at things, combined with the logical thought processes, makes us ideally suited to the modern technological world, whether it be in science, computer programming or mathematics. There has been a threefold increase in autism diagnoses in California's Silicon Valley over the last decade. In Eindhoven, the hub for IT and technology in Holland, there are four times as many people with autism than in the general population. This suggests that evolution is actively selecting autistic genes because they are of substantial benefit to modern society.

Guess the idioms pictured in the left hand column (answers written below left) and match with and their idiomatic meanings (right column) (answers below right)

ANSWERS: 1Bury your head in the sand, 2 break a heart, 4 have butterflies in your stomach, 7 go through the roof, 8 get cold feet

ANSWERS: 1b 2a 4c 7e 8d