How to Explain English Idioms to People Who Don't Speak English

Helping people learn your language is harder than it seems. You probably want to teach them everything, but this probably won't happen. However, you CAN teach them some useful stuff, and idioms are one of those useful tools in any language that you may want to teach. Here's some tips on how to teach them.

Steps

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   Make sure you know what you're trying to teach. Idioms are phrases that aren't literal, and if you make it sound literal, the person you're trying to teach may be confused or insulted. It's a good idea to research and understand English idioms and what they really mean before you attempt to teach.
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   Search a list of idioms in their native language. If you can find a good equivalent in their language, that can make teaching them a lot easier. For example, if you want to teach a French person the meaning of "to have a frog in one's throat," you can simply say it's like "avoir un chat dans la gorge." This literally means 'to have a cat in one's throat' and it a great equivalent to having a frog in your throat.
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   Make the connection to the person you're teaching. It's always easier to learn if you can connect to something you already know.
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   If you can't find an equivalent, try your best to explain what it means. For example, if there was no equivalent for "to have a frog in one's throat," you can explain that it means having an itchy throat, or something in your throat that is making you cough, such as being sick.