Worn out idioms

[CecilBenedict]

One of the panels I attended at NJ TESOL this year was on the topic of idioms. Most teachers use them to communicate the intricacies of English as a language, but the speaker (I forget her name) stated that a problem with teaching idioms is that many are "worn out" and "dated." As a result, the student will set himself apart from other speakers.

Is this a trend that we are seeing? I want to know what other teachers think. I've already spoken to a few colleauges who are wiping idioms out of their lesson plans. I don't think it is necessary is it?

I saw this article recently on the subject...
SPLICETODAY.COM | Writing | It Was a Dark and Perfectly Stormy Night

I think idioms have their place.

[Tdol]

I think the argument is a bit flimsy. I can understand the idea of 'offshore English', where native speakers are taught to avoid excessive use of idioms and other culture-bound features of the language to facilitate international communication, but to say that they shouldn't be taught because 'many' are worn-out, ignores the fact that many more are not and others are coming into use. The pushing the envelope/waking up and smelling the coffee/thinking outside the box types that the article dislikes mostly seem to belong to the Orwellian language of business that has inspired Dilbert and B@llsh@t Bingo. I think that extending this to exclude all idioms is an unrealistic and rather pointless exercise.