Heart Idioms

💡 Why Teach “Heart Idioms”?

Idioms with “heart” are emotionally rich and often used in everyday speech. They’re a great way to:

  • Expand vocabulary in a fun, memorable way

  • Explore metaphor and figurative language

  • Help students sound more natural and expressive

  • Connect language to culture and emotions

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🧑‍🏫 Step-by-Step: How to Teach Heart Idioms

1. Introduce in Context, Not in Isolation

Advise teachers to avoid long lists of idioms. Instead, introduce 5–7 idioms at a time within a theme or situation, such as love, kindness, or honesty. Use short dialogues, story excerpts, or video clips where idioms appear naturally.

Example:
“Even though she was angry, she forgave him—she really has a heart of gold.”

2. Use Visuals and Body Language

Idioms like “heart skips a beat” or “follow your heart” lend themselves well to visuals. Encourage teachers to:

  • Use emojis or heart icons

  • Show short skits or videos

  • Ask students to act out idioms (e.g., miming a “broken heart”)

3. Teach Meaning + Literal vs Figurative

Students often struggle when idioms seem illogical. Help teachers create a chart for each idiom with:

  • Literal meaning (if applicable)

  • Figurative meaning

  • Example sentence

  • Native language equivalent (optional)

“To wear your heart on your sleeve”

  • Literal: Having a heart outside your body (confusing!)

  • Figurative: Showing your emotions openly

  • Example: “He wears his heart on his sleeve—everyone knows how he feels.”

4. Reinforce Through Speaking and Writing

Encourage practice by integrating idioms into student writing and conversation:

  • Ask students to write short stories using two idioms

  • Create dialogue pairs who must include a heart idiom in their conversation

  • Run a game like “Idiom Charades” or “Match the Idiom to the Emotion”

đź“ť Suggested Heart Idioms for Teaching

  • To have a heart of gold

  • To break someone’s heart

  • To have a change of heart

  • To cross your heart (and hope to die)

  • To take something to heart

  • To learn by heart

  • To follow your heart

  • My heart goes out to you

  • A heart-to-heart (conversation)

đź’¬ Encourage Cultural Exploration

Remind students that idioms reflect values and communication styles. Let students share similar expressions in their native languages, which:

  • Encourages cross-cultural comparisons

  • Builds deeper understanding

  • Makes class more engaging and personal

Worksheet: Idioms of the Heart

Level: Intermediate to Upper-Intermediate
Topic: Heart Idioms
Skill Focus: Vocabulary, reading, speaking, and writing

❤️ Part 1: Match the Idiom to Its Meaning

Match the idioms on the left with their meanings on the right.

Idiom Meaning
1. Heart of gold A. Feel deep sympathy for someone
2. Break someone’s heart B. A sincere, emotional conversation
3. Change of heart C. To memorize something completely
4. Cross your heart D. Someone very kind and generous
5. Take something to heart E. Make someone very sad
6. My heart goes out to you F. Promise sincerely
7. Learn by heart G. Take something very personally
8. Heart-to-heart H. Change your opinion or feelings about something

❤️ Part 2: Fill in the Blanks

Use the correct heart idiom to complete each sentence.

  1. I didn’t mean to hurt her, but I think I really ____________________.

  2. He has a ____________________. He always helps others.

  3. I had a ____________________ and decided to forgive her.

  4. She always takes criticism ____________________. She’s very sensitive.

  5. We had a ____________________ last night. I feel much closer to her now.

  6. I swear I’ll keep your secret. ____________________!

  7. I had to ____________________ all the vocabulary for the test.

  8. When I heard about the earthquake, ____________________ the victims.

❤️ Part 3: Speaking Practice

Work in pairs. Ask and answer the following questions using at least one idiom in your answer.

  1. Have you ever had a change of heart about something important? What happened?

  2. Can you describe someone you know who has a heart of gold?

  3. When was the last time your heart went out to someone?

  4. Do you usually wear your heart on your sleeve or keep your feelings hidden?

❤️ Part 4: Creative Writing

Write a short paragraph (5–7 sentences) about a time you felt strong emotions. Try to use at least two heart idioms from this worksheet.

Teacher Tip: Review idioms with pictures or short video clips beforehand to build understanding. For extra support, allow students to use bilingual dictionaries for idioms

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You should know by heart all these idioms.

Cross my heart, I’m telling the truth.

He wears his heart on his sleeve.

She’s had her heart broken before.

He is the heart and sole of the team.

I’d be there in a heartbeat if you need me.

They’ve got their hearts set on that house.

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