Teach English in Bryants Cove - TEFL Courses

Teaching Slang and Idioms The importance of teaching slang and idioms is really dependent upon the ability and goals of the student. I have many very low level elementary students for whom these aren't nearly as relevant as basic grammar structures and vocabulary buildup. Even older intermediate students may be disinclined to spend time focusing on idioms if their reason for studying english is simply to fulfill an academic requirement and nothing more. Knowledge of english, however limited, may even be sought after as a status symbol. Living in South Korea, I've met people who simply want help writing their CV in english, so that they can have that edge when interviewing for jobs. In these instances, working on learning colloquialisms may be just be a waste of time as these students may not have the ability or desire to perfect their usage. In contrast, there are many instances in which teaching these sayings would be incredibly helpful, if not integral to a student's ability to understand. While talking with a japanese friend, I was asked what ‘holy' meant. After pausing a moment to think about how best to explain that, she followed up with, “as in ‘holy shit'?” This question prompted my friends and I to create a list to which we would add any slang or idioms that came up naturally during our short visit. By the end of our five days, we had filled an entire page with words that if taken literally, would make very little sense. Such experiences over the years have proven to me how absolutely essential knowledge of this type of language is to those wishing to be able to communicate fluently with native english speakers or to at least fully comprehend them. If slang and idioms are to be covered in a class, they must be taught and studied with a great deal of care. These things generally make little sense if taken literally, so it may be difficult to remember exactly how and when to use them. The wrong emphasis or a slip up with the actual words could result in a slightly embarrassing situation. A coworker of mine who had studied abroad for a short while and really tried to work on his fluency, liked to throw in slang when appropriate. When trying to tell us that he didn't give a shit about something, he instead said, “I give no shit.” While this particular event was among friends who merely teased him good naturedly, in another crowd he may have been embarrassed into never trying that again. If this kind of language is to be taught, it would probably be more natural to address it as part of a regular lesson rather than as a separate class devoted to a great number. In terms of exposure, “teachers can draw attention to new idioms by embedding them into regular vocabulary and/or reading activities (T?rc?oanu 226).” Alternatively, if the lesson calls for authentic material, finding a clip or a reading with some kind of colloquialism shouldn't be too difficult. From there, the teacher can utilize the Presentation Practice Production (PPP) system in which they begin with “presentation…[highlighting] a particular form for study.” The teacher must then, “make the meaning clear…” before the “learners are encouraged to produce the target form under careful teacher control… (T?rc?oanu 225).” Further practice with less constraint, followed by a free production stage complete the system. In closing, it's important to remember a few points when using idioms or slang in class. First of all, you don't want to overwhelm students by trying to cover too many at once. Secondly, make sure that students can see how the language is used in context. This should help them use it appropriately themselves. Finally, show students how this kind of language is relevant through authentic materials. Find usages in new articles or blogs to encourage students to memorize and practice using these kinds of sayings (Pesce). If fluency is the goal, then idioms and slang are absolutely necessary. Sources Cited Pesce, Claudia. "How to Teach english Idioms and Their Meaning." Busyteacher. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2013. T?rc?oanu, Mihaela C?t?lina. "Teaching and Learning Idioms in english (Theoretical and Practical Considerations)." The Scientific Journal of Humanistic Studies 7 (2012): 220-28. Academic Search Complete. Web. 20 Feb. 2013.