TEFL Raipur

Let me start with some definitions I found useful on 'slang' words and 'idioms', Slang definitions: Michael Swan: 'Slang' is a very informal kind of vocabulary, used mostly in speech by people who know each other well. Slang expressions are not usually written and would be considered out of place in formal kinds of communication: lost his marbles, shove off, kick the bucket. David Burke: 'Slang' is typically a non-standard word, not a phrase as an idiom. Slang would include words like: pooped, to down a drink, boob tube, bonkers, basket case. Slang words may or may not have alternative literal meanings, they may be 'made up' words. Idiom definitions: Michael Swan: An expression like turn up, break even or can of worms can be difficult to understand because it's meaning is different from the meanings of the separate words in the expression. Expressions like these are called 'idioms'. Idioms are usually special to one language and cannot be translated word for word: burning desire, blazing row. David Burke: 'Idiom', a phrase that is commonly understood in a given culture or subculture to have a meaning different from it's literal meaning. A good example of this is 'to bend over backwards', this phrase is commonly understood in our culture to mean "to exert an enormous effort in order to accomplish something", the literal meaning, however, is the physical act it describes, of which few may actually be capable of doing. These definitions are all very informative, but what do they mean to the student. For a student who studies a language which focuses mainly on areas like grammar, formalities, subtle differences etc, they would certainly gain a comprehensive knowledge of the language and would be able to produce good conversation, but what if you were to take that student away from the classroom and put them into the real world, say for example, a bar, what would they discover?! The student would undoubtably encounter a world of language that is far less structured, hearing words that make no sense and consequently making attempts to interact and participate difficult and confusing. Learning common slang and idioms would create a better ability to communicate, understand and participate with native speakers however, there is a scale of social appropriateness that can vary from person to person and can often walk the line between casual and offensive but slang is generally used between people who know each other well, (note: what one person finds offensive, is just conversation filler to others). A lot of people associate slang with obscenities, which is a fairly common mistake but isn't actually the case. Slang and idioms are more commonly used in everyday language and business is notorious for creating a slang of its own. Magazines, movies, songs, newspapers, broadcasts also use slang and sports slang is particulary widespread. This is commonly known as 'universal slang'. This huge catagory of terms and expressions include such words as: to be ticked off, to pig out, to stand someone up, to get a second wind. The trouble is, slang is ever-evolving and terms can become quickly outdated, so where do you start? What should you concentrate on? How much should you cover and where do you draw the line? The solution would be to keep it basic and only teach common slang and idioms, teaching too many at one time can be confusing and overwhelming for the student. I believe it's our job, as teachers, to provide as much information about the language as possible and include a basic knowledge and understanding of common slang and idioms, fortunately, the majority of teachers agree and feel that familiarizing students with slang, idioms and even some vulgarities is much more desirable than having students pick up this type of language haphazardly. As David Burke says; 'we need not promote the actual use of slang, idioms and vulgarities but we do have a responsibility to familiarize the non native speaker'. I personally believe that the relevance of slang and idioms depends upon the goals of the student and it's probably best to prioritize and focus on words or phrases that you and the student feel comfortable using and not obsess over the rest. In conclusion, even though the teaching of slang and idioms is seen by some as non essential, it is my personal view that they should not be avoided and the teaching of common slang and idioms should be included into tefl lessons/ courses. All information given in this article is based on research and personal opinion/ experience. Sources used for information and research are: - Internet, - Michael Swans - Practical english Usage - Collins Concise Dictionary - David Burkes article in the 1998 issue of esl magazine.