TEFL Slana

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Language textbooks are a good source for language learners and teachers, especially new language learners or teachers who may not know exactly where to begin. However, while textbooks are a valuable resource, they do not teach students everything they need to know when it comes to interacting with native speakers of the target language. This is because all native speakers use some level of slang in their everyday speech, in the classroom, and even in their workplace. For this reason alone, ESL students need to begin learning common slang they may hear. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Justin W. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT....  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Teaching slang and idioms is essential for ESL students and should be an integral part of any ESL curriculum. Learning slang and expressions can help an ESL student understand better native speakers who will almost universally use some slang and some idioms in their natural speech. Studying slang and idioms can also help an ESL student speak more naturally, either compensating for a weaker English grasp or adding to a вstrong English base. The application of studying slang and idioms that have perhaps the most relevance in a classroom and to a teacher is that it can help to elucidate complicated grammar by showcasing how slang twists the...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Slang and idioms are an important part of every language and should be taught to ESL students. Colloquialisms are used in daily conversational English, and teaching them to students increases the efficiency of communication and fluency. They also are used in cultural items as well, such as movies, books, and music. Teaching slang and idioms may also prevent misunderstandings between people. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Vania J. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. While slang and idioms may seem inappropriate to teach students, it makes for better communication. Native English speakers use slang and idioms such as "break a leg"...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Some form of Slang language is universally used all around the world. Almost all countries have words and phrases that could be identified as ‘slang and so, when is it appropriate to use this type of language? Is it a good idea to let students be exposed to slang language whilst they are studying English at a formal level and as a non-native English speaker? There are many instances where some slang form of English should and should not be used, here are a few examples with discussion. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Samantha Jane K. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. In one’s place of work, there will be those to whom...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences Stepping onto my flight from Miami to Santiago, Chile, I was confident in my Spanish skills. After all, I had taken nearly seven years of Spanish classes in middle and high school. However, when I landed I found, not only did I not understand 80% of what my host family said to me, they couldn’t understand me either. Over the course of my two months there, I came to appreciate the significance of slang in understanding and mastering a language. Even though slang words and usage can vary tremendously throughout the English speaking world, this is not an excuse to avoid introducing slang in the classroom. Being able to identify and understand some common slang words and phrases will help English learners reading...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas How important is it for EFL learners to learn slang and idioms? Let’s clarify what is slang? What is an idiom? This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Laura B. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Slang is an informal language and should be used only with people one knows very well. Slang can change constantly, appear today, disappear within month or year and some words have been used by English speakers since medieval times. Also Read: "How Can We as Teachers Motivate Our Students?" The earliest use of the word “slang” (eighteen century) referred to the vocabulary of “low” or “disreputable” people. Later, in the early...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Slang and idioms are often omitted from the formal education curriculum. According to the Cambridge dictionary, slang is defined as a “very informal language that is usually spoken rather than written, used especially by particular groups of people” and an idiom is defined as “a group of words in a fixed order that have a particular meaning that is different from the meanings of each word on its own”. This essay will suggest possible reasons why slang and idioms are often excluded from formal English lessons, and posit that it is important to teach them to certain groups of ESL students namely, students who have moved to an English-speaking country with little or no prior knowledge of the language and...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Understanding the use of slang in a different language is a benchmark for fluency. Once a speaker is able to navigate society by listening and speaking slang, they are better able to assimilate among native speakers. But whether or not colloquial speech has a place in English classrooms is debated among teachers. While formal English takes precedence in many classes, teaching slang can be important depending on students’ reasons for learning English and their experience with the language. Incorporating slang can also be a motivational tool for teaching disengaged students. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Emma M. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas This paper will discuss the benefits of teaching slangs and idioms to students learning English as a second language. It posits that both are necessary to fully use and understand the language, and will look at when it would be appropriate to introduce them to different types of students and how they might be incorporated into lessons. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Niall M. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Both slang and idioms are natural parts of the English language; however, textbooks are usually lacking in them, due the fact that they cannot be updated quickly enough to keep up with the change of language or because it...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas English is a unique and fluid language, its usage changing rapidly throughout surprisingly short periods, throughout different socioeconomic groups, and across different regions. Therefore, it is widely understood that proper English and spoken English have different rules, importantly including the use of popular slang terms and idioms. This means that when someone is learning to communicate with native English speakers, they must learn expressions that will provide a certain context. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Remington T. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Someone employed in a primarily English-speaking business will...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas When studying a new language, a student needs to learn more than what vocabulary can be found in a dictionary. To have a better grasp of the new language, a student must be exposed to other aspects of that language as well, such as the use of slang and idioms in that new language. This is because languages, especially English, are particularly fluid with regards to the use of slang and metaphorical language. Teaching students of English some common colloquialisms would thus be useful, especially in providing students a more cohesive understanding of the language. Providing students with this knowledge is especially important if the student intends to seek opportunities in countries where English is the most...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas As with all living languages, English is constantly evolving, slangs and idioms is an example of that. Slang and idioms are an integral part of written and spoken English; often it is employed by native speakers and has a deeper meaning than the literal phrase. Some might argue that slang and idioms are not ‘proper’ English and should not be part of the syllabus but people around the world are increasingly getting exposed to Western media. Students might encounter slangs and idioms when consuming authentic materials such as English films and books, where the characters would interact using normal lay speech. Perhaps the students are interested in all these words and phrases that are nonsensical when taken...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences With a flash of exasperation my Colombian friend, José, inquired, “Why do you always say it like that?” I paused unsure to what he was referring. José continued, “We're the same age and you’ve lived here for months but you still greet me like I’m a long-lost grandfather.” As I prepare to teach English abroad, this interaction forced me to confront the question of slang and idioms (SI) in the classroom. Is it appropriate to teach slang and idioms to learners of English as a foreign language (LEFL)? This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Conor J. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. The widespread prevalence of English SI...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Today was awesome! He’s a couch potato. I’m broke. She got ripped off. Chill out! You're so cool! Slang words and phrases help simplify language and make it more effective. Learning English slang and idioms allows students to engage in a more natural way of communicating. This will help students to improve their fluency and improve their conversation skills. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Shaelagh M. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. There is some debate as to include slang and idioms throughout lesson plans or have single lesson plans focused on slang and idioms. Regardless of which style the teacher wants to lean...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences When it comes to learning a new language, the way that we make it comfortable for us is to try and relate it to our language. How many times have you met someone from another country and you ask them how to use swear words or how to say something is cool in their native language. Since English is very commonly spoken all over the world, for students to learn idioms and slang is for them to not only learn how to say certain things but get a deeper cultural understanding. With that deeper understanding comes relativity to their own lives, which means they see the ways that we are more similar instead of different. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Jessica Aliza D. Please note that this...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas A critical part of learning a language is being able to understand and use slang and idioms. However, spoken language by native speakers, or language used in authentic material, often does not follow the strict rules and formulas that are taught in textbooks. Also, by their very nature of already being published, textbooks are unable to keep up with the changes in the language as they slowly evolve to incorporate new concepts and ideas. Thus, to be able to effectively teach slang and idioms, the teacher may have to expend some additional preparatory time to select the idioms to be taught and develop appropriate course materials. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Clark C. Please note that...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas What do you normally hear when you walk into a convenience store? Do you hear a man tell you, “Hello, how are you doing today?” or “Good morning?”. The answer is likely no. More often than not you hear someone say “Sup, dude!” or “What’s happening?” or some other kind of non-conventional English that would normally not find its home in the ESL classroom. Therefore, it is vital to teaching the students slang and idioms so that when they get into a real conversation outside of the classroom, they aren’t thrown off or left in the dust by a few turns of phrase. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Tanner M. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Throughout this course, it was mentioned that language does not happen in isolation. It is a product of the various aspects of culture, values, and context that make up the environment in which the language is used. Language can be used in vastly diverse and varied manners, and within different contexts have unique meanings. In the same way, slang and idioms are created based on specific contexts that exist within a society or group within a culture. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Temi O. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Proverbs, idioms, and slang can often speak volumes about the culture that one is encountering. Growing up...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas For a native English speaker, it is easy to understand as they are commonly used every day in casual conversation. But for ESL students, this type of informal English might as well sound like Mumbo Jumbo! (Make no sense). That’s because most students are taught proper, textbook English like: “[name of person], are you going anywhere today?” “No. I’m just relaxing at home.” This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Mark L. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. “Dude where ya hanging?” “Na man just chilling” To an ESL student, the above conversation would be hard to comprehend. The same goes for Idioms. “I am so happy...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Imagine going back in time to the late nineteenth or early twentieth century in Great Britain. If the question of whether it is proper to teach slang and idioms to students were posed to a teacher in that period, I do not doubt in my mind that any proper English teacher would frown upon the notion of it. If you were to ask an English teacher today, you would receive a much different answer. The gradual globalization of the English language has been driven by various factors, one of which is business. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Allison S. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. There is no doubt that English is the world’s...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Every language has its own rules and way of speaking. People that share a common language are united not only by the way they communicate but also in cultural experiences. Using language, whether it is sign language or spoken language, helps individuals experience the world differently. Teaching slang and idioms are an integral part of learning any language. For students learning slang and idioms is an extension of language learning, it offers a way to communicate better and it helps students experience the world through the native speaker lens. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Marie L. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. For...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Intelligence has been defined in many ways, including the capacity for logic, understanding, self-awareness, learning, emotional knowledge, reasoning, planning, creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving. More generally, it can be described as the ability to perceive or infer information and to retain it as knowledge to be applied towards adaptive behaviors within an environment or context (Wikipedia, 2019). This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Stephen A. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. At a cosmetic level, language fluency and accuracy, that segregate socio-cultural groups is inconsistent with contemporary thought of...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas When one imagines an English language lesson, one probably pictures vocabulary drills, dictionaries, and verb conjugations. While these are all aspects that one will most likely find should they sit in on a class, perhaps there can be something fun, useful, and entertaining to be found as well, something like a lesson on slang and idioms. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Devin R. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. While this type of language is mostly used in informal conversation, it is also often seen in books, commercials, and other forms of media. Slang and idioms are an essential part of how native English speakers...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences ESL students will receive many formal grammar lessons that will give them a good grounding in proper English sentence structures, when to use who and whom, various verb tenses, the importance of noun-verb agreement and proper punctuation—and much more. Proper grammar will give them a thorough understanding of the elements of grammar and equip them to navigate through formal English-language communication, such as business letters and reports, meetings, emails to clients, and formal assignments in English classes. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Brenda Q. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. But I believe we have a...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas While slang and idioms may not be essential to clear communication, especially when their meanings are very different from their packaging, they do communicate something more subtle: ‘I’m trying to observe the nuances of your language to better connect with you’. Slang lets you come across as casual, intimidating, clever, or whimsical in ways that straightforward language can’t. FluentU English Educating Blog puts it this way: “Teaching Idioms Is Teaching Fluency”. Communicating your personality is easier when you are more fluent, or at least when you have more idioms under your belt. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Bailey N. Please note that this blog post might not...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In January, I stood in front of a class of breakthrough English students at a university in Bogotá, Colombia. I’d never taught students in an ESL classroom before, but I was pretty confident having seven years of experience under my belt and a degree in literature. I was naive. I began the lesson with the class that my co-teacher had lent me for the first time. The objective of the lesson was to practice using past tense through storytelling; five minutes into it, I called on a student with his hand in the air. “ What up, My Nigga!” He said it and I almost lost all of my composure on the first day while I should have been thinking about building rapport. This post was written by our TEFL certification...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Teaching slang and idioms can be difficult but rather important. Our TEFL graduate explains the importance of this language point. Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In this blog post, our TEFL graduate considers several differences between high-school and university students. Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas How can songs help in learning languages? Our TEFL graduate considers this topic and provides relevant research data. Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas How group teaching differs for young and adult learners? Our TEFL graduate explains in...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas When I was a university student, my roommate was from Busan, South Korea. I loved spending time with him. We became incredibly close friends, and I also became close to the other students who came through the same foreign exchange program as he did. I helped them learn English regularly, checking and proofreading essays and explaining phrases to them. They left the United States after one semester, but they had already introduced me to other Korean students who would be there for two more years. I enjoyed learning about their culture and the cultural differences that we had. I also learned a lot about the obstacles that my friends faced in learning English, and worked to help them overcome those obstacles. This...  [Read more]

  In this ITTT TESOL review two students from America describe their experience during their TESOL/TEFL course in Corinth, Greece. They describe how the course has given them the skills and confidence to begin their careers as language teachers. ITTT's courses include 120 hours of professional training given by our highly qualified and experienced trainers who are all committed to providing the best possible tuition. During the course trainees are given 6 to 10 hours of observed teaching practice with real students. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of English language teaching. This convenient, highly structured...  [Read more]

  In this episode, we cover the pronunciation of the word pundit. This word is a noun and refers to an expert in a particular field who is often consulted by others. Suitable synonyms for pundit include expert or specialist. The word has found itself into the English language from the Sanskrit word 'pa??ita' meaning ‘learned man'. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of English language teaching. This convenient, highly structured design means that you can quickly get to grips with each section before moving onto the next. Overall, i have learnt zero to all conditionals and how important it is, as a...  [Read more]