This week’s column is whether we should teach slang to ESL (English as a Second Language) learners.
According to Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, the word ‘slang’ is an uncountable noun and means ‘very informal language that is usually spoken rather than written, used especially by particular groups of people’. For example, ‘chicken’ is slang for someone who is not brave. We say that a person’s language is slangy if they use a lot of slang expressions.
Slang is part of any language. When we watch English movies, listen to interviews by native speakers of English, engage in informal conversations with them and read books written by them, we hear and come across slang terms. Most native speakers’ language is slangy. Some writers use a lot of slang expressions in their writings (novels, short stories, etc). To understand such speakers’ informal conversations and writings better it is good to learn slang. ESL learners should know the meaning of some common slang words but need not use them because there is a danger of using them inappropriately.
Here are some common slang expressions and their meanings: n bomb: If something costs a bomb, it is really expensive. Example: In India petrol costs a bomb. If something goes like a bomb, it means it is going really well.
bloody: It is a swear word. The word has both positive and negative connotation. It is mostly used to express anger or emphasise something as in the following example: Bloody hell! My meeting with the boss was bloody marvelous.
cheesed off: It you are cheesed off with something or someone, you are disappointed with it or the person. Example: Maria quit her job as she was cheesed off with it.
dear: If something is dear, it means it is expensive. Example: Since the new laptop was dear, I decided to buy a used one.
n swot: to study hard or all the time. Example: Some parents make their children swot and do not allow them to enjoy their childhood n.
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