Webster Didn’t Get It: 5 Important Words Your Students Won’t Find in the Dictionary
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Besides, many ESL students find lessons on slang entertaining and enjoyable and give them a nice break from the standard textbook lessons, so most ESL teachers find lessons on slang a welcome addition to the curriculum. If you are looking to make slang a regular part of your lesson plans or are just looking for an occasional break from the standard curriculum, here are some ways you can use slang in your ESL classroom.
Start by giving groups of students two sets of index cards. On one set of cards, write an assortment of contemporary slang. On the other set, write more traditional synonyms or phrases for the slang expressions. (You can find a set of 20 common slang terms and their definitions here or compile your own collection from an online slang dictionary!) Using both sets of cards, groups should try to match the correct slang term to its definition. Give students enough time to attempt their matches before giving them the correct answers. Afterward, ask your students why slang can make it difficult to understand English speakers in real life. When has slang posed the biggest problem for them and their English skills? Allow several students to share with the class. Why do they think English speakers enjoy using slang in their speech? You may also want to encourage your students to discuss how they feel about slang usage in their native languages.
After they have become familiar with the examples from the last activity, ask your students to attempt to define slang. Point out that slang may include specific vocabulary, phrasal verbs and idiomatic expressions all of which are used in casual English conversation. Do your students think slang is a valuable form of speech? How might a person go about putting together a dictionary of slang terms? Why might that be difficult? Point out to your students that dictionaries such as the Oxford English Dictionary make updates to their vocabulary compilations each year, and slang regularly makes its way into this official book. March 2012 was the most recent online update for the OED, and it now includes such slang terms as LARPing, scratchiti, soz (British slang), and boofy (Australian slang). Give your students some online time at oed.com to look up some of the slang words they already know, and challenge them to see if they know any slang terms that cannot be found in the dictionary.
Your students now have a theoretical knowledge of slang, but what about practical experience? You have many options for the means of bringing slang into your classroom. When you do welcome slang, your students will learn more lifelike English than is sometimes found in the text books, and they will be better able to understand and communicate with native speakers.
Here are some ways to bring home the slang.
For that reason, ESL teachers actually help their students become better English speakers when they include slang in the classroom. Though it may seem like a waste of time when the final exam is drawing ever nearer, your students will appreciate the exposure to and understanding of what real English speakers say! So take a chance, change it up and let your students add some flavor to their English lexicons with a lesson on slang.
What are your favorite slang expressions to teach your students?