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Teaching Slang and IdiomsBefore we start defining why is important to teach idiom and slang, we have to know what exactly they are. What is an idiom? An idiom is an expression whose meaning cannot be predicted from the usual meaning of its constituent elements. What is slang? Slang is the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's language or dialect but are considered more acceptable when used socially. Why teach Idioms and Slang Slang an idioms are part of the language, is the way people express themselves on a daily basis, therefore is important to teach it. It is necessary for the students to understand the people's culture so they can interact in a natural way. Slang and idioms are different depends on the subject or the country, a business english student has to learn all the slang and idioms related with their business, the sports language in this case is use to express many ideas in business, and different slang and idioms are used in movies or TV shows and is important to understand them in order to get the idea in the correct context. These forms of languages are difficult to understand and learn because they don't mean what they literally state. Native speakers of a language use idioms and slang all the time to communicate their ideas, that's the reason why teaching idioms is important, a strong knowledge in idioms will help the student to be a better speaker and to comprehend different situations. According to different researches like Gibbs in 1986 and Cronk & Schweigert, in 1992 there are different variables that affect idiom and slang learning and comprehension, those variables are: 1. Age of Learner Children interpret idioms literally until the age of nine. (Piaget's theory of cognitive development - abstract thinking with maturity) 2. Use of figurative language by teachers The more figurative language the teacher uses in classroom, the better children master idiom interpretation. 3. Characteristics of idioms People acquire more easily the idioms when the literal meaning is close to their figurative one. How to Teach Idioms and slang We have three types of idioms and according to Irujo's study in 1986 some of them are easier or harder to learn: 1. Identical idioms => easiest to understand and produce 2. 2.Similar idioms 3. Different idioms => hardest to understand and produce. Thus, when teaching idioms start with identical idioms and idioms that don't present special problems with the vocabulary and grammar and teach them in a progressive way next continue with similar idioms and finally with dissimilar idioms A good idea is to group idioms and slang according to the main words that they contain. For Example: ? Verbs: Check out, Ace, Boggie, chicken out. ? Nouns: Airead, Brain, Chocoholic Or idioms and slang can be grouped according to their underlying metaphorical themes. For Example: ? Time is money, Argument is war. Teaching Ideas for Slang and Idioms 1. Lead a discussion about figurative language including metaphors, similes, and idioms in order to show the students why they are used in speech. You can present then in a paragraph or dialogue. You can use expressions like: - He who laughs last laughs longest! - Put your money where your mouth is! - Like mother, like daughter / Like father, like son - You Bet! 2. Give the students a situation where they can apply different types of slang, idioms and standard expressions whose meaning are similar. For example: - Calm down - Chill out - Take it easy - Don?t worry about it 3. Drawing idioms is effective for showing the contrast between the literal and figurative meanings. 4. Act them out to compare in a humorous way literal and figurative meanings of idioms. 5. Act out the literal meaning of an expression and the class must guess the figurative meaning. 6. Retell a story. The teacher tell a story and the students must retell it remembering and using as much as idioms and slang the can. 7. Using Cartoons or TV shows sit-coms are a good source to discus and analyze idioms and slang.
