Teach English in TiAnhe Zhen - Chongqing

Teaching slang and idioms"Hey! What's up? I ran into your folks the other day and they invited me to the shindig you're throwing for your sister's graduation. Should I head to the store and hook you up with some junk food or do you got that covered?" In this brief greeting, there are many idioms and slang that, if they were to be taken out, the meaning of the whole greeting would be confusing to native english speakers. For English Language Learners however, the entire greeting may be confusing the way it is. Countries that speak lots of English, usually communicate with lots of slang and idioms, which is why it is very important to teach them to students who have gained enough English education to know the difference between proper English, and everyday, conversational English. This is the type of English that will help a language learner get through a typical day. Going to the grocery store, ordering a meal, asking for directions, reading billboards or signs on stores, and reading a magazine in English, are just some of the daily encounters a language learner will experience. Everyday words and phrases contain the most slang and idioms, so the education of them, is not only important, but it is necessary. According to "Teaching About Idioms" at delta-edu.com, all students can benefit from learning idioms, and instruction is very helpful to English Language Learners. Their high frequency in oral and written discourse make them an important aspect of learning language. Teachers would be doing a disservice to learners if their students did not teach slang and idioms. Deciding when to teach slang and idioms is a very important factor. Beginner learners who are very young, probably would not benefit as much as mugger level learners because it might just add confusion, as they are still learning the basics of the language; however, teaching students slang of the most basic words or phrase, such as "hello", "good bye", and maybe a few other phrases that young learners may encounter, could be beneficial, fun, and motivating. Low to mid and higher level learners would definitely benefit from learning slang and idioms because they would most likely encounter them more than proper English. Adolescent learners are sometimes more interested in learning slang and idioms than proper English because they are bombarded with so much of it through many of their interests, such as entertainment mediums. Many adult learners have chosen to learn English because of the job opportunities, travel, Internet, and business. Slang and idioms exist everywhere - radio, television, books, newspapers, magazines, music, and even in professional environments. From Anne Merritt's article "How important are slang and idioms in language learning?" at matador network.com, she states that "slang is unavoidable, no matter what language you're speaking...communication mediums such as texting and Twitter are moving so far from formal language that even native speakers can have trouble figuring out messages like 'word' and 'big up'". Teaching language involves all aspects of reading, writing, listening, and speaking, and within those forms, there are different styles: formal, informal, proper, and of course, slang and idioms. It is the educators' job to teach students how, when, where, and why to use these different styles. How else, besides pictures and body movements, will the students be able to communicate effectively if not exposed to new language as a whole? Just like your native language, you are exposed to all the different ways in how it is used to communicate, and when you're in informal settings, most likely, you will see, hear, and use slang and idioms. From side conversations in the classroom to taking the bus and seeing billboards, and from writing research papers about slang and idioms to hearing them in almost every song on the radio, it is obvious that slang and idioms are crucial parts of learning any language.