TEACHING IDIOMS AND SLANG•Idiom -An expression that has a meaning apart from what the meanings of the individual words mean generally don’t change too often

•Call it a day, for ages, grab a bite, in the black, a know it all

•Slang - very informal language usage that's limited to a relatively small group of speakers and can frequently

•Be ticked off, to pig out, stand someone up, wiped out, get canned   

FACTS ABOUT IDIOMS AND SLANG

Native speakers of a language use idioms all the time. Idioms are the grease that makes language flow. Students are often embarrassed and frustrated if they can't understand idioms.Misunderstanding can lead  to disaster. Communication is everything!

A strong knowledge of idioms will help students to be better speakers and negotiators.

"The sheer number of idioms and their high frequency in discourse make them an important aspect of vocabulary acquisition and language learning in general..." Fernando, 1996

"Since idiomatic expressions are so frequently encountered in both spoken and written discourse, they require special attention in language programs and should not be relegated to a position of secondary importance in the curriculum." Cooper, 1998

SAMPLE LESSON Presentation

     1. Start with a natural dialogue that contains no more than twelve slang words and idioms     2. Based on the context of each phrase, allow the students to guess what each slang term or idiom means.!"     3. To really lock in the meaning, go around the classroom and have each student use the idiom

"Real Speak"Practice the idioms in a dialogue with reductions.Provide a variety of reinforcement activities in pairs.

A Sample Group Activity Divide the class into two teams. The teacher posts 36 cards in six rows of six. The cards are all clearly

numbered 1 through 36. Half of the cards have slang words or idioms written on the back while the other half have the meanings.

The goal is to match a slang word or idiom with its meaning.With only one student choosing at a time, the teams take turns trying to choose two cards that match. When a match is made, the person who made the correct match must use that term in a complete sentence.