Chavs in the TEFL Classroom
‘I saw some Chavs, WAGS and hoodies getting trolleyed.’
‘I needed some munchies but I didn’t go in ‘cos the shop was skanky.’
Understand these phrases and chances are you are native to the UK. But outside of these isles, you’re not likely to get the cultural reference. Yet we hear these expressions used in the media and in everyday speech. And what about ‘Simples’ the new phenomenon of a word currently spreading like wildfire thanks to the ‘compare the meerkats advertisement to mean ’straightforward and easy, as in
‘I finished the exam early and left knowing I’d done well. Simples!’
Pity the poor English language learner, especially those who set out to learn English to native speaker level. Such an aim must seem almost unobtainable when you consider our rich language, ever growing thanks to the influence of America and the media - and already positively bursting at the seams with idiom, slang and the almost incomprehensible array of complex phrasal verbs which make up our every day speech.
You don’t see slang words and expressions written down often as it is mainly the preserve of newspaper headlines or spoken speech but such is the variety and their prevalence in our language that it’s given way to dictionaries devoted to their recording and usage. There’s the Oxford English dictionary of slang no less and if you fancy updating your own bank of current slang terms, or just want a translation of the 2 sentences at the beginning of this post, then have a peek online at this very comprehensive list here ( Note, you may find some terms or descriptions offensive. )
So, if slang is widespread enough to warrant its own dictionary, can we ignore these terms and expressions in the classroom? And if they do have a place in the classroom, what exactly do we teach our students about form, usage and context? It’s one thing to understand what is meant by an expression so they become part of the learners passive vocabulary but quite another to encourage our our learners to use them.
Can you imagine your intermediate French student saying ‘I’m always getting my knickers in a twist’ about English tests, explaining in a glorious French accent that her car ‘goes like the clappers’ or that the accommodation she stayed in on holiday was ‘minging’. It’s almost laughable.
So, I’m curious about the importance of slang and encourage your comments on the subject. Particularly:
Current teachers, what place does slang have in your classroom?
Do you know of any new (and clean) slang that hasn’t made it into common parlance yet or is geographical in usage?
What do you know about slang in other languages; does it exist to the same extent as UK slang? Share your experience of foreign slang.
All comments welcome. ‘Till then, abyssinnia!
William
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