Slang

Slang is very informal language which is often used by young people. It's hard to keep up to date with slang, but this article will help you learn a few words that your teacher may not know!

Language changes all the time. New words and phrases appear and evolve. The words and pronunciations used by young people in the UK can be very different to those used by adults. Living in a multicultural society has an effect on language, especially on young people, whose friends are often from a mix of backgrounds. TV and music also have a big impact on the language of the young. Often UK singers sing in American accents without realising.

Young British people use lots of language that you usually can’t find in most dictionaries. These extremely informal words and expressions are known as ‘slang’. It is not possible to make a complete list of modern British slang. By the time the list was finished, it would be out of date! New words come and go like fashions. However, here are a few examples:

• Safe, sorted, sound, cool or wicked all mean 'That’s good' or 'I understand'.
• Instead of using different tag questions like …isn’t it?, can’t you? or don’t they?, people use innit(e.g., It’s hot here, isn’t it? = It’s hot here, innit!, He can dance really well, can’t he? = He can dance really well, innit! or They always say that, don’t they? = They always say that, innit.).
• Instead of saying very, really or completely use well (e.g., I’m well tired or You got it well wrong!).
• Whatever means I don’t care (e.g., A: But the teacher says we can’t leave until we’ve finished. B: Whatever. I’m going).
• He’s fine or He’s fit both mean He’s good-looking. Fine and fit can describe a boy or a girl.
• A hoodie is a young person who wears a jacket with a hood (a hood keeps your head dry in rainy Britain!). It is a negative word and suggests that the young person might be a troublemaker or even a criminal.

Not everybody uses slang and not everybody likes it. A school in Sheffield, in the north of England, recently instructed its pupils to stop using slang words such as hiya (hello), cheers and ta (both mean thank you). The head teacher says that if young people learn to speak ‘correctly’ this will help them get a place at university and a good job.

When British people use language like this, it’s no surprise that some students say they can’t understand native speakers. But perhaps learners don’t need to worry about communicating with native speakers so much. Research shows that most of the English spoken in the world today is spoken between non-native speakers of the language. In fact, when we think about “International English”, there is no such thing as a native or non-native speaker.

So, how important is it to understand these slang words and expressions? If you watch films or TV in English, read magazines in English, chat online in English or are interested in English song lyrics then understanding slang can be very useful. You probably won’t see much slang in your English exam though.

Read the text about English Slang then do these exercises to check your understanding.

1. Check your understanding: true or false

   Circle True or False for these sentences.

1. Young people in Britain often use the same slang words as their parents.    True    False
2. British singers sometimes don’t know that they change their accent when they sing.    True    False
3. Modern slang changes very quickly.    True    False
4. ‘Fit’ is only used to describe boys.    True    False
5. More English is spoken by non-native speakers than by native speakers.    True    False
6. It is essential to learn some British slang.    True     False

2. Check your vocabulary: matching - slang

  Match the slang words with the correct definition and write a – h next to the number 1 – 8.

1. …….. cool                a. isn’t it
2. …….. innit                b. very
3. …….. well                c. troublemaker
4. …….. whatever        d. thank you
5. …….. fit                   e. hello
6. …….. hoodie            f. good-looking
7. …….. hiya                g. that’s good
8. …….. ta                    h. I don’t care

3. Check your vocabulary: multiple choice - slang

    Circle the best word to complete these gaps.

1.  A: I’ve just passed my exam!                                                 Cool

     B: __________! Well done!                                                Whatever

2. A: Did you know Mark’s brother has just cycled around the world?    hoodie

    B: Wow! He must be __________ tired.                                        well

3. You look like a __________ with that top on. Why don’t you wear your blue jacket?  hoodie

    _________________________________________ innit

4. It’s really cold today, __________?        ta

    __________________________ innit

5. A: Hello!                                Sorted

    B: __________!                    Hiya

6. A: You can borrow my pen.          Well

    B: __________.                         Ta

Are you interested in being able to understand British slang?

Do you know any other useful slang words or phrases?   In what situations might it be good to use or not use slang?

Vocabulary Box Write any new slang words you have learnt in this lesson.

Keys

1. Check your understanding: true or false

1. False 2. True 3. True 4. False 5. True 6. False

2. Check your vocabulary: matching - slang

1. g 2. a 3. b 4. h 5. f 6. c 7. e 8. d

3. Check your vocabulary: multiple choice - slang

1. Cool 2. well 3. hoodie 4. innit 5. Hiya 6. Ta