How to Learn English Slang

Slang is informal words or phrases usually particular to a group. Slang words and phrases can overlap in different countries and different groups, or they can be used by more than one group and mean something completely different in each group. Slang language is most often comprised of completely made-up words, alterations on existing words or phrases, and sometime wordplay. Some slang, over time, becomes so ingrained in the culture that it eventually finds its way into dictionaries and other legitimate reference materials.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

1. Use a slang guide found on the Internet. There are many such websites out there. The English Club has an extensive alphabetized guide featuring hundreds of the most popular English slang words. Also review the Urban Dictionary (see Resources), an ever-evolving dictionary that features the most current slang.

2. Compare English slang in the United States with the United Kingdom (see Resources). Familiarize yourself with the similarities and the differences between the two.

3. Study slang from around the country. Many times the same words are used differently even within the United States. The Slanguage website (see Resources) breaks down slang and local vernacular by state.

4. Consider the Random House Historical Dictionary of Slang (originally with "American" in the title), a three-part series that covers slang throughout history, word meanings, origins and quoted examples of slang.

References

• Oxford History and Analysis of Slang

Resources

• English Club
• UK English Slang
• Slanguage
• Random House Slang Dictionaries