Slang

Slang is the use of informal words and expressions to describe an object or condition. Slang is vocabulary that is meant to be interpreted quickly but not necessarily literally, as slang words or terms are often a metaphor or an allegory.

Often slang is used within a certain group or in a certain area. Young people's slang is different from old people's slang.

Slang differs from jargon in that the latter tends to be technical and describing something for which there is no other word; slang on the other hand is often a substitute word used, often used to hide the real world from and outsider or to claim membership of a certain group.

Teaching Slang

Should slang be taught in class? Different teachers have different opinions; one issue is that slang changes much faster than mainstream language and the slang known and used by a teacher is often from a different era than the slang the students are likely to encounter. And speaking "wrong" slang marks out a person from the crowd.

Perhaps the best approach is to teach the meaning and usage of a particular piece of slang as it arises in class or if the students are likely to be exposed to slang at all. Classroom time can be more profitably used teaching English the students will need rather than English they may never use.

However, slang shouldn't be confused with idiom which is part and parcel of everyday language and should be included in the classroom.