The English language (British English in particular) is a fascinating mix of regional dialects and unique slang, shaped by centuries of history and cultural influences. Throughout its long history, . From the Romans in ancient Londinium to the rolling hills of the Saxon heartland, and from the Viking raiders of the north to the Norman conquerors of the south, each wave of historical influence has shaped the dialects of the UK. Each region of the United Kingdom has its own distinct flavor of language and accent. Today, we embark on an English slang tour to explore some of the expressions from different regions.
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Let's begin in the heart of England, the West Midlands. Here, you might hear the word "bostin'" thrown around quite a bit. This charming expression simply means "excellent" or "fantastic." So, if someone says your meal was "bostin'," you can rest assured your cooking skills have earned top marks.
If you head east to the East Midlands region, you might come across a term of endearment that could raise an eyebrow or two if you're not used to it. Local people often call each other "duck," regardless of gender or age. It's a friendly and informal way of addressing someone, similar to how people in other regions use "mate" or "love.”
London is a massive city where slang changes as fast as the city itself. One of the words you might hear is "chuffed." When Londoners say they're "chuffed," it means they're happy or pleased. So, if someone from London compliments you and says, "I'm well chuffed with you," you've definitely made a good impression.
In the sunny landscapes of Cornwall, the locals frequently use the delightful Cornish slang term "ansum" to describe something that's handsome or lovely. On the other hand, in Bristol, you'll often hear the expression "gert lush" used to signify something that's really great or fantastic.
As we travel to the Northeast, you may come across the word "canny." In this region, "canny" doesn't imply being careful, but rather, it is used to describe something that is good, enjoyable, or appealing. For instance, if you visit Newcastle and someone says, "She's a canny lass," it means that the person considers her to be a likable and charming woman.
Cheshire offers the intriguing term "mardy." This word is used to describe someone who's in a bad mood or being grumpy. If you hear someone say, "She's a bit mardy today," you'll know to approach with caution.
The Wrekin is a prominent hill in the area well-known by the residents of Shropshire. They often use the phrase to describe someone who takes a long-winded or complicated approach to a task. It can also be used to describe a situation where someone has taken an unnecessarily long route to get to a destination.
Let's continue our slang tour and head to the stunning landscapes of Scotland, where the word "braw" is commonly used. The Scots use this term to describe something that is splendid, beautiful, or excellent. For example, if you happen to be in Edinburgh and hear someone say, "The view from Arthur's Seat is pure braw," you'll know that it's a view that should not be missed.
Crossing over to Wales, we discover the heart-warming term "cwtch" (pronounced "kutch"). It refers to a cuddle or an affectionate hug, embodying the Welsh spirit of warmth and closeness.
From the south of England to Scotland, and everywhere in between, these unique expressions reflect the distinctive character of the people who call these places home. As the world becomes more connected, people are taking their unique dialects with them wherever they go.
You might also find some of these terms traveling further afield, being used in other regions or even countries. Unsurprisingly, as from a range of other languages. Exploring the origins of English slang can be a great gateway to learning about the history of a place, so make sure to read up about it next time you hear an interesting one. You can check out to keep up to date with the latest ones.
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Stories can make us laugh, cry or tremble with fear. They can teach us valuable life lessons and transport us to other worlds. They've been around since the beginning of language itself, but can they actually help us learn a language?
Stories are one of the most useful toolswhen teaching childrenEnglish. Not only do they help with listening and reading skills, but they can also support speaking and writing skills by providing context, language and structure.
Very young learners may already be familiar with stories – they may hear them in daycare, school or at home with their parents. Therefore, incorporating these into their language classes may help them to feel more comfortable in their surroundings. And if children feel comfortable, they are more likely to be receptive to learning.
Storytelling usually happens as part of a group in the classroom. This means that it becomes a bonding activity for children where they can communicate and subconsciously pick up the key language. While having fun listening and interacting with the story, theysoak up information without even realizing they’re learning.
So, what storytelling activities can we use with younglearners? Let’s find out.
Often, we think of storytelling simply as reading a book aloud to children. Yet, there are other activities you can do. These include:
To get young children interacting with the story, first read out a sentence alone. Then, have the children repeat the line with you as a group. Repeat as many times as necessary, until the children feel confident with the language.
If your learners are happy to, ask them individually to repeat the sentence after you. Make sure each one has a turn and praise them for being brave and trying to use the language.
An activity that works well with children is to act out the story’s characters. For example, there may be animals, fairies, monsters or other exciting characters that they can each act.
Ask them to make the noises of the animals, the wind, or the scenery to create an atmosphere while you read. This gets them interacting with the story and the rest of the group, which will help their communication and listening comprehension skills.
Young learners react particularly well to visual aids and realia. Why not use puppets or dolls to act out the characters, or even ask students to have a go with them? They will engage more with the story and the language.
Children’s story books are usually quite visual with illustrations and pictures. Make the most of these while telling the story. Try asking students questions about the images to get them using the vocabulary.
You could ask them, “what can you see?”, “what’s he wearing?” or “can you find an apple?”. This is another great way to reinforce the vocabulary they’re learning in class.
Use these activities individually orincorporate a mix into your lessons. Either way, storytelling will help your learners with more than just developing their English language skills.
While we often think of storytelling as a pastime for children, it can also be a useful language learning activity for adults.
Stories are part of our daily lives, from news to social media to books and movies. Therefore, they can be extremely beneficial tools for English language learning.
Yet, the way we approach storytelling as a class activity for adults differs to that of young learners. While we typically read fairy tales to young children, we can bring in a much wider range of content for adults, such as:
Storytelling can be a wonderful language learning tool for both children and adults. If you’re looking for a new way to engage, inspire and motivate your learners, why not try it in your next class?
Language learning is more than just something you study—it's a strategic move that integrates into every aspect of your life—socially, professionally and mentally. With English often being the common ground for global business, communicating effectively in this language has never been more important.
In this post, we uncover the benefits of language proficiency, particularly in English, backed by relevant statistics and insights from app's recentground-breaking new research.
