10 English words and slang terms you should know

Steffanie Zazulak
A couple laughing together while having drinks

Not everything can be taught in the classroom ¨C that¡¯s why we¡¯ve put together a list of 10 English words, slang terms and figures of speech for you to sprinkle into your English conversations. Not sure how to use them? Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ve included definitions and examples of how to use them in a sentence.

Earworm

A song or tune that, once you¡¯ve heard it, is stuck in your head.

Use it: ¡°That new Taylor Swift song is such an earworm!¡±

Staycation

Spending your holiday in your hometown rather than traveling abroad. Often spent relaxing around the house or doing activities in the local area.

Use it: ¡°I¡¯m having a staycation this summer, as I¡¯m trying to save money.¡±

Webisode

An episode or series created exclusively for online viewing. This can be part of a web series or used to promote a television series.

Use it: ¡°There¡¯s a new Breaking Bad webisode online, have you seen it?¡±

Crowdfunding

Funding a project or business venture by asking a large number of people (typically online) to invest a small amount of money ¨C usually via websites such as Kickstarter and Indiegogo.

Use it: ¡°We raised enough money to launch our business using crowdfunding.¡±

Glamping

Glamorous camping! Avoiding any rough conditions with luxurious facilities and accommodation, such as a yurt or cabin.

Use it: ¡°We¡¯re going to be glamping at Glastonbury this year.¡±

Lookalike

Something or someone that closely resembles something else, often used to describe someone who looks very similar to a celebrity.

Use it: ¡°Have you seen the Prince William and Kate Middleton lookalikes over there?¡±

Handover

This word has a more political significance, in terms of gaining land or ownership. However, its modern usage is commonly in the workplace: The act of passing over control or responsibility to another person while you are off work on holiday or leaving a job.

Use it: ¡°I¡¯ll send my notes in a handover email so you can continue the project while I¡¯m away.¡±

Meh

When something is a little uninspiring or dull. Also a word you could use to describe your lack of interest or indifference. It¡¯s basically a verbal shrug.

Use it: ¡°The film was a bit meh.¡±

Binge-watch

Watching multiple episodes of a TV show, one after another, in a single sitting. Usually, with a DVD box set or using online streaming.

Use it: ¡°I¡¯m planning to binge-watch the entire series of Game of Thrones this weekend!¡±

Spill the tea

When someone 'spills the tea' they are telling you all the latest news or gossip.?

Use it: ¡°Please spill the tea about last week's party!"

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    Over the last few years,?I have been reflecting on and developing an approach within my own young learners¡¯ classroom that I call the horizontal syllabus. This is a way to design a unit of study and it is aligned with what we know about how students learn. We know that students require spaced repetition and they need to progress from easier, manageable tasks towards more demanding, independent ones. First, spaced repetition is a memory technique that involves reviewing and recalling information at spaced intervals until learned.?My Disney Stars and Heroes?does this by recycling language throughout its units but horizontal syllabus design can add to this by reviewing vocabulary and phrases every lesson. In essence, it means we don¡¯t move from one page to the next (a vertical syllabus), but rather we revisit and build upon each page as we go through the unit.

    In this blog, I will focus on the input stage of this, which I call extended input. It comprises of conveying meaning, segmentation, elocution, checking pronunciation and critical engagement with the vocabulary.

    For my upcoming webinar (August 24th), and in a further two blogs, I will also look at output and assessment and how to put it all together in a horizontal syllabus for a specific unit of My Disney Stars and Heroes. Let¡¯s look at the stages of extended input.