Down
in the dumps, pull your leg, nincompoop, hit the sack...These are all
idioms found in my American idiom book. None of them are used anymore
(at least by young people). If you use them, people will either laugh,
look at your strangely, or be reminded of their mother. Idioms become
outdated. Fast. Same with slang, but faster.
Japanese
text books love to throw in some idioms. They’re fun, colorful ways to
make a natural conversation, right? Probably not...
I don’t teach idioms and slang for three reasons:
#1. As mentioned above, they come and go out of style really fast. Example: The party was a blast. This is no longer used. The party was da bomb. Used in the 90’s. The party was sick. Used currently. Avoid problems and just stick with: The party was fun. Fun is always in. Cool is also pretty safe.
#2.
Unfortunately, they often sound awkward coming from a lower level
English speaker. You may want
to sound “natural,” but end up sounding like you’ve been...studying an
idiom book. Native speakers hear them from friends, on TV, and read them in
books all our lives, so we know how to use them properly. If you try too
hard to insert them into your sentences, it will sound forced and
unnatural.
#3.
They should not be “taught.” If you go to school abroad or watch
foreign TV shows, you will pick them up yourself. Really, it’s better
that way.
Of
course if you have any questions about slang or idioms, I would love to
answer them and give some examples (if I can). But you won’t see me
teaching any “Slang Lessons” anytime soon.
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