Your teaching slays me, bruh!
Your teaching style may slay your students (impress them), but does it help them communicate more effectively? Is the quality of your approach really a gas (sensational) or only mid (average)? Are your students really happy to be addressed as bruh (a person or dude) or would they prefer something more conventional? Are the benefits of teaching slang English real or are they delulu (delusional)?
The arguments in favour of teaching slang expressions are usually presented in terms of improving comprehension, especially when using authentic materials; raising levels of cultural awareness; improving levels of fluency and communication and; enhancing naturalness. So, how well do these assertions stand up to close scrutiny?
While it is indeed true that many authentic materials, such as movies, songs, literature and social media communications include slang expressions, many more rely heavily on standard English. Similarly, although slang may reflect cultural trends and social behaviors, these are often transient in nature, dependent on setting and reflective only of certain aspects of the wider cultural experience. The argument that slang helps students sound more like native speakers is also questionable. What is often the case is that students who include slang expressions when communicating with others may also sound inauthentic and unnatural. They may well be misunderstood by native speakers who themselves are unaware of the expressions. They may also be regarded as flexing (showing off).
So does that mean that we should not attempt to teach slang to our students? Clearly this is not the case. Perhaps, we as teachers, should focus more on raising awareness of slang terms with our students, rather than on actively teaching them how to use them. Obviously, context is an all-important consideration (the age of the student, their learning objectives, their interests, cultural sensitivities, transcience of terns, appropriateness). As always, much depends on the effectiveness and skill of the teacher in making the right calls, based on their relationship with the students. It may well also depend on the teacher’s level of rizz (the ability to easily charm someone).
