A learner's guide to American English slang and its usage when speaking and writing in informal contexts. Noted ESL and EFL teacher Orin Hargraves explains which rules of grammar change (and are sometimes ignored), which words and phrases may be considered inappropriate or offensive, and common ways American pronunciation changes when slang is used. Provides invaluable assistance in identifying slang and how Americans use it.
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About the Author
Orin Hargraves is the author or editor of six books and numerous articles about language. He is a noted lexicographer whose latest books include Mighty Fine Words and Smashing Expressions; New Words; Slang Rules!; and Spell It!, the official study guide for the Scripps National Spelling Bee. He is the book review editor of Dictionaries, the journal of the Dictionary Society of North America.
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Orin Hargraves was born in Denver and grew up in Creede, Colorado. He graduated from the University of Chicago (BA with Honors) in 1977. He served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Morocco in the 1980s. He is the author of three guidebooks in the Culture Shock! series: Morocco, London, and Chicago. He began his career in lexicography while living in London in the early 1990s. He has since written numerous articles and books about language, as well as contributing to dozens of dictionaries from publishers internationally. At present he lives in Niwot, Colorado and conducts research at CU-Boulder in linguistics and natural language processisng. He president of the Dictionary Society of North America. He writes the monthly "Language Lounge" column for VisualThesaurus.com and also blogs for Macmillandictionaryblog.com.
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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
By Tim Collins
Format:Paperback
Slang is an essential part of any language, and SLANG RULES gives learners of English tools they need to understand the language they hear around them every day, as well as how to use (or not use) it correctly.
As an ESL teacher and a professor of teacher educator for over 30 years, I know that students yearn to develop natural speech, which includes slang, colloquialisms, and other language that might not be in a dictionary, but which they encounter every day online, at school, and at their workplaces. SLANG RULES teaches common phrases such as cheapskate, out of whack, sting operation, lose your edge, kvetch, bummer and common elisions (coulda, woulda) which are not in dictionaries. I enjoyed seeing beamer, but probably because I have one (a BMW, that is)!
SLANG RULES presents this common vocabulary and, in a feature very useful for language learners, tells whether the slang is current or old-fashioned, and gives tips on usage. Words that are offensive are clearly identified, so that learners can make informed decisions about whether to use them. Imagine the embarrassment that this will save learners when they hear an improper word at school or work, and then use it inappropriately. Learners who use this book will never experience that. After reading SLANG RULES, learners will understand the vocabulary that native speakers use and be able to make informed decisions about whether to use those words.
SLANG RULES both informs and empowers learners. The material was developed by Merriam-Webster, and the quality of this book shines through. SLANG RULES contains the language learners need to fit in to American culture and life. I have already shared this book with learners coming to the US to live, and it has helped them immeasurably, giving them confidence and understanding of life in the US.
As an ESL teacher and a professor of teacher educator for over 30 years, I know that students yearn to develop natural speech, which includes slang, colloquialisms, and other language that might not be in a dictionary, but which they encounter every day online, at school, and at their workplaces. SLANG RULES teaches common phrases such as cheapskate, out of whack, sting operation, lose your edge, kvetch, bummer and common elisions (coulda, woulda) which are not in dictionaries. I enjoyed seeing beamer, but probably because I have one (a BMW, that is)!
SLANG RULES presents this common vocabulary and, in a feature very useful for language learners, tells whether the slang is current or old-fashioned, and gives tips on usage. Words that are offensive are clearly identified, so that learners can make informed decisions about whether to use them. Imagine the embarrassment that this will save learners when they hear an improper word at school or work, and then use it inappropriately. Learners who use this book will never experience that. After reading SLANG RULES, learners will understand the vocabulary that native speakers use and be able to make informed decisions about whether to use those words.
SLANG RULES both informs and empowers learners. The material was developed by Merriam-Webster, and the quality of this book shines through. SLANG RULES contains the language learners need to fit in to American culture and life. I have already shared this book with learners coming to the US to live, and it has helped them immeasurably, giving them confidence and understanding of life in the US.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By Rocket Man
Format:Paperback
It was an excellent teacher on slang. Easy to read and follow along with. From Merriam-Webster.
By amerson
Format:Paperback
I found this book in a bookstore and felt it interesting. So I searched on Amazon and found a decent price
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