Street Talk-3: The Best of American Idioms (v. 3) [Paperback]

David Burke (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 1995

Street Talk 3 explores some of the most common idioms that are used and understood by virtually every American. This entertaining step-by-step guide includes dialogues, vocabulary sections, word games, crossword puzzles, dictation, and more.

Editorial Reviews

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Preface To the outsider, idioms seem like a confusing "secret" code reserved only for the native speaker of English. Idioms are certainly tricky beasts because it is the sum of all the words in the phrase which must be interpreted, not each word by itself. In other words, the listener must never confuse the literal translation of an idiom with the underlying meaning of what is really being expressed or symbolized. If you are told "Get me a pizza...and step on it!" you are not being instructed to go trample on a round piece of cheesy bread. You are simply being told to hurry, since "step on it" refers to "pressing down on" the accelerator of a car. In addition, a common idiom such as "to bend over backwards" has nothing to do with acrobatics or flexibility. It's simply a colorful way of conveying that someone has to expend a great deal of effort in order to do something. example: I bent over backwards trying to help Richard translation: I exerted a great deal of effort trying to help Richard In short, idioms are simply an imaginative and expressive way to communicate an idea or thought. In order to be considered proficient in English, idioms must be learned since they are consistently used in books, magazines, television, movies, songs, American homes, etc. For the non-native speaker, learning the information in Street Talk 3 will equal years of living in America and reduce the time it takes to absorb the intricacies of slang and colloquialisms. For the American, you're in for a treat as we explore the evolution and variations of some of the most common and hilarious idiomatic expressions that have been with us, and will stay with us through the years. Street Talk-3 is a self teaching guide made up of fourteen chapters, each divided into four primary parts: Dialogue: Ten popular American idioms (indicated in boldface) are presented as they may be heard in an actual conversation. A translation of the dialogue in standard English is always given on the opposite page followed by an important phonetic version of the dialogue as it would actually be spoken by an America. This page will prove vital to any non-native since, as previously demonstrated, Americans tend to rely heavily on contractions and shortcuts in pronunciation. Vocabulary: This section spotlights all of the slang words and expressions that were used in the dialogue and offers two examples of usage for each entry, including synonyms, antonyms, and special notes. Practice the Vocabulary: These word games include all of the new terms and idioms previously learned and will help you to test yourself on your comprehension. (The pages providing the answers to all the drills are indicated at the beginning of this section.) Dictation (Test your oral comprehension): Using an optional audio cassette (see coupon on back page), the student will hear a paragraph containing many of the idioms from the opening dialogues. The paragraph will be read as it would actually be heard in a conversation, using frequently contractions and reductions. Note: Some chapters offer a special section where the reader will be given an up close look at common idioms pertaining to a specific category such as alliterations, repeating words, proverbs, and survival idioms.

At the end of each five chapters is a review exam encompassing all of the words and expressions learned up to that point. If you have always prided yourself on being fluent in English, you will undoubtedly be surprised and amused to encounter a whole new world of phrases usually hidden away in the American-English language and usually reserved only for the native speaker...until now! David Burke Author

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Optima Books (July 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1879440121
• ISBN-13: 978-1879440128
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,363,810 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

David Burke is the author of over 100 products and books on how to use and understand slang and idioms in different languages. His books are currently used as course curriculum by Berlitz Language Schools, UCLA, Harvard University, New York University (NYU) and Hewlett Packard.

David was brought up in a multi-lingual household and knows English, French, Italian, and American Sign Language. He is also a musician, having worked as a television composer and as the in-house composer for the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee.

In 1999, David became known as "Slangman" to 90 million listeners in 120 countries due to his regular 5-year segment on Voice of Americas Coast to Coast. Throughout the past 10 years, he has been the owner and CEO of Slangman Publishing, Inc., a publishing company specializing in materials on slang and idioms.

David is also the creator of Slangman's World, a children's TV show, currently in preproduction, which introduces children age 2-6 to the world of foreign languages and cultures, as well as popular American expressions in an environment of music, animation, and magic.

To date, David has appeared in more than 250 national and international radio and television programs helping parents to understand their teens, including; The Jenny Jones Show, The Sharon Osbourne Show, Entertainment Tonight, CNN International, and has been a recurring guest on the KTLA Morning Show and Canada's most popular talk show, the Vicki Gabereau Show. David was also a commentator at the 2004 Academy Awards for the BBCs Five Live (a program broadcasting to 7 million people throughout the United Kingdom) to speak about slang used in American movies and TV shows.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars street talk 3, April 1, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Street Talk-3: The Best of American Idioms (v. 3) (Paperback)

When I came to USA, I faced a problem to communicate american people and I looked for esay way to learn american slang. Then, my english teacher advised me to get this version. It's good way to learn american slang by listening. This way will help students for learning and communicating with american slang. I recommend this cassette with the book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb Format, March 15, 2001

By 

Richard Weekley (Boulder, CO United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Street Talk-3: The Best of American Idioms (v. 3) (Paperback)

I teach English to Chinese professionals and have found Mr. Burkes book to be invaluable. Each chapter has an opening dialog using idioms. The author then proceeds to present the information in traditional English, he then offers and explanation of the same material, and finally he translates the correct English into everyday spoken English. The balance of each chapter is devoted to giving additional explanation for each idiom. Additional idioms that have a similar meaning are listed as well as idioms that have the opposite meaning. Crossword puzzles and word games round out a great book for teaching idioms to people from other countries.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars NEW!! UPDATED VERSION NOW AVAILABLE!, April 6, 2005

By 

David Burke "Author" (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Street Talk-3: The Best of American Idioms (v. 3) (Paperback)

***from David Burke, author of the "old" Street Talk series***

Thank you all very much for your interest in my products! Please note that "Street Talk 3" is now out of print, but I now have a NEW updated version called "The Slangman Guide to STREET SPEAK 3," published by SLANGMAN PUBLISHING. Please do an amazon.com search for it and you'll be able to search through the entire book!

Happy reading!

"Slangman" David Burke