Shadowing Practice: English Slang: 12 Words You Need to Know! - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Well, hello and welcome to this English lesson about slang.
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Slang is the term we use to refer to newer words, words that often aren't in any dictionaries yet, although they do make it there eventually.
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As a high school teacher, I'm able to learn new slang words sooner than most people
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because I have a lot of young people in my classes and they're the ones who usually invent the words.
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The 12 words that I'm going to teach you today, the 12 slang words, are very common.
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You might know some of them, but I'm sure some of them will be very new.
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The first English slang word I want to teach you is the word lit.
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When you say something is lit, it means it is amazing.
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It means that you really, really like it.
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If I say this pizza is lit, it means it tastes good.
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It means I'm enjoying eating it.
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If I say the new Spider-Man movie is lit, it means that movie, in my opinion, is one of the best movies I've ever seen.
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So when you say something is lit, it means it is amazing.
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Before we continue, I do want to thank Preply, the sponsor of this video.
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Preply is a great place to find an English speaking partner
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and also a great place to learn new slang from that English speaking partner.
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And if you use the link in the description below today, you'll get 50% off your first lesson.
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The second English slang word I want to teach you is the word mid.
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If you say something is mid, it means it's just average.
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It's not amazing, but it's not bad.
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Using the previous examples, I could say this.
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This pizza is mid.
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This pizza is kind of mid.
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It means it's not horrible, but it's certainly not amazing or excellent.
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But maybe it's just doing the job and satisfying my hunger.
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If I say the new movie is mid, it wasn't an amazing movie, but it obviously wasn't a bad movie either.
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So when you say something is mid, it's just kind of in the middle.
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I think that's where the word came from.
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It's just kind of mid.
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It's not amazing, but it's not bad.
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The third English slang word I want to teach you today is the word fire.
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When you say something is fire, it means it's cool, it's good, it's impressive.
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Think of your favorite singer.
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When they put out a new song and you really, really like it, you could use the word fire to describe it.
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You could say Ed Sheeran's new song is fire.
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what you're saying is it's good, it's impressive, his musicianship is amazing, I love listening to that song, that song is fire.
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So in English if you say something is fire it simply means it's good, it's cool, it's amazing, it's impressive.
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The fourth English slang word I want to teach you is actually an acronym and it's the word the GOAT.
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An acronym is a word where each letter stands for another word.
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If you say someone is the GOAT, it means they're the greatest of all time.
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Each letter in the word GOAT stands for another word.
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If you're familiar with American basketball, a player named Michael Jordan is considered the GOAT.
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He no longer plays, he's retired, but he is the greatest of all time.
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In my opinion, I think this is true.
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If you watch football, you might have a bigger argument about this.
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If I said Messi is the GOAT, it means I think Messi is the greatest footballer of all time.
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greatest of all time.
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So if you think someone is the goat, maybe a singer or an athlete or an actor or actress, you're simply saying they are the greatest of all time.
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They're the best at doing that thing above everyone else in the world.
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The fifth slang word is the word sus, which is I think a short form of the word suspicious.
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If a student comes to me and says my dog ate my homework, I would say that that student's excuse is very sus.
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It's very suspicious.
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I don't really believe students when they tell me that.
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So when you say something is sus, it means it's suspicious.
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It means you doubt whether it is true.
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So if someone says to you, I watched all the Lord of the Rings movies in one night, you might think that's a little bit sus because that is a lot of,
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that's a lot of hours.
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I think that would be nine hours of watching movies.
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that would be a little bit sus.
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I think that would be difficult for someone to do.
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So if someone says something is sus, it simply means it's suspicious and you wonder if what they're saying is actually true.
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The sixth slang word I want to teach you is the word flex.
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And this can be used as a verb to flex or as a noun, a flex.
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If I said to someone, I have 2.5 million subscribers on my YouTube channel, I would be flexing.
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Flexing, the original meaning means to flex your muscles, but we now use it to describe someone who is bragging,
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someone who is making themselves look really, really good.
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So I could say it in two ways.
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If someone says, I'm the best player on my football team, they are flexing, and you could say that's a flex.
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I've used it both as a verb and as a noun.
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So when you flex, or when you say that something is a flex.
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It means the person is bragging about something they've done or something they've accomplished.
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Before we continue with this English lesson, I do want to once again thank Preply, the sponsor of this video.
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In my opinion, the best way to learn new slang words is to have an English-speaking partner, and Preply is a great place to find someone.
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When you're learning words like new slang words, it's sometimes not that easy to find a definition online.
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And even if you do, there might be some nuances,
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there might be some little explanations you need so you know exactly how to use that new slang word.
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That's where a tutor from Preply comes in.
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A tutor from Preply is an English speaker.
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They will be familiar with how to use the word lit and how to use the word mid, and they can explain it to you clearly so that you can use those slang words yourself.
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And if you use the link in the description below today, you'll get 50% off your first lesson.
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So take my advice.
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Go to Preply.
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Look for an English speaking partner that can help you with a whole variety of things.
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They can help you learn English for business, learn English for a trip abroad, learn English because you need to take a test and help you learn a few more slang words.
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The seventh slang word I want to teach you is the word locked in.
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I guess it's more of a phrase.
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If someone is locked in, it means they're extremely focused.
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When I do a live English lesson on Fridays, I'm locked in.
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Sometimes when students need to study for a test, they'll turn off their phone so that they can be locked in, so they can focus completely on their studies.
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So if someone says they're locked in, or if you describe someone as locked in, they're extremely focused on what they're doing.
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The eighth English slang word I wanted to teach you today is the word vibe.
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And this can either have a positive or negative meaning.
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If something has a good vibe, it means that place or activity gives you a good feeling.
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If something has a bad vibe or a negative vibe, it means it gives you like a bad feeling.
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It doesn't make you feel good.
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Tim Hortons is a coffee shop here in Canada.
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And if you go into a Tim Hortons, it has a good vibe.
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It's decorated nicely.
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Usually the restaurant is very clean and it's very enjoyable to go there
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and have a cup of tea or a cup of coffee.
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It has a good vibe.
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When I do my live English lessons, the members give it a good vibe.
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I try to be positive and uplifting when I talk and when I teach the lessons, but the members make the chat just a nice place to be.
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It has a good vibe.
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But you can also have things that have a bad vibe.
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Maybe you go to a store and there's lots of teenagers hanging around out front and it gives it a bad vibe.
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It's kind of a negative experience.
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So when something has a vibe, it's the feeling that you get when you're there.
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A good vibe is good, a bad vibe, not so good.
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The ninth slang word I wanted to teach you today is the word vibing.
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When you are vibing, it simply means you are relaxing and you're enjoying the place where you are at.
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Last week I went to the farmer's market with Jen to help out, but there weren't a lot of customers.
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There wasn't a lot of work to do.
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So I spent some time sitting in my lawn chair, vibing.
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I watched people go by, I went on my phone for a bit, I had an enjoyable conversation or two with Jen and the occasional customer.
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I was simply enjoying being at market.
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I was vibing.
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The 10th slang word I want to teach you today is the word cringe.
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When you say something is cringe, it means it's embarrassing or awkward or uncomfortable to watch or look at.
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The best example I could give for this is how my children react
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when I wear really old clothes that I should have thrown out.
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If I wear a really old pair of shorts from 1992, my kids are like, Dad, that's so cringe.
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It has a hole in the leg and it's, it just is not in style anymore.
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It's awkward.
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It's embarrassing.
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It's uncomfortable for me to see you dress like that.
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So when you say something is cringe, it means exactly that.
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It's how older people dress when they wear clothes from 25 years ago that probably should have been thrown out.
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It's awkward.
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It makes you uncomfortable to look at and it's just kind of embarrassing.
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The 11th slang word I want to teach you today isn't actually a word and there's two of them.
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It's the letter W and the letter L.
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When you say something is a W, it means it's a positive thing.
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It means it's a win or that person is a winner.
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If my brother says to me, I got a promotion at work, I might say, wow, that's a W for you.
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That's a win.
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That's a positive thing in your life.
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And of course, we have the opposite, an L.
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If someone said to me, I took an English test and I failed, it was a big L for me.
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It means it was a loss.
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It doesn't mean they're a loser.
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I think it's easy to say someone's a winner.
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I don't like calling people losers, but that also starts with L, doesn't it?
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So two letters, the letter W for something positive.
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That's a real W for you.
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Oh, you got a new car.
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That's a W for you.
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Or, oh, wow, your car broke down.
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That's a big L.
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The 12th slang word I want to teach you today is the word ghost.
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Actually, the verb to ghost.
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When you ghost someone, it means you stop responding to a communication that was happening, a message that was going back and forth.
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If I text Jen and then she texts me back
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and then I text her and then she doesn't respond for four or five days, Jen is ghosting me.
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She has decided to ghost me.
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It's like she's turned into a ghost and no longer responds.
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It's considered quite rude, by the way.
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And Jen and I don't ever ghost each other, but I think you understand the example.
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Well, thank you
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so much for watching this English lesson where I hope you learned 12 new slang words
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that you can use in your next English conversation.
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Although maybe don't use them all in the same conversation.
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Maybe just drop them into a conversation here and there.
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Before I go, I do want to once again thank Preply, the sponsor of this video.
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Again, Preply is a great place to find an English-speaking partner, someone that can help you learn English in the way you need to learn it, and hopefully you can learn some more slang along the way.
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If this is your first time here, don't forget to click the red subscribe button, give me a thumbs up, leave a comment.
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I have been responding to all comments for the last couple of weeks.
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I would love to hear from you, and I'll see you next week with another English lesson.
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Bye.
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Master English Slang: Real-Life Scenarios for Everyday Use
Imagine chatting with friends about a new movie, a song, or even a slice of pizza—slang is the key to sounding natural and connected. The video breaks down 12 common slang words, like "lit," "mid," and "fire," that you’ll hear in casual conversations, social media, or among peers. These words aren’t just trendy; they help you express opinions quickly and fit into modern English interactions. Whether you’re describing a "lit" party or calling a song "fire," using slang makes your speech feel authentic, not scripted.
Useful Chunks & Collocations to Memorize
- "That [noun] is lit" – Perfect for praising something amazing (e.g., "The concert is lit!").
- "Kind of mid" – Softens the critique of something average (e.g., "The movie was kind of mid").
- "[Noun] is fire" – Highlights impressiveness (e.g., "Her new album is fire").
- "The GOAT" – Labels the greatest (e.g., "Messi is the GOAT").
- "[Noun] is sus" – Questions suspiciousness (e.g., "His excuse is sus").
These phrases are collocations—words that often go together—so learning them as chunks helps you speak faster and more naturally. They’re also key for understanding native speakers, who rarely use formal language in casual settings.
Your Shadowing Challenge: Practice Pronunciation & Flow
To master these slang words, try the shadowing technique—a proven way to improve English pronunciation and fluency. Here’s how: Play a 10-second clip from the video, pause it, and repeat the speaker’s words immediately, mimicking their tone, stress, and rhythm. Focus on how "lit" is said with enthusiasm, or how "mid" is spoken casually. Do this 5 times for each slang word. Shadowing helps you internalize natural speech patterns, making it easier to use these words in real conversations. For extra practice, record yourself and compare it to the video—you’ll notice a difference in your pronunciation and confidence. Remember, shadowing isn’t just about repeating; it’s about connecting with the language, so don’t be afraid to exaggerate the speaker’s style. With consistent practice, you’ll be using slang like a pro in no time.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | is lit · is considered · is locked |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | ones who usually · sus, which is · someone who is |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | I've ever seen · they've done · has decided |
| Superlatives the -est / the most … — the top or bottom of a group | the best · the greatest |
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.