Have you ever seen an ESL student freeze after hearing someone say, “break a leg” or “spill the beans”? Idioms and slang add color and culture to the English language, but for many learners, they’re confusing—and often completely unintelligible. That’s why teaching idioms and slang is essential.
In this blog post, we’ll explore the role of idioms and slang in ESL education, why they matter, and how to teach them effectively—without confusing your students or encouraging inappropriate usage. You’ll also see how to use the Florentis Learning curriculum to support students in balancing formal and informal English confidently.
💬 What Are Idioms and Slang?
Let’s start with the basics:
- Slang refers to informal words or phrases, often used by specific groups or in casual settings.
Example: “That movie was lit” means the movie was excellent or exciting. - Idioms are phrases where the meaning cannot be understood from the individual words.
Example: “It’s raining cats and dogs” means it’s raining heavily—not animals falling from the sky!
Both idioms and slang are essential for understanding natural conversation and pop culture references.
“Idioms and metaphors help children understand figurative language and make meaning beyond the literal level of the words.”
— Reading Rockets
🌍 Why Should We Teach Them?
While not essential for basic communication, idioms and slang are important for helping students:
- Understand native speakers in real-life contexts
- Feel more fluent and confident
- Connect with cultural nuances
- Decode common media, jokes, and expressions
For ESL students, idioms and slang also support cultural integration. But the key is to teach them strategically and contextually.
🎓 Formal vs. Informal Language: Why Balance Matters
One of the biggest risks in teaching idioms and slang is that students may overuse them or apply them in the wrong situations—like writing “LOL” in a school essay or telling their boss to “chill out.”
Helping students understand register—the difference between formal and informal usage—is crucial.
Here’s a simple table to help guide students through the process:
📊 Formal vs. Informal Language Comparison Table
| Expression Type | Formal Version | Informal or Slang Version | Context to Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greeting | “Hello, how are you?” | “Hey, what’s up?” | Formal: school, interviews; Informal: friends, chats |
| Expressing happiness | “I’m very happy.” | “I’m pumped!” or “I’m stoked!” | Informal with peers or casual online talk |
| Expressing agreement | “I completely agree.” | “Totally!” or “For sure!” | Informal; avoid in academic writing |
| Saying goodbye | “Goodbye.” | “See ya!” or “Catch you later!” | Informal; friendly tone |
| Expressing confusion | “I don’t understand.” | “I’m lost” or “What’s going on?” | Informal; good for conversations |
Tip: Use roleplays and matching games with these expressions to build student awareness.
🧠 Strategies for Teaching Idioms and Slang in ESL
Here are some effective and engaging ways to introduce these concepts:
1. Context Is Key
Never teach idioms or slang as isolated vocabulary. Always:
- Provide a sentence or dialogue
- Show a visual
- Relate it to a situation students understand
According to McKinley College, “idioms and slang are deeply tied to culture and are best understood through everyday scenarios” (source).
2. Use Media and Real-Life Content
TV shows, YouTube clips, memes, and songs are excellent resources. For example:
- Idiom: “Hit the books” → show a clip of someone starting to study
- Slang: “No cap” → discuss how youth express honesty
3. Make It Interactive
- Use card games or charades for idiom practice
- Try idiom storytelling: give each student an idiom to use in a story
- Group slang words by theme (feelings, greetings, intensifiers)
4. Teach Register Awareness
This is where Florentis Learning shines. Throughout our curriculum, students are:
- Exposed to real-life English in story-based lessons
- Asked to roleplay both casual and formal conversations
- Given clear models of how to adjust language based on situation
For example, in our B1-level “Healthy Living” unit, students are exposed to a variety of idioms and challenged to use them.
✅ How to Assess Idioms and Slang Use
You don’t need formal tests to check understanding. Try:
- Asking students to use idioms in a short conversation
- Giving them a situation and asking for a formal and informal response
- Using short quizzes that ask: “Is this phrase appropriate in an email to your teacher?”
✨ Final Thoughts
Teaching idioms and slang isn’t about trendy language—it’s about giving ESL learners access to authentic communication and helping them thrive in both formal and casual environments.
By teaching these expressions with context, clarity, and comparison, you’re helping students move beyond textbook English and into the real world.
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