Colloquial English

A brilliant analysis of colloquial English, both its syntax and its variations, using novel data from live, unscripted radio and TV broadcasts and the internet.

Colloquial English provides a step-by-step course in English as it is written and spoken today. Combining a user-friendly approach with a thorough treatment of the language, it equips learners with the essential skills needed to communicate confidently and effectively in English in a broad range of situations. Key features include: progressive coverage of speaking, listening, reading and writing skills structured, jargon-free explanations of grammar an extensive range of focused and stimulating exercises realistic and entertaining dialogues covering a broad variety of scenarios useful explanations of idioms throughout the text additional resources available at the back of the book, including a full answer key and lists of irregular verbs. This second edition has been extensively revised and updated throughout, and includes up-to-date cultural information, an improved reference grammar and revised audio recordings. Audio material to accompany the course is available to download free in MP3 format from www.routledge.com/cw/colloquials. Recorded by native speakers, the audio material features the dialogues and texts from the book and will help develop your listening and pronunciation skills. Balanced, comprehensive and rewarding, Colloquial English is a complete English Language course and will be an indispensable resource for independent learners and for instructors and students on TEFL and EFL courses. By the end of this course, you will be at Level B2 of the Common European Framework for Languages and at the Intermediate-High on the ACTFL proficiency scales.

Colloquial English is an easy-to-use course, specially written by an experienced teacher for self-study or class use. It teaches current spoken and written English, as used in the UK, through the medium of English itself. This course assumes a basic knowledge of English and is suitable for post-beginners, whether studying on their own or as part of a class. Features include: full explanations and illustrations of grammatical terms pronunciation guide to help with areas of particular difficulty a variety of exercises to help learners to grow in confidence full answer key. Accompanying audio material is available to purchase separately on CD/MP3 format, or comes included in the great value Colloquials Pack.

This book, first published in 1984, presents a series of analysis of colloquial spoken language, to illustrate some of the variety of phonological features of British English. These studies provide significant insights into linguistic varieties and their inter-relationship as a phonological system and into social differentiation as reflected in linguistic variety. The main part of the book is devoted to a presentation, in transcription, of the speech of informants from a number of localities and a discussion of the main phonological features exemplified thereby. An attempt was made to induce natural conversation rather than use direct question-and-answer techniques. Although the book cannot provide a comprehensive survey of the infinite variety of spoken British English, the material does come from a wide age range, both sexes, diverse geographical areas, and both urban and rural communities. It represents a major in-depth analysis that will interest phonologists and workers and students of sociolinguistics.

More bling for the buck! The #1 guide to American slang is now bigger, more up-to-date, and easier to use This new edition of McGraw-Hill’s Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions offers complete definitions of more than 12,000 slang and informal expressions from various sources, ranging from golden oldies such as . . . golden oldie, to recent coinages like shizzle (gangsta), jonx (Wall Street), and ping (the Internet). Each entry is followed by examples illustrating how an expression is used in everyday conversation and, where necessary, International Phonetic Alphabet pronunciations are given, as well as cautionary notes for crude, inflammatory, or taboo expressions. This edition also features a fascinating introduction on “What is Slang?,” a Thematic Index that cross-references expressions by standard terms--such as Angry, Drunk, Food, Good-bye, Mess-up, Money, and Stupidity--and a Hidden Word Index that lets you identify and locate even partially remembered expressions and phrases.

A landmark reference guide to the LGBTQIA+ community’s contributions to the English language—an intersectional, inclusive, playfully illustrated glossary featuring more than 800 terms and fabulous phrases created by and for queer culture. Do you know where “yaaaas queen!” comes from? Do you know the difference between a bear and a wolf? Do you know what all the letters in LGBTQIA+ stand for? The Queens’ English is a comprehensive guide to modern gay slang, queer theory terms, and playful colloquialisms that define and celebrate LGBTQIA+ culture. This modern dictionary provides an in-depth look at queer language, from terms influenced by celebrated lesbian poet Sappho and from New York’s underground queer ball culture in the 1980s to today's celebration of RuPaul’s Drag Race. The glossary of terms is supported by full-color illustrations and photography throughout, as well as real-life usage examples for those who don't quite know how to use “kiki,” “polysexual,” or “transmasculine” in a sentence. A series of educational lessons highlight key people and events that shaped queer language; readers will learn the linguistic importance of pronouns, gender identity, Stonewall, the Harlem Renaissance, and more. For every queen in your life—the men, women, gender non-conforming femmes, butches, daddies, and zaddies—The Queens’ English is at once an education and a celebration of queer history, identity, and the limitless imagination of the LGBTQIA+ community.

This book, first published in 1984, presents a series of analysis of colloquial spoken language, to illustrate some of the variety of phonological features of British English. These studies provide significant insights into linguistic varieties and their inter-relationship as a phonological system and into social differentiation as reflected in linguistic variety. The main part of the book is devoted to a presentation, in transcription, of the speech of informants from a number of localities and a discussion of the main phonological features exemplified thereby. An attempt was made to induce natural conversation rather than use direct question-and-answer techniques. Although the book cannot provide a comprehensive survey of the infinite variety of spoken British English, the material does come from a wide age range, both sexes, diverse geographical areas, and both urban and rural communities. It represents a major in-depth analysis that will interest phonologists and workers and students of sociolinguistics.