Lucy Frame, the principal at a London secondary school, has decided slang should be avoided, though only in lessons and not in the playground. She has declared that if pupils are using slang they aren't expressing themselves clearly and accurately.
I think she's being ridiculous. Everybody uses slang, and why not? Unless it's a term that's offensive or mystifying, what's the problem?
One academic who was asked to comment pointed out that Shakespeare is full of slang and teachers don't see any difficulty with that. He accused the school of "cultural and linguistic snobbery".
All slang really refers to is unfamiliar words that haven't yet become commonplace. But if the unfamiliar word conveys something useful, isn't that what language is all about?
And who decides if a word is slang or just an ordinary, routine word? Who decides for example whether "getting hitched" or "tying the knot" are slang terms or unremarkable bits of English?
If slang just means an unusual and ingenious way of expressing something, I'm all for it. It livens up the language and gets people's attention.
So that's my opinion "in a nutshell". Which might or might not be slang.
PS: The full list of slang banned by the school is:
- He cut his eyes at me (shot me a withering glance)
- Oh my days (my goodness)
- Oh my god
- That's a neck (you need a slap for that)
- Wow
- That's long (boring, tough or tedious)
- Bare (very, extremely)
- Cuss (swear or abuse)
Another of my blogger friends wrote about slang phrases he hates last week. I’ve always adored learning new ways to say things. I find it highly amusing. I can’t imagine a school trying to control such a thing, but I live in the land of free speech. Ha! I can understand not wanting it used in formal writing in school, but even in creative writing or journaling, it has its place.
ReplyDeleteThat list is ‘mind boggling’ (is that allowed?) I think people in the 1800’s said Oh my days. Strange list.
Yes, it'll be interesting to see how long she manages to impose this odd restriction. A few weeks at the most is my guess.
DeleteIt's a very strange list. How did she arrive at that motley collection of words, I wonder? She could have included some much more contentious ones.
But 'cuss' is an ancient word! How can that be slang? I do like 'he cut his eyes at me' - that's poetry, surely?! I will try to use it soon as.
ReplyDeleteSx
Ms Scarlet: Indeed, cuss goes back a very long way. How can it be slang? As for wow - if that's slang I'm a lampshade.
Deleteoh lordy. spare me from all the Self-appointed Experts!
Delete"As for wow - if that's slang I'm a lampshade."
I join you Nick!
and this is a great post. xo
Tammy: Indeed, there are self-appointed experts everywhere you look. I wish they would wise up, stop attention-seeking and listen to the real experts.
DeleteA good idea to ban obvious slang - that is, something not generally understood in the mainstream - from formal work, but fine in creative writing.Ban it in teacher pupil interactions in the classroom too...a formal setting and good training for realising that there are different requirenments for different situations.
ReplyDeleteFly: A good point that these restrictions emphasise that different situations require different language. But then again you can get that message across without actually banning certain words.
DeleteI like slang. It tends to make us see things differently. Like my use of "face plant" which I find very descriptive but you had to look up. I literally fell hard, flat on my face, on an asphalt walkway and broke my nose in the process. What could more quickly and clearly describe that than "face plant"?
ReplyDeleteLinda: I agree, so-called slang can be more succinct and vivid than the humdrum alternative. "Face plant" is a great description.
DeleteWell, lets see how long that edict lasts.
ReplyDeleteJoanne: I doubt it will last very long, since it makes no sense whatever.
DeleteI use slang liberally when I speak in any of our local languages but, don't when I speak English. Perhaps because, we learn English here and pick up other languages.
ReplyDeleteRamana: Language teachers tend to emphasise "proper" words rather than slang. I know quite a few bits of Italian slang that my teachers never mentioned.
DeleteWhat a bizarre list. "Oh my days" sounds exceedingly prim and old fashioned. And someone cutting their eyes at you seems like standard English, not slang. Ditto Oh my God, Wow and cuss. I've heard all of those my entire life.
ReplyDeleteAgent: It's a really peculiar list. There are hundreds of slang words so why pick just these eight? "Oh my god" may be seen as slang, but it's an expression virtually everyone uses every day.
DeleteI read the list to my husband and he was as baffled by "that's a neck" as I was. I realized I don't get it at all - how does having a neck mean you need to be slapped?
DeleteAgent: Google wasn't much help. I can only conjecture that it comes from the expression having a brass neck, meaning cheeky or insolent (do you have that expression in the States?)
DeleteBrass neck? Nope, never heard of that.
DeleteAgent: How about "as bold as brass"?
DeleteGosh knickers twisting (ha) seems a way to get attention.
ReplyDelete"Harshing my mellow" would be banned in her prim lexicon. I use it a lot as it is so descriptive.
XO
WWW
www: I had to google harshing my mellow. It's a rather wonderful expression. Party pooper is a nice expression too.
DeleteSlang is a mixed bag. The list is quite interesting in that there is so much slang to choose from. Being from the Southeastern United States which has a tendency to create and expand the English language in inexplicable ways; I feel imminently disqualified to weigh in on the topic. lol
ReplyDeleteThere are a few terms I corrected children on over the years. I was more of a spelling corrector. The slang that became accepted language that I never liked is saying "my bad" for my mistake.
Ann: Yes, "my bad" was popular here a short time ago. I like it that Americans have added all sorts of interesting expressions to the English language. Like "waiting for the other shoe to drop" and "break a leg".
DeleteI kinda get it. My grandson started using some slang terms that I didn't know but all I had to go was Google them to find out what he was saying. lol
ReplyDeleteMary: Whatever did we do before Google? Now you can find out virtually anything in a few seconds!
DeleteI didn't know what several of those mean.
ReplyDeleteLiz: I only knew four of them. She could have chosen some more familiar ones that people actually objected to.
DeleteStrange, to me, group of expressions being protested, but I have no problem since she is merely asking they be ”avoided”. If lots of students using them, so much sameness — better for them each to seek additional expressive words to expand their vocabulary. Just as people are suggested to avoid cliches to tap into additional expressive words. Such slang expressions can be an easy way out of thinking which good teaching wants to facilitate students do — ideally.
ReplyDeleteJoared: Very possible, as you suggest, that these words are being over-used and the students should be broadening their vocabulary. Though I tend to think it's just the principal exerting her authority.
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