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Steve's Language Learning Tips, Don't Learn Slang

Don't Learn Slang

It's very attractive to try to imply that you're so familiar with this language that you can use slang, but actually you're getting ahead of yourself. Hi there, Steve Kaufmann here today. And today I want to talk about slang and swear words and why you shouldn't deliberately learn them. Now, if you enjoy these videos, please subscribe, click on the bell for notifications.

If you follow me on Spotify or some other podcast service, please leave a review, we much appreciate it. So many people when they learn a new language, they're very motivated to learn slang for some reason, or even worse in my view, to learn swear words. And I don't recommend this personally, when I learn a new language, I don't make any effort to learn slang expressions and certainly no effort to learn swear words. Uh, and there, there are many reasons for this. First of all, I firmly believe that when we learn a language, we want to learn the most neutral form of language we can. So we want to avoid overly polite expressions. We want to avoid overly casual or rough expressions or overly culturally specific, you know, sayings or expressions.

And the reason is because it's very difficult to use these things correctly. It is only when we are very comfortable in the language when we fully understand the impact of these expressions, the nuance of how they should be used. It's only then that we can use slang or swear words effectively. Uh, in fact, very often swear words, you know, if you, if you use a very gross swear word in a foreign language, it doesn't strike you as that gross. For you it's as a learner, it's kind of like a game, it's fun. Oh, look at me I can use some gross swear word. Uh, and yet the effect on the native speaker is something that you can't anticipate until you have enough cultural, you know, experience with the language.

And, uh, so, you know, in a way... and slang is the same way, uh, it's very attractive to try to imply that you're so familiar with this language that you can use slang, but actually you're getting ahead of yourself because to use slang you actually have to be at quite a high level in the language. There is no shortcut to being able to use these things and to that... to the, to some extent that's true of all specialized form of a language.

I see courses on business English or other forms of English or in, in Canada, they try to teach immigrants, you know, just that little bit of the language that they need for a specific job. And they have this whole system built around the so called Canadian bench marks, which I'm not a great fan of. And actually it's been my experience that you have to elevate your whole game.

You have to gradually improve in the language, getting familiar with the language, improving your oral comprehension, increasing your vocabulary, getting a better and better sense of the language. And if you have that, if you have that base and that language to add, uh, you know, business English terms or scientific English terms or slang words is not so difficult.

Once you have that firm base but if you try to sort of short circuit the learning process, by wanting to show off your knowledge of slang, there's a tremendous opportunity to fall flat on your face and to make a negative impression. You know, at the other end of the spectrum, say in Japanese where there is a lot of formal language, it's also very difficult to sort of learn this formal language, you know, on its own. Like now I'm gonna to learn formal words because you have to have a sense of when to use these words. And it's only when you've had enough experience with the language, you've heard enough of the language, you've been with people in different situations that you know how to use these terms, whether it be polite language, slang, swear words, and so forth.

And once you are able to use these effectively, you will probably have heard them so often that you'll be comfortable using them. You'll be confident using them. So there's absolutely no purpose in trying to deliberately learn these terms as attractive as it, for whatever reason, seems to some people, because there's so much opportunity to create a bad impression by using, especially swear words, but even slang when it isn't appropriate. So my advice is don't learn slang, don't learn swear words. Once you have enough experience in the language, once your overall level in the language is high enough, you'll know these terms, you will have heard them and you'll be able to use them appropriately.

So a little short message there, uh, suggesting that people avoid embarrassment and don't go out deliberately to learn slang or swear words. Thank you for listening.

Don't Learn Slang Lernen Sie keinen Slang Don't Learn Slang No aprenda jerga N'apprenez pas l'argot Non imparate lo slang スラングを学んではいけない Nie ucz się slangu Não aprenda gíria Не учите сленг Argo Öğrenmeyin 不要学俚语 不要學俚語

It's very attractive to try to imply that you're so familiar with this language that you can use slang, but actually you're getting ahead of yourself. あなたがスラングを使うことができるほどこの言語に精通していることをほのめかそうとすることは非常に魅力的ですが、実際にはあなたは自分より進んでいます。 É muito atraente tentar sugerir que você está tão familiarizado com essa linguagem que pode usar gírias, mas na verdade você está se adiantando. Hi there, Steve Kaufmann here today. Olá, Steve Kaufmann aqui hoje. And today I want to talk about slang and swear words and why you shouldn't deliberately learn them. E hoje eu quero falar sobre gírias e palavrões e por que você não deve aprendê-los deliberadamente. Now, if you enjoy these videos, please subscribe, click on the bell for notifications. Agora, se você gosta desses vídeos, inscreva-se, clique no sininho para notificações.

If you follow me on Spotify or some other podcast service, please leave a review, we much appreciate it. Se você me segue no Spotify ou em algum outro serviço de podcast, deixe um comentário, agradecemos muito. So many people when they learn a new language, they're very motivated to learn slang for some reason, or even worse in my view, to learn swear words. Muitas pessoas, quando aprendem um novo idioma, ficam muito motivadas para aprender gírias por algum motivo, ou pior ainda, na minha opinião, para aprender palavrões. And I don't recommend this personally, when I learn a new language, I don't make any effort to learn slang expressions and certainly no effort to learn swear words. E não recomendo isso pessoalmente, quando aprendo um novo idioma, não faço nenhum esforço para aprender gírias e certamente nenhum esforço para aprender palavrões. Uh, and there, there are many reasons for this. First of all, I firmly believe that when we learn a language, we want to learn the most neutral form of language we can. So we want to avoid overly polite expressions. We want to avoid overly casual or rough expressions or overly culturally specific, you know, sayings or expressions.

And the reason is because it's very difficult to use these things correctly. そしてその理由は、これらのものを正しく使用することが非常に難しいためです。 It is only when we are very comfortable in the language when we fully understand the impact of these expressions, the nuance of how they should be used. これらの表現の影響、それらの使用方法のニュアンスを完全に理解するのは、私たちが言語に非常に慣れているときだけです。 It's only then that we can use slang or swear words effectively. 俗語や冒とく的な言葉を効果的に使用できるのはその時だけです。 Uh, in fact, very often swear words, you know, if you, if you use a very gross swear word in a foreign language, it doesn't strike you as that gross. ええと、実際、非常に頻繁に言葉を罵倒します、あなたが外国語で非常に大げさな罵倒語を使用する場合、それはあなたをその大げさなものとして印象づけません。 呃,事实上,很多时候脏话,你知道,如果你,如果你用外语使用一个非常粗俗的脏话,你不会觉得那么粗俗。 For you it's as a learner, it's kind of like a game, it's fun. あなたにとって、それは学習者として、ゲームのようなもので、楽しいものです。 Oh, look at me I can use some gross swear word. Uh, and yet the effect on the native speaker is something that you can't anticipate until you have enough cultural, you know, experience with the language. ええと、それでもネイティブスピーカーへの影響は、十分な文化的、あなたが知っている、言語の経験を積むまであなたが予測できないものです。

And, uh, so, you know, in a way... and slang is the same way, uh, it's very attractive to try to imply that you're so familiar with this language that you can use slang, but actually you're getting ahead of yourself because to use slang you actually have to be at quite a high level in the language. そして、ええと、そうですね、ある意味で...そしてスラングも同じです、ええと、スラングを使用できるほどこの言語に精通していることをほのめかそうとするのは非常に魅力的ですが、実際にはあなたはスラングを使用するには、実際には言語のかなり高いレベルにいる必要があるため、自分より先に進んでください。 There is no shortcut to being able to use these things and to that... to the, to some extent that's true of all specialized form of a language. 没有捷径可以使用这些东西,而且……在某种程度上,所有特殊形式的语言都是如此。

I see courses on business English or other forms of English or in, in Canada, they try to teach immigrants, you know, just that little bit of the language that they need for a specific job. And they have this whole system built around the so called Canadian bench marks, which I'm not a great fan of. En ze hebben dit hele systeem gebouwd rond de zogenaamde Canadese benchmarks, waar ik niet zo'n fan van ben. 他们围绕所谓的加拿大基准建立了整个系统,我不太喜欢。 And actually it's been my experience that you have to elevate your whole game.

You have to gradually improve in the language, getting familiar with the language, improving your oral comprehension, increasing your vocabulary, getting a better and better sense of the language. And if you have that, if you have that base and that language to add, uh, you know, business English terms or scientific English terms or slang words is not so difficult.

Once you have that firm base but if you try to sort of short circuit the learning process, by wanting to show off your knowledge of slang, there's a tremendous opportunity to fall flat on your face and to make a negative impression. Depois de ter essa base firme, mas se você tentar meio que um curto-circuito no processo de aprendizagem, querendo mostrar seu conhecimento de gíria, há uma tremenda oportunidade de cair de cara no chão e causar uma impressão negativa. 一旦你有了坚实的基础,但如果你试图通过想炫耀你对俚语的知识来缩短学习过程,那么你就有很大的机会在你的脸上摔倒并留下负面印象。 You know, at the other end of the spectrum, say in Japanese where there is a lot of formal language, it's also very difficult to sort of learn this formal language, you know, on its own. Você sabe, no outro extremo do espectro, digamos em japonês, onde há muita linguagem formal, também é muito difícil aprender essa linguagem formal, você sabe, por conta própria. 你知道,在光谱的另一端,比如说在有很多正式语言的日语中,单独学习这种正式语言也非常困难,你知道的。 Like now I'm gonna to learn formal words because you have to have a sense of when to use these words. And it's only when you've had enough experience with the language, you've heard enough of the language, you've been with people in different situations that you know how to use these terms, whether it be polite language, slang, swear words, and so forth.

And once you are able to use these effectively, you will probably have heard them so often that you'll be comfortable using them. You'll be confident using them. So there's absolutely no purpose in trying to deliberately learn these terms as attractive as it, for whatever reason, seems to some people, because there's so much opportunity to create a bad impression by using, especially swear words, but even slang when it isn't appropriate. ですから、何らかの理由で、これらの用語を意図的に魅力的に学ぼうとする目的はまったくありません。なぜなら、特に冒とく的な言葉を使用して悪い印象を与える機会がたくさんあるからです。適切です。 因此,无论出于何种原因,在某些人看来,刻意学习这些具有吸引力的术语绝对没有任何目的,因为有很多机会通过使用,尤其是脏话,甚至俚语来制造不好的印象。合适。 So my advice is don't learn slang, don't learn swear words. Once you have enough experience in the language, once your overall level in the language is high enough, you'll know these terms, you will have heard them and you'll be able to use them appropriately.

So a little short message there, uh, suggesting that people avoid embarrassment and don't go out deliberately to learn slang or swear words. だから、そこに少し短いメッセージがあります。それは、人々が恥ずかしさを避け、俗語を学んだり言葉を誓ったりするために故意に出かけないことを示唆しています。 所以那里有一个小短消息,呃,建议人们避免尴尬,不要故意出去学习俚语或脏话。 Thank you for listening.