What’s your favorite thing about English lessons?

When you study a language, there are many fields to be covered ranging from technicalities like grammar or syntax, to social and cultural related topics. When taking English lessons Vancouver visitors explain what their favorite topics about the English language are.

#3 Phrasal Verbs
A phrasal verb is a combination of a verb and an adverb, a verb or a preposition or a verb with both an adverb and a preposition that and make a complete semantic unit. Among the most common phrasal verbs we find ask someone out (invite someone on a date), check something out (have a look at something), find something out (to discover), hang out (spend time relaxing), look for something or someone (try to find something or someone), put something off (to postpone), etc. Phrasal verbs can be found in Spanish too, as in contar con (literally ‘to count with’, meaning the same as to count on someone), llegar a ser (literally ‘to get to be’, meaning to become) etc.


#2 Idioms
Idioms are phrases or expressions that have a figurative meaning understood in regard to a common and traditional use of that expression that is separate from the literal definition or meaning of the words that makes it up. Idioms are fun since they typically portray funny images when viewed out of context. For instance, if it’s raining cats and dogs, it’s raining very hard. A barking dog never bites is something we say referring to a person who makes threats all the time and never carries out the threats. When taking Spanish classes Toronto students learn the Spanish expression for that idiom: “perro que ladra no muerde”.

#1 Slang
What we know as slang is made up by informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in a certain language or dialect, but socially accepted. According to linguists, slang often refers to transient terms used by a certain social group (teenagers, prisoners, soldiers, etc.). In English, “to hammer” means to take or do something in excess. “Booze” means an alcoholic drink, thus, it makes sense that “boozer” means a bar or an alcoholic person, and “booze-up” a drinking spree.