Unlocking Language Learning: How to Leverage Online Content Creators for Slang, Idioms, and Cultural Fluency
Learning a language has its quirks, and one of the trickiest parts is trying to get a grip on all the slang and colloquial phrases. Slang, idioms, and popular phrases are like fashion trends that come and go quickly. What's relevant and hip today might be old news tomorrow.
Consider phrases like "That’s cool," "That’s dope," "That’s awesome," "That’s sick," and "That’s tough." They all convey a similar vibe, but what you use will date you. This phenomenon isn't exclusive to non-native speakers either; even native English speakers find themselves grappling with these linguistic shifts.
Language, being a reflection of culture, is in a constant state of flux. As culture evolves, so does the way in which language is used. The internet and platforms like YouTube or Twitch.tv have played a pivotal role in this transformation, offering an unprecedented window into current cultural trends and linguistic nuances.
And I think these platforms and services can be bootstrapped to help you learn the language, the idioms, the mannerisms, and the vocabulary.
The way you can take advantage of these services is by tailoring the intent behind why you consume the content.
Step 1. Picture a Content Creator That Resonates With You
Whether that’s the way they talk, their subject matter, their humour, their entertainment value, the information/educational lens they bring. Whatever you already watch on YouTube works. The point is, now besides being entertainment, view it from an educational perspective.
Step 2. Use Closed Captions / Subtitles
If your English listening isn’t as strong, use subtitles. Make note of the syntax or grammar. Think about how they say things, not simply what they say. It can be quite educational to recognize these aspects.
Closed captioning becomes your trusty sidekick, not just decoding words but also unraveling the way they're strung together.
Additionally, closed captioning and subtitles can expose you to new vocabulary. If you like basketball and watch basketball content, you will learn basketball vocabulary and basketball phrases. You will learn phrases that are relevant to basketball.
If you watch dog training videos, subtitles and closed captioning can introduce you to new dog breeds, dog training vocabulary, dog relevant phrases and maybe animal related idioms and phrases.
Step 3. Rinse & Repeat
Do this for any and all your interests. You can watch a specific content creator for all your hobbies, skills, and interests. You’ll get exposure to a variety of phrases, idioms, sayings, slang, and colloquialisms. You’ll be exposed to a variety of syntax and sentence structures. You can even pause, rewind, favourite, and review content as you need.
Make a playlist of relevant videos and content. Whatever helps you learn.
And the best part? This language learning process isn't confined to English alone. You can jump into French, Spanish, Korean, Japanese – there’s content and creators in every langauge.
Let's say you're into pottery and learning Korean; there's vlog content that will talk about subject-specific information; whether that’s the words for clay, crafting, kilns, and more, there’s opportunity to learn it.
Or perhaps you're all about thrifting and want to grasp Tagalog. Well, guess what? There's content out there, giving you the lowdown on clothing terms, brands, costs, and materials. There’s someone out there speaking in Tagalog with subject matter that you are interested in.
What makes this whole journey intriguing is that you're not just stuck in a textbook. You're soaking in the real deal – the way people actually speak. Textbooks and old educational videos are outdated. The example phrases, the practice greetings and sayings, they may no longer reflect the most common greetings and phrases anymore.
So learn the way that people are actually speaking nowadays. Similar to how you need to prioritize the accent you learn to be relevant to the place of interest, it is best to learn the way contemporary people are speaking.
Why you should trust me?
I’m a speech language pathologist and I have an interest in accents and learning languages. I have an interest in thinking about the ways people can learn English and to brainstorm unique or less common considerations for language learning, specifically pronunciation.
Who this is for?
For anyone looking to improve their language learning, their speaking, and likes thinking about hacking away or making it a bit more efficient for framing their pronunciation learning journey, my perspective might be an unlock for you.
Most of my content pertains to English communication and improving English pronunciation. So, if you’re reading this, your English is probably good enough to get by. The difference though is you are motivated to improve your pronunciation more. You are interesting in improving your pronunciation for the betterment of your work, your personal life, and your interactions.
You are seeking out things you can do on a daily basis to get a little bit better, become a little bit more aware, and learn a little bit more about the difference between native communicators and yourself.
What You Should Consider In a Content Creator
When considering who to watch, think about the language goals and communication goals you have. Considerations should include:
Accent: Let’s say you are learning English, which English accent are you looking for content in? North American? UK? Australian? Narrow it down even further. Are you looking for a PNW accent? Texan accent? Brooklyn accent? Depending on the accent, you’ll have a different set of vocabulary, idioms, and slang.
Age: Depending on the age of the creator, they’ll have different slang and mannerisms. You are looking for an example to follow. If you want to speak like a 20 year old with 20 year old slang, then great! If you want to speak like a 30 year old with 30 year old slang, then great! My point is be aware that a 20 year old may not speak like a 30 year old.
Type of Content: The type of content you watch will dictate the type of communication example you see. If you are listening to a lecturer, then they will use less slang, more professional language and less informal communication. If you watch a streamer gaming at home, they will be very casual and their tone will be informal.
