College Slang

Now that you are an ESL student in New York City, you are a part of your college community. As any other subculture, college has its unwritten rules, laws and a specific lingo - a great deal of student terms and expressions that you’d want to get familiar with. An interesting fact about college slang is that while it changes over time, most of it is a long-accepted ritual talk that students have been using for generations. So here’s what you need to know to be able to talk to your college buddies.

• When you do very well on your test, you can proudly tell all your friends that you aced it.
• If you are going to a movie instead of attending a class, which we strongly advise against, you are blowing it off.
• If your classmate does not know anything, you can safely call him clueless (but probably not to his face).
• If you’ve been planning to skip a difficult class intentionally, you are cutting it (again, not a good idea).
• If your classmate keeps complaining about too much work in a group project, just tell him to deal with it.
• If you are fine with your friend dating your ex-girlfriend, you are down with that (hey, that’s life, right?).
• If you drink too much at a party, which, again, we strongly advise against, you are hammered (really, not a good idea).
• If your paper was written in a rush and the best you can hope to get for it is a C, then it is lame! (we’ve said it before – not a good idea!)
• If you can’t help your classmate with his assignment, just tell him “no can do.” He will understand (hopefully).
• If your friends ask you how you are and things are fine, you can tell them that everything is just peachy (we do not recommend using it at the job interviews, though).
• Are you happy? Yes? Then you are stoked!
• If you daydream in your algebra class, then you are zoned out.

The Root of The Word

When you read books and newspapers, you will inevitably encounter unfamiliar words. But before looking them up in the dictionary, try to guess their meanings. You will be surprised how much you actually know. English is largely derived from ancient languages, and a lot of the English words have roots of Greek and Latin origin or are formed by combining parts of the Greek or Latin words. If you learn the most common Latin and Greek root words and prefixes, you can easily understand the meanings of many words, even those you have never seen before.

Let’s take a look at the following words, misanthrope, philanthropist, and anthropology. They share the same root, -anthrop-, which stands for “man, human” in Greek. If you know that -mis- means “hatred” and –phila- or -philo- means “having a strong affinity or love for,” you don’t need to check with the dictionary to know that a misanthrope is an individual who hates mankind while a philanthropist, on the contrary, is an altruist concerned with welfare and advancement of his fellow men. As for the “anthropology,” the second part of the word, -logy-, should be very easy to guess. What do biology, theology, phraseology and dermatology have in common? Each one of them is a theory or a study of a specific area or subject, so “anthropology” should mean a study of mankind or human beings.

You can learn more about Greek and Latin root words here and here.

Free Classes And Workshops in New York City

New Yorkers are known for their loyalty to healthy lifestyle, hence the number of gyms and organic food stores in the city, and for their intellectual curiosity and insatiable desire to expand their horizons, hence the number of yoga studios and various workshops and classes where they can work on their minds, bodies and souls. It certainly is very interesting and commendable; however, ventures into self-improvement come with a hefty price tag. Membership in Pilates studio and ballet lessons can easily set you back hundreds of dollars a month, which might be difficult to handle for an ESL student on a budget in New York City. Yet, there is no need to fall into despair and go on a bread-and-water diet – try one of these free classes instead.

If you live in Queens, you are at luck; if you don’t, consider going there nonetheless. Visit Socrates Park in Long Island City where, come May, you can attend free weekend classes and practice yoga, capoeira, Pilates or Tai Chi. You can also Sign up for free kayaking starting late May.

If you are artsy and creative, clear your Monday nights schedule to attend one of the Etsy Craft Nights at Etsy Labs. Artists and designers will show you how to make unique accessories and transform regular clothes into one-of-a-kind pieces. Hey, you never know – if you are good, you might just start a booming business of Selling your handmade items online.

If you can’t decide where your interests and passions lay, but you desperately want to find an outlet for your creative energy, sign up for the Mini Skills classes at Brooklyn LaunchPad and learn anything from sewing to meditation techniques. For girls with a fashion sense and nothing to wear, there are occasional clothes swap events where you can get rid of your tired outfits.

English Slang

 As good as your textbooks are, chances are they devote very little attention to the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the English language. Yet, slang is everywhere and you need to be familiar with at least some of it to be able to fully understand and speak English. Slang expressions are usually particular to specific subcultures. For instance, the expression “up your sleeve” came from gambling and used to mean a powerful card that a player holds on to win a hand. Now, it refers to any hidden strength or unfair advantage. Another slang phrase, “go postal,” which means to be completely outraged, derives from the mass murder acts committed by the U.S. postal workers when they killed police, coworkers and supervisors. Some words and expressions we use on a daily basis once were slang, too, and then became so common that it’s hard to believe they were not always a part of normal, standard English speech. New York’s preferred schedule, 24/7, is one of those expressions. Slang is precise and descriptive. Don’t own any clothing save for that from Abercrombie & Fitch? Then don’t be surprised when your friends start calling you an Aberzombie.

If you are interested in learning more about modern urban lingo, you should definitely check out Urban Dictionary. The website is largely based on community collaboration so should you come up with a new expression you want everyone to use, you can go ahead and create a new entry. The website also has a blog which makes for a very fascinating read.

Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal verbs are very similar to English idioms in the sense that different prepositions radically change the entire meaning of a verb. Look at this sentence, for instance: “You might still get on with your supervisor, even though he has an annoying habit of getting on at you every once in a while.”Confusing, indeed. But don’t let these complications get to you; instead, check out our tips on nailing down English phrasal verbs.

First of all, you’ll need to find a good reference. You can start with the Longman Pocket Phrasal Verbs Dictionary. It’s very compact and neat but very informative - it has over 3,000 entries. It is also very affordable: the price varies from $2 to $8. The dictionary is also available for download as an ebook. (With a little bit of luck, you can also find it online for free).

With prices starting from $23, Cambridge Phrasal Verbs Dictionary is a slightly more expensive, yet more comprehensive choice. It has almost 6,000 verbal expressions along with thousands of example sentences and easy-to-use thematic sections.

Or, check this Online reference with almost 3,000 phrasal verbs organized alphabetically. The website also has phrasal verb quizzes where you can test yourself and find out where you need to pay more attention. You can find more tests here.

New York City Parks: Go Green

If you plan to learn English, New York City is definitely the right place to be. Not only is it one of the most exciting and vibrant cities in the world, but it also has such an amazing cultural and national diversity that regardless of where you are from and what language you speak, you will feel at home here. It’s one of the most popular tourist destinations, and for a good reason. Whether you are interested in music, architecture, history, art or nightlife, you will definitely find something to enjoy, from going to the world-famous museums to the underground galleries featuring works of up-and-coming artists, from seeing Broadway shows to tasting unique cuisine in three-star restaurants, from visiting historic sites to exploring new trendy neighborhoods. Your stay in New York can certainly be one of the most interesting and memorable times of your life, and the best thing about it is that you do not necessarily have to spend a lot of money to make it happen. Even though New York is one of the 30 most expensive cities in the world, there are a lot of things that you can do and see for free.

With summer on its way, everyone tries to spend more time outdoors and the city offers a lot of great opportunities to do that. We suggest you start with visiting one of the many green and leafy escapes from the chaotic life of the megapolis.

Central Park is one of the city’s landmarks and a definite must-see, but it’s just one of the many New York’s urban oasises. The Fresh Kills Park is spread over 2,200 acres of land in Staten Island and is about to become the largest park in New York. Take a Free 90-minute bus tour and learn about the transformation of the former landfill into a green gem of the Staten Island waterfront while enjoying the view of the surrounding bridges.

Fort Totten Park of Queens is a home to Civil War masonry forts and everyone interested in U.S, History should consider going there. Sign up for a Free guided tour and enjoy a glimpse into the historical part of New York. You can also participate in one of the many events and festivities taking place here all year round, from bird watching in the winter to visiting the park’s haunted mansion at Halloween.

If the only means of transportation you acknowledge is a bike, reserve a spot at the Bronx River Ride to The Source. Keep in mind that this 5-hour ride is not for the faint of heart.

Park Slope, an up-and-coming neighborhood in Brooklyn, was not always a home to artists and writers. If you want to know what the area was like before the invasion of art galleries and upscale coffee shops, the Urban Ranger tour is a good way to find out.