Slang isn’t for everyone. It’s probably not a good idea to teach lots of colloquial expressions at lower levels. But with students at B2 level and above, it can be a fun and valuable addition to lessons. These students are often exposed to native speakers through films, series and social media, so they’re bound to come across slang sooner or later. It’s best to prepare them for it in advance.

Here are eight engaging activities to help you introduce and practise slang in your lessons.

1. Role Plays

Slang is primarily spoken language, so role plays are a great way to bring it to life. Before the lesson, prepare a few everyday situations where colloquial language would naturally appear - for example, a phone conversation between friends, a night out, or a party.

Divide students into pairs and give each pair a situation and their roles. Assign one slang phrase to each student, which they must use in their conversation.

👉 You can find over 100 slang phrase cards in Sod it!

 

2. Photo Dialogues

Before the lesson, prepare several photos showing people interacting — ideally ones that convey emotion, such as people arguing, celebrating, or chatting with friends.

In small groups, students choose or are given one photo and a few slang phrases. Their task is to create a short dialogue between the people in the photo, using as many of the phrases as possible.

 

3. Brainstorm

This is a great activity for introducing new slang. Write several phrases on the board that you want to teach. Put students in pairs or small groups and ask them to discuss the possible meanings and come up with definitions.

Afterwards, each group shares their ideas. Give feedback and reveal the correct meanings, clarifying usage and register as needed.

 

4. Wrong Definitions

Students work in pairs or small groups. Give each group two slang expressions along with their meanings. Their task is to invent three possible definitions for each phrase - one correct and two false.

Once finished, each group presents their phrases and definitions, and the others guess which one is true.

 

5. Language Quiz

A quiz is an excellent way to revise slang phrases. Divide the class into two teams. Give each group a few phrases (depending on how long you want the quiz to last). Their task is to prepare quiz questions using these phrases - for example, correct the mistake, true or false, or fill in the gap questions.

Then start the quiz! Each group takes turns asking and answering questions. Award points for correct answers, and don’t forget to celebrate the winners!

👉 You can also use ready-made quiz questions from Sod it!

 

6. Complete It

Each student writes a sentence containing a slang phrase they’ve learnt, but leaves a blank space where the phrase should go. They then pass their sentence to the student on their right, who must complete it with the correct phrase.

You can repeat this activity for several rounds, depending on the time available.

 

7. Small Talk

A simple but effective way to practise slang is through small talk. At the start of the lesson, before you ask How are you?, give each student one slang phrase. Their task is to use it naturally during the opening chat. It’s a fun, low-pressure way to get comfortable using new expressions.

 

8. Culture and Language

Slang isn’t just about words, it’s about culture. Whenever you plan a cultural lesson about an English-speaking country or region, include some local colloquial expressions. It helps students understand not only how people speak, but also how they think and interact.

 

We hope these ideas inspire your next slang lesson!