It’s no secret. As one who loves the English language, I am intrigued by the sound, sight, and meaning of a new word. Here’s the amazing thing - somehow, some way many of these slang words catch on and become part of our everyday language.
Because there is a history of dyslexia in my family, I am acutely aware of how easy it is for me to adopt new words and how painful it can be to survive as a low-functioning reader. So how do we help those who struggle with dyslexia or other learning disabilities? We give them every opportunity to learn to read. We give them proven methods for reading intervention. We never stop trying to reach out with help and support.
Here are a few of my favorite new words, as listed by Merriam-Webster 2010:
jeggings [noun]: leggings that look like jeans.
fronting [verb]: lying
stinkeye [noun]: a dirty look
nonversation [noun]: conversation that seems meaningless or without logic
embed [verb]: to add content (such as video or sound files) to a web page as a link from another web page
momager [noun]: a mother who serves as a manager
jazzify [verb]: to make something more elaborate or trendy
clientelling [verb] : to create and manage client relationships
blognorant [adjective]: ignorant of blogs or blogging
Twihard [noun]: one obsessed with the "Twilight" series
bando [noun] : a member of a marching band
vollies [noun]: volunteers
Gleek [noun]: an extremely enthusiastic fan of the television show Glee
carbage [noun]: trash left in a car
Do you have a favorite new word? What new words do you hear your students using in the classroom?