[Culture ★★★★]
(P1) So you speak Canadian, eh?
(P2) For any Canadian who travels abroad, you may hear the stereotypical “eh,” “aboot” (about), or worse. How do you survive living in an igloo all year?
(P3) But here, just like the diversity of our population, culture, and local food we also have a long list of spoken languages, including our very own “Canadian” one.
(P4) Now even though our two official languages are English and French, the country is home to more than 200 other mother tongues including the most popular ones, Mandarin, Cantonese, Punjabi, and Spanish; according to a 2011 Statistics Canada report.
(P5) But between our different dialects, provinces and homegrown businesses, Canadians have also come up with their own take on everyday words. Some of them are ingrained. We buy double doubles with loonies and toonies, we drink pop, go to the washroom, and celebrate the end of the alphabet with a “zed”.
(P6) So in honor of our wonderful land turning 146 on July, 1, we’ve pulled together a fun list of good ‘ol Canadian slang, words, and phrases including a few that might surprise you.
(P7) And yes we know, this list is just scratching the surface, so tell us what your favorite “Canadian” words are in the comments below and we’ll add them to our gallery.
(P8) Some slang words:
double double – how coffee is order with two creams and two sugars
toonie – the slang name given to the Canadian $2 coin
loonie – the slang name given to the Canadian $1 coin
pop – another name for soda (Coca-cola, Pepsi, etc)
zed – how Canadian pronounce the letter z (zee)
darts – another name for cigarettes
hydro – refers to electricity, especially on your energy bill
*Click on the link below to read the original article and to learn more Canadian slang.
WORDS: 298
SOURCE: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/06/26/slang-words-what-words-do_n_3491739.html
VOCABULARY: stereotypical, igloo, homegrown, ingrained, gallery
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
If you found the passage difficult to read or had problems understanding specific words or idiomatic expressions, please discuss them with your tutor. The following discussion questions should be answered in your own words and with your own arguments.
- Briefly, summarize the content of the article in your own words.
- Why do yo think slang is spoken in most countries?
- Do you know how many dialects are spoken in your country? If so, how are they different?
- What are some slang words used in your country? Can you translate them to English?
READING COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS:
- Canada does not have their own language. (T or F)
- What are the two primary languages spoken in Canada?
- What do Canadians call a restroom/bathroom?
- How old is Canada?
- What slang word is used to order a coffee with twice the amount of sugar and cream?
EXPRESSIONS or PHRASES:
What do the following expressions or phrases mean?
- the diversity of our population (P3)
- mother tongues (P4)
- their own take on everyday words (P5)
- turning 146 on July,1 (P6)
- is just scratching the surface (P7)
Image source: by “unknown” public domain