Five days a week, from the comfort of her dining table, 25-year-old Jessica Beinecke writes, hosts and produces a show called "OMG! Meiyu," or "Oh, My Gosh, American English."
In the webcast, Beinecke explains idioms and slang to her Chinese viewers. Beinecke began studying Mandarin as an undergraduate. In 2006, she enrolled in Middlebury College's intensive language program, and spent the first half of 2007 studying in Beijing and Hangzhou, near Shanghai.
Beinecke has become a star in China because many young Chinese are studying English and want to learn American slang instead of just the words they're taught in textbooks. Beinecke teaches them about all kinds of common American terms, from "booger" to "jiggly," in interactive ways.
Quotes
"My first impression about her is that she's very energetic and enthusiastic in teaching English. She uses a lot of facial expressions and body language to help the learners learn the language that she is teaching. I think that's very helpful." - Huang Lihong, graduate student, Georgetown University
"That's never going to be in a textbook, so now they see "OMG! Meiyu" as a place where they can go to get the most authentic American English that young people use." - Jessica Beinecke, OMG! Meiyu
Warm Up Questions
1. What is slang? What are some examples of slang terms you use?
2. Why do you think it might be hard to learn slang in another language?
3. Have you ever tried learning another language? What was hard about it?
Discussion Questions
1. Why do you think Jessica's show is so popular in China?
2. Why do you think so many Chinese students want to learn English?
3. How could knowing slang in a language help you? Why do you think these Chinese students want to learn American slang?
Additional Resources
