The English language is constantly changing, just as it has been throughout history. From its Celtic beginnings to its Germanic takeover, from the infusion of French to the Great Vowel Shift, the English language is constantly evolving just as we do. And in this modern day era, the adaptation of the language to suit our needs is no exception.

Words and phrases almost subconsciously inject themselves into our everyday language. They seem to sneak up from behind us and suddenly they´re used by everyone without us even really thinking about it. Take “Google”, for example. The search engine was founded in 1998 and was a phenomenon, allowing Internet users to request information about any subject at any time. Now, “Google” is a common term that people use automatically. How many times do you hear the phrase “I’ll research that”? Probably nowhere near as many times as you hear the sentence “I’ll Google it”. “Chillax” is a popular term nowadays, being a combination of “chill out” and “relax”. A “staycation” is the casual name used for spending your holiday at home or in your own country, rather than travelling abroad. “Social media” is, for the younger generation, the norm, but for everyone else a time when social media was never heard of can be remembered clearly. Nowadays, it´s considered an integral part of society, both for business purposes and for pleasure.

Learning languages can be hard enough, but keeping track of the latest terminology or expressions can be very challenging. That´s why you should enrol in some modern English courses which will not only teach you the correct English dialogue but also the informal phrases that are used in everyday speech. So put your podcasts to one side and tune in to your teacher as you master the modern jargon.