Today you will get survival English tips and phrases for your next vacation to an island nation!
The tips are from our special guest who is from Trinidad.
English from Trinidad is a mix of English, French, Spanish, and a few other languages that have been mixed together and the language has evolved over time.
There are so many kinds of ‘Englishes.’ When we think of English speaking countries, we think of America, England, etc., but English is spoken in many more nations, like South Africa, Nigeria, Singapore, and Trinidad.
Here are the phrases that Matt taught us:
- “Allyuh”: “All of you”
- “Aye-yai-yai”: “Wow”- this word can be an expression of extreme pleasure of pain (Spanish speakers and some Americans say this too!)
- “Ent”: “Isn’t it?”- this is a tag question that is used at the end of a sentence to look for agreement from the listener
We all become lazy when we speak, often combining words. For example, instead of “allyuh”, in Texas they say “y’all” or “all y’all”.
Another good example is saying “dunno” instead of “I don’t know.”
There is also an American English equivalent of “ent.” We often add “yeah” at the end of questions to check for agreement.
Listen to the episode to hear how Matt pronounces these Trinidad English phrases, and also here Lindsay and Michelle do a role play for their American English synonyms.
Conquer your English perfectionism in this guest episode with Jun from Hapa Eikawa.
What did you think about this episode? Have you tried to use these phrases yet?
Let us know what’s on your mind in the comments below.
