When a student decides where to apply to university, he or she may consider many different factors. The student may wish to ensure that he or she will be able to focus on the field of his or her choosing, and that he or she will have access to the resources and support necessary for success. He or she may also wish to be in an environment that provides numerous academic and social opportunities. 

Choosing universities to apply to is a personal and subjective process, but it is one that can be influenced by many different things—information from the school, the opinions of parents and friends, and the media. Unfortunately, when it comes to American universities, the media (including television and films) sends many messages that are not entirely accurate. These messages have allowed certain myths to develop that could negatively influence an international student’s perspective. They include the beliefs that:


1. American schools prefer American students

While it is true that native-born Americans have certain advantages when applying to American universities—including a relative mastery of American English and a familiarity with the United States academic system—these advantages are not as important as you might think.

Most schools strive for a diverse staff, faculty, and student body. This allows for varied perspectives on a wide variety of subjects, and it can contribute to important (and fruitful) classroom discussions. Moreover, as the concept of a global society grows, certain fields like business and political science place a greater emphasis on global issues, all of which makes international students an asset on American campuses.


2. International students will not be tolerated 

In recent years, there has been a great deal of public discourse in the United States related to immigrants or those individuals with non-Western beliefs or cultures. Unfortunately, this has led many people to feel as though Americans are intolerant of others who come from vastly different backgrounds. It is important to remember that these perspectives generally originate from a very small minority. 

The United States is often still very welcoming of differences, especially on college campuses. As previously noted, universities have a strong desire to create a diverse environment in classrooms and extracurriculars, which means that a non-Western background could be more likely to help you in your application than to hurt.


3. Admissions committees will not understand my essay

As an international student, you have experiences and interests that American-born applicants very likely do not. As such, you may believe that an American admissions committee will not understand your point of view, or that they might struggle to see the importance of these events within the context of your life.

This is a reasonable concern, but keep in mind that the faculty and staff at American schools are comprised of professionals from across the globe. Moreover, they review hundreds of applications each year from students around the world. Even if they have no personal experience with the content of your essay, they are likely familiar with it.


4. There is no support in the application process

​If you have started researching universities, you have no doubt realized that the process of applying to college can be long, arduous, and at times quite stressful. Throughout this process, you will be required to fill out many forms and submit many documents, about which you may have questions. You may also be thinking that an American school will not offer the same kinds of support to an international student that they would to a student who is stateside.

It is true that the considerable distance between you and the university might make the process a bit more challenging, but the school most likely has a fully qualified staff of admissions counselors and an office of international student affairs. These individuals will do their absolute best to answer any questions or accommodate any requests you may have.

David White is a contributing writer for UniversityTutor.com, the world's largest global marketplace for finding independent tutors. 

​In this week's episode of Live from Hollywood with Slangman, David Burke teaches us some top teen slang terminology.

What do lit, ratchet, curved, ghost, BAE, hangry, throw shade and ghost mean?? 

​Find out in the video below.

​"Slangman" David Burke is a world renowned expert on American slang & idioms. He has authored over 100 books, including the popular "STREET SPEAK" and "BIZ SPEAK" series, which are used by corporations, government agencies, and universities around the world.
 
To learn more American slang & idioms, visit David at Slangman.com. Use Coupon Code: STUDYUSA for a 20% discount on all products during checkout! 
 
Find Slangman on Twitter: @TheRealSlangman

​When it comes to language, it is often the little aspects that can be confusing—and sometimes even embarrassing. Conversational American English, for example, tends to include items like slang, regional terms, and various culturally specific references that can make mastery difficult for non-native speakers. Yet for those individuals learning English as a second language, it might come as a surprise that there are certain aspects of English grammar that even native speakers break, intentionally and unintentionally.

It goes without saying that language changes along with the culture to which it belongs, so many of these broken rules of traditional grammar go unnoticed. In fact, there are times when using perfect, proper grammar might sound strange or even wrong to the ear simply because many people are not accustomed to hearing or seeing the proper usage of a word, phrase, or type of punctuation. These include:


1. Verb tenses
The proper use of verb tenses is an aspect of speaking and writing that most academics, professional writers, and grammar enthusiasts will notice if it is violated. In grammar, a tense refers to the time in which an action occurs. For instance, if you stated that you went to the store, the use of “went” tells us that this action already happened—past tense. 

As you progress in learning a language, you will begin to master the use of tenses. However, where many people err is in using proper tenses throughout an entire narrative. For instance, “The instructor explained the concept, which made me think…” may sound correct, but it can be improved. “Explained” is in past tense, while “think” is in present. In this case, “which made me think” should become “and I thought,” because “thought” is in past tense. Switching tenses throughout a narrative can be confusing, but people do it frequently.


2. Your and you’re
Another common mistake for native and non-native speakers alike is the use of your and you’re; this happens more with writing than with speaking. These two words sound exactly the same, but a slight difference in spelling changes their meaning. “Your” is a possessive—something belongs to you (i.e. your computer or your iPhone). “You’re,” on the other hand, is a contracted form meaning “you are” (i.e. “You’re going to the store”).


3. There, their, and they’re
Like your and you’re, there, their, and they’re are words that sound the same but have different meanings. You are not likely to have trouble with these when speaking, but this is one grammar rule that even native speakers struggle with from time to time when writing. 

“There” is used when referring to a place (“I am going over there”). It can also be used as a verb (“Will there be people?”). “Their” is a possessive, meaning that something belongs to someone else (i.e. their car or their house). Finally, “they’re” is a contracted form meaning “they are.”


4. Beginning with a conjunction
Conjunctions are words like “and,” “but,” “so,” “yet,” and so on. Most native speakers over a certain age were most likely taught that it is grammatically incorrect to start a sentence with a conjunction. According to some grammar guides, there is no reason for this. That makes this “rule” rather unclear. Depending on the circumstances, it may be absolutely acceptable or absolutely unacceptable to begin your sentence with words like “but” and “yet.”


5. Singular “they”
Technically, “they” is a plural pronoun that is used to refer to more than one person. For example, if you said, “They went to the store,” one would reasonably assume that you were referring to a group of people. However, in more recent years, “they” has been commonly used—in writing and in speaking—to refer to a single person.

According to the rules of proper English grammar, using “they” as a singular pronoun is incorrect. But in our modern parlance, the usage is becoming more widely accepted, particularly when referring to a person of indeterminate or unspecified gender. So, this is a case of an error that is sometimes intentional and increasingly acceptable—and thus not an error at all in many instances.

David White is a contributing writer for UniversityTutor.com, the world's largest global marketplace for finding independent tutors. 


  
  

by "Slangman" David Burke

One of America's favorite pastimes is going to the movies. But in order to decide on which movie to go see or avoid entirely, we typically rely on either word-of-mouth ("the opinions of other people") or the press ("the news media"). But what happens when you can't understand their opinions because of all the movie slang being used to describe it? Slangman to the rescue! This list is destined to turn you into a Hollywood insider ("someone who understands the entertainment business")!

(excerpts from The Slangman Guide to STREET SPEAK 1)


1. bomb = a complete failure (said of a movie, play, etc.)

In context:

I can't believe I spent money on that bomb! It was the worst movie I've ever seen!


In Slangman's "Real Speak":

I can't believe I spent money on that bomb! It w'z the worst movie I've ever seen!


2. a sellout = said of a performance for which all the tickets have been sold.

In context:

The play I saw last night was fantastic. It was a sellout! There wasn't a single empty seat in the entire theater!

In Slangman's "Real Speak":

The play I saw las' night w'z fantastic. It w'z a sellout!

There wasn' a single empty seat 'n the entire theeder!





3. to be unable to act one's way out of a paper bag = to be a terrible actor

In context:

How did that guy ever get a part in a major movie?!

He can't act his way out of a paper bag!

In Slangman's "Real Speak":

How did that guy ever ged a pard in a major movie?!

He can' act 'is way oud 'ev a paper bag!





4. Sleeper = a success after starting slowly 

In context:

The movie Bob starred in was a bomb at first, but it turned into a sleeper! It's already made a million dollars in just two weeks!

In Slangman's "Real Speak":  

The movie Bob starred in w'z a bomb 'it first, bud it turned into a sleeper! It's already made a million dollars 'n jus' two weeks!


5. to plug = to promote

In context:

I've already seen Tom Cruise five times on TV today plugging his new movie. It sounds really exciting.
We should go!

In Slangman's "Real Speak":

​I've awready seen Tom Cruise five times on TV taday plugging 'is new movie. It sounds really exciding. We should go!

"Slangman" David Burke is a world renowned expert on American slang & idioms. He has authored over 100 books, including the popular "STREET SPEAK" and "BIZ SPEAK" series, which are used by corporations, government agencies, and universities around the world.

To learn more American slang & idioms, visit us at slangman.com. Use Coupon Code: STUDYUSA for a 20% discount on all products during checkout!