SLANG--SHOULD I USE IT? One of the things that makes learning another language fun and such a rewarding adventure is the connections you make with people. Human beings are social creatures, and the quickest way to build a connection with people is to REALLY learn their language. Regional speech is a part of that experience. The other day, one of my students called me "Bro." I'm not sure where he picked that up, but I liked it because it showed me that he's not just learning English as an academic exercise, but because he wants to be able to connect- he wants to be a part of our world. But here's the caveat: There are certain subtleties that go along with slang expressions--there is often a fine line between being funny and "one of the guys" and being crass or offensive. If a same-age friend of yours makes a dumb mistake and is laughing at himself, saying something like, "That's some elite goofballing, right there!" will come off as laughing with him, whereas saying "you goofball!" is probably going to be offensive. It takes time to develop sensitivity to those nuances. Also, some expressions may be associated with a certain part of the speech community that you don't want to be associated with. You may think you're being trendy and "native sounding" when you're using expressions associated with drug culture, prison slang, etc. So what's the verdict? ASK! When you get to the level where this is becoming a consideration, that's the perfect time to ask your tutor, "Can I use this expression--and if so, when it is appropriate?" Any native speaker of English should be able to answer that question, so you can safely enjoy your ability to use regional English while avoiding being offensive or creating a wrong impression.