Gen Z English learners are getting bare gassed about flexing TikTok slang in class, according to a new study from international English language exam board Trinity College London.

A survey of 505 English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers in the UK, who work with Gen Z students aged 12 through mid-20s, found that 71% of overseas students want teachers to explain English slang terms they’ve seen on social media or TV.

Some of the most-requested terms include:

• ”Beef”, an argument (and also an Emmy-winning miniseries about the ultimate argument)
• ”NPC”, a non-playable character in video games, or an unbelievably boring person in real life
• ”Rizz”, short for “charisma”, used to describe someone who oozes charm (also Oxford’s 2023 Word of the Year)
• ”Pop-off”, a way to say something or someone is getting wild

Many of the slang terms mentioned in the survey (which was commissioned by Trinity College London while developing its “Skill Up!” English learning app) come from what’s known as Multicultural London English (MLE), spoken by diverse young people in the British capital. Others trace their origins to African-American Vernacular English (AAVE).

But all of these terms have since crossed international borders through their popularity on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram. The Trinity survey found that 80% of foreign students arriving in the UK have already heard some of these slang terms, though they don’t always know their meaning.

Aside from social media, TV shows like ‘Top Boy,’ ‘Friends’ and ‘Stranger Things’ that have gained international viewers on Netflix and other streaming sites have also contributed to changing the type of English that young foreigners have access to before they arrive in the UK.

That means British teachers are having to up their game when it comes to the slang young people are using – Trinity’s study found that 67% of EFL teachers include MLE in their lessons. They also generally recommend students watch British shows like ‘Bridgerton,’ ‘Sherlock’ or ‘Downton Abbey’ to immerse themselves in British English as they learn the language.

Old-school idioms still confuse English-learners

Learning English isn’t all TikTok and TV though – the Trinity College survey found that foreign students are still having trouble with English idioms and expressions, which have been the bane of every foreign language student’s existence for generations.

At Euronews Culture, we’re no strangers to the difficulties of learning a new language – and English is one of many languages that’s filled with confusing rules and ever more exceptions to those rules.

That’s why we’ve put together a list of our favourite English expressions and idioms. Though they’re undoubtedly less hip than the aforementioned slang terms, we hope they can help students at least get a confused chuckle out of their native-speaking peers at their next function.