Hola a todos

Hey,

How are you? I was at a close friend's house yesterday. His girlfriend is from Thailand and she's learning English. Her English is ok but she can't quite understand everything we're sayingwhen we are in a group of native English speakers. We talk quickly and use slang all the time. I know so many people are in this situation. I know exactly what kinds of words and phrases you need toknow. I've been living in different parts in Asia for 8 years and have experienced so much. I explain all the common slang in a way that you can understand easily and start using immediately. You willimpress native English speakers. I used my iPhone to record an EXACT conversation I had yesterday with my friend Jay. We've been best friends for 18 years so it's a great way to learn real naturalspeaking.

Here is the exact conversation with explanations below for any important and interesting slang:

Jay:Hey man, what's up?
Andrew: Not much, I'm just seeing what you're up totonight.
Jay: Iwas kind of planning on just staying in and chilling at my place. You canswing by if you want.
Andrew: I was thinking of going somewhere for a drink. I've been
cooped up in the office all week andI need to let loosea bit.
Would you be up for that?
Jay: I don't know man, I'm pretty beat. I'll let you know later if I get a second wind.
Andrew: Ok, cool. Later.
Jay: Later

What's Up? Whenfriends talk together, we often ask, "what's up?" The answer is often something like "not much" or "I'm just watching TV". It basically means, "What are you doing now?" We NEVER say "How are youdoing?" It's really too formal and weird!

Up To: We often ask a friend, What are you "up to" later? This "up to" means "doing". It's the same as saying, "What are your plans later?" Asking "What are youup to?" is much more common and a more natural question.

Staying in: In this context, native speakers say "Staying in" instead of saying "Staying at home". It's much more natural. If you hear...