Final Project Ideation

Slang, as defined by Oxford Languages, is a form of language characterized by its informality, prevalence in speech over writing, and association with specific contexts or social groups. Slang is a universal phenomenon, transcending borders and cultures, and it serves as a fundamental mode of daily communication. Rather than speaking to one another as if composing formal essays, people opt for slang to enhance efficiency and inject a sense of enjoyment into their conversations.

Despite having resided in the United States for over a decade, I occasionally still find myself feeling like an outsider when conversing with my native-speaking friends. While I believe my English skills to be quite proficient, it's not an issue of comprehending their conversations but rather grasping the intricacies of the slang they use. I struggle to both comprehend and employ these colloquial expressions skillfully. The root of this challenge, I believe, lies in my upbringing outside of the United States. This challenge runs deeper than merely learning a new language at various ages; it pertains to cultural nuances. Furthermore, I've observed that some of my friends who come from different countries also face difficulty in understanding their American friends. They often need to mentally translate their friends' expressions into their own language before processing and responding, which can be time-consuming. 

With this project, I hope to create an app that assists foreigners in comprehending local slang in their respective areas, thereby facilitating a deeper understanding of the culture and fostering smoother communication with native speakers. This app will employ geolocation technology to determine users' locations and recommend the most commonly used local slang expressions. It will provide video tutorials on when and how to use specific slang phrases in various situations, along with dos and don'ts. The app's user base will actively contribute to its database of slang terms, with a primary objective of making it adaptable across different regions and languages. Consequently, no matter where one travels, they can access a comprehensive local slang guide.