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Of course there is aproper way to use it. The proper way is how it is intended to be used, i.e. in place of the verb to be. Although I mainly teach standard, proper, formal, scientific and academic English, I am well aware of slang and the informal and colloquial usage of language as part of normal conversation.
Cotty, I did not mean to suggest that you didn't know there was an acceptable use of the word. However, I'm not sure I'd call it proper :). I meant that most English teachers don't care for the word. At least, not any of the ones I ever met. It has only become "semi-acceptable" in the last couple of decades. In my days in school the word ain't was simply not recognized and we were taught that it was bad English and any English teacher, and most mothers, would chastize you for its use and I suspect they would still do so in class today...at least I would hope so. It's slang, nothing more and I really wouldn't recommend its use by anybody, particularly those who are studying and learning to speak English. I'd tell them that if it is not already in their vocabulary, don't put it there.