How English Urban Slang has Affected Verbal and Written Communication among Youths in Selangor

Abstract

Slang is defined as a set of colloquial words or phrases in a language that is frequently used by youths and constantly evolves. The changes that occur are based on geographic locations, past experiences, and levels of exposure to said slang. This study is not only beneficial to aspiring higher education educators, but also to the public, as well as sharing the awareness in language use in the sociolinguistics context. To identify the effects of English urban slang, an online quantitative survey was conducted with 154 respondents who were randomly selected. The only parameters set for the study were for youths aged 18-36 years old residing in Selangor. With that, eight (8) defined types of slang were determined along with others such as sources or said slang, perceptions towards its use, and effects in various contexts of communication. From the results, it was found that there is a predominant use and perceived need for English urban slang that it has become normalised.