The Familiarity of Internet Slang among EFL Female Learners in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

<jats:p>The knowledge of Internet slang is essential for English language learners who aim to achieve native-like fluency. This study investigated the familiarity of internet slang among EFL female learners in Saudi Arabia. The study aimed explicitly to examine to what extent EFL female learners are familiar with the Internet slang? Besides, what does the students' knowledge of slang reflect? To achieve these objectives, a total of 71 Saudi female undergraduate English majors at Unaizah College of Sciences and Arts participated in the study. The students were given a test of Internet slang. The data were analyzed through SPSS. The study results demonstrated that the learners' knowledge of Internet slang was moderately limited, and they are not familiar with internet slang. The results also revealed that some acronyms and abbreviations are popular among learners because of the learners' exposure to social media. In light of these results, recommendations are presented.</jats:p>

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

“…Aspects of slang include phonetic replacements, phrase abbreviations, word abbreviations, and inanities (Sabri et al, 2020). As such, slang cannot be considered a standard in one's native language or dialect of that language as it is unique to a certain culture and literature, transferred from one culture to another, and particular to a certain area (RahmtAllah, 2020). There are also different types of slang, such as those listed by Allan & Burridge (2007), which are Fresh, Creative, Flippant, Imitative, Acronym, and Clipping respectively.…”