English Department Students' Attitudes Toward The Use Of English Slang On X (Twitter)

Abstract

Purpose of the study: This study examines how English Department students at Universitas Airlangga evaluate English slang on X (Twitter), the communicative advantages and obstacles they report, and the motivations behind their decisions to use, adapt, or avoid it. Methodology: The study uses a qualitative design framed by Baker's (1992) language attitudes model and Crystal's (2004) account of internet language. Data came from 30 students of the 2022 cohort through an open-ended questionnaire adapted from Hunaeda and Rahmat (2024) and semi-structured interviews, and were analysed thematically and mapped onto cognitive, affective, and conative dimensions. Main Findings: Three attitude patterns appeared: positive, negative, and neutral or context-dependent. Students linked slang with efficiency, informality, enjoyment, social bonding, inclusion, self-image, and informal vocabulary growth. They also reported misunderstanding, exclusion, irritation at overuse or inappropriate use, and concern that heavy slang use might affect formal language habits. Several verified unfamiliar items before using them or adjusted their language to the interlocutor. Novelty/Originality of this study: The study joins language-attitude research to digital discourse on X and focuses on English Department students, who are trained users of English and are rarely the population in studies of English slang on social media. It shows that students judge slang against audience, context, cultural knowledge, and communicative purpose, and that the same student can accept a form in one setting and reject it in another.