Slang Knowledge among Spanish Students of English

Abstract

Defining and studying slang has always been a difficult task because of its oral use and limited written records. It is a lexicon known and used by native English communities of speakers but it is unknown the knowledge that non-native speakers have on it, since very few studies have focused on the topic (Namvar, 2014; Kim, 2004; Grossman and Tucker, 1997; Charkova, 2007). Therefore, the aims of this paper are to examine the knowledge of L2 learners of English and analyse the effect of study-abroad period on it. In order to do so, a questionnaire of slang words and expressions was used in order to collect data about students’ level of slang knowledge. The participants were 20 undergraduate students in the fourth year of English Studies degree. The study shows how Spanish students of English have limitations when they deal with isolated slang terms and how they can deduce slang lexicon when it is contextualized. Besides, although some slang is known, it is barely used by students when they communicate in English. Finally, we propose the implementation of a subject in the English Studies degree which covers all the colloquial features that students can find in an English speaking environment.