According to the Oxford Dictionary, slang is defined as a type of language that consists of words and phrases with three characteristics: they’re very informal, more common in speech than writing and typically restricted to a particular context or group of people.
Slang is often born from specific social groups or subcultures. A modern example of this would be African American Vernacular English, also known as Ebonics, which is more accessible than ever with social media. Social media allows slang to spread globally in a matter of days, whereas in the past, new slang stayed within specific subcultures or regions for years before diffusing.
Due to this rapid diffusion, slang has become a main way for people to connect and communicate. According to USA TODAY, 94% of Americans use slang, and 89% of those surveyed said that they learned slang from the internet.
Language is a product of the way society thinks. The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis suggests that the structure of a language shapes the cognitive processes, thought patterns and worldviews of its speakers. It argues that people speaking different languages perceive the world differently.
“The language you speak changes the way you think. There is evidence to suggest that certain groups that have no word for the color blue have a difficult time perceiving the color blue because they don’t have any word to describe it,” Advanced Placement Psychology teacher Camille Crossett said.
In terms of slang, this hypothesis explains how certain words help people understand specific emotional experiences, such as being “ghosted,” someone being “salty” or someone being a “noob.” These terms help describe how people perceive and categorize adjectives in others.
For example, using “rizz” instead of “charisma” to describe someone has an internet connotation that causes people to categorize that person in a more online context than if they were described as “charismatic” or “charming.”
These hyperspecific terms have changed the way people communicate and connect with each other. “Language is a product of society. The way we communicate is largely reflected from how we interact with others,” Crossett said.
The way we communicate has affected both the students and teachers in the classroom. English teacher John Cooper believes that slang is an outlet for students to use as a way to better communicate their thoughts during discussions.
“If I police language, I’m policing their ability to access their own learning. As long as we can both be on the same thought, the words don’t carry the meaning, the people do,” Cooper said.
Even though students can connect with each other and apply their language to their educations, Sage Swann, who is completing her student teaching assignment at West High and is affiliated with the University of Iowa, believes there can be a disconnect between students and teachers if there’s a significant generation difference.
“I think that part of what makes slang so interesting is that it provides community for students and for people of a similar age. In terms of using it in an English classroom, as long as students are still internalizing more permanent language, I don’t see a problem with them using it,” Swann said.
Slang is a way for students to fully express themselves in the classroom and out. Cooper thinks that if teachers can be vulnerable when there is a generation difference, then students will be more open to participation.
“I don’t feel that I struggle to connect with my students, because I definitely put quite a bit of time into at least making light of my disconnect. I understand that I’m stepping into a lingual sphere that I’ve not operated in before, for the amusement of my students but also to show vulnerability. In that way, we are building trust,” Cooper said.
Through connections in the classroom, slang can help benefit teachers and students in communication differences. If more teachers embrace new words and use them in their classrooms, students can feel more comfortable participating, which will benefit their educations.
Although internet language can be a connecting point through teachers and students, a fear that Cooper has with the increasing use of social media with teenagers is the cognitive decline that comes with being fed an algorithm.
“Often we feel that we’re part of a community because we’re watching people repeat things off the internet. Social media gives us the idea that we are in control of what we see. The reality is, a robot is feeding you things that it thinks you will keep looking at to keep engagement. In that space, if people start to think that’s a discourse you can learn in, then the classroom can erode, because I am never going to be as entertaining as a 24-hour, 60-second video clip entertainment website,” Cooper said.
Swann also believes increased social media usage can affect a discussion space negatively if students aren’t used to hearing multiple perspectives on topics.
“That can be very harmful to a discussion space, which is what classrooms are supposed to be. If people are so used to only hearing their own opinions and thoughts bounced back at them, it can be harmful for actual open dialogue,” Swann said.
With new and emerging etymology, teachers can better understand their students in classrooms and discussion spaces. Although there is a fine line between learning new slang online and believing a limited mindset through algorithms, teachers can embrace a new generation of language while staying cognizant of limited perspectives in the online sphere.
