STUDENTS’ SLANGUAGE IN NNAMDI AZIKIWE UNIVERSITY (UNIZIK) AWKA, NIGERIA: ANY POSITIVITY?

Abstract

The use of ‘’slangs’’ as a language of communication among students of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria was investigated to ascertain the communicative pertinence of slang among undergraduates and the extent to which slang positively affects communicative performance of the students.The survey research design was adopted for the study and the sample population comprised of 278 undergraduates from three faculties of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, Nigeria: Faculty of Arts, Faculty of Engineering and Faculty of Management Sciences. Questionnaires were dispensed to participants who were drawn from the faculties through a purposive sampling technique. Among other things, the study showed that among different text types in which slang is used, almost all the respondents use slang in spoken language, in chat and messenger and in emails to friends, some of them in email, and some also in private letters. One hundred and eighty-nine (189) respondents are Igbos while 58 respondents are Yorubas and Hausas. All the respondents use slang in English, 169 respondents use it in Igbo while 143 respondents use it in other languages other than Igbo, Yoruba or Hausa. Slang positively affects the communicative competence of undergraduates of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria.