THE COMMUNICATIVE RELEVANCE OF SLANG AMONG UNDERGRADUATES OF NNAMDI AZIKIWE UNIVERSITY, AWKA

Abstract

The communicative role of language serves as a unifying force among members of a speech community. This research intends to study slang usage among the undergraduates of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria with the view to know its communicative relevance among the students. It seeks to know if slang could actually help a second language learner in achieving communicative competence in the target language. It also seeks to know it can help students to adapt to the university speech community, and to determine the efficacy of slangs in contributing to the students’ specific identity. The survey research design was adopted for the study and the sample population comprised of 278 undergraduates from the Faculties of Arts, Engineering and Management Sciences of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, Nigeria. Questionnaires were dispensed to the study participants through a purposive sampling technique. Results showed that respondents within the age range of 21-23 years use slangs most, followed by those within the age range of 24-26 years while the 29-32 years age group recorded the least usage. Eighty-eight percent (88%) of the respondents said that they use slang. Two hundred and fifty-one (251) out of 278 respondents (90%) agreed that there is a UNIZIK specific student identity. There is a UNIZIK specific identity among the students and slang plays an important role for this UNIZIK specific identity among the students. Slangs were found to be patterned and play useful communicative roles in UNIZIK.