One of the most controversial features of language is the
usage of slang. Many people believe that slang is only used by marginalized
subgroups and teenagers. However, amid
my research I have found that throughout history, slang has been used amongst
the elitist groups and the most prestigious professions such as the medical
field. Scholar Felix Rodriguez-Gonzalez,
states that by the close of the 20th century as technical and
institutional acronyms were becoming more recognized, the use of slang was seen
in diverse professional and social groups of America and Britain. His article
shows that slang and acronyms can also be connected to the distinguished
classes of society as well as the middle to lower class citizens. Other studies
have shown that slang’s popularity is increasing in value and it is spreading
rapidly through society. Scholars Yanchun
Zhou and Yanhong Fan state: “Although many intelligent people consider slang is of lower
acceptability in society, the trend is more obvious that the use of slang
expressions in movies, television, newspapers, and magazines is noticeably
increasing. From the trend, we can see American slang is becoming more and more
widely used and plays an increasingly influential role in everyday discourse of
American English” (2209). So not only do
we see slang used amongst the subgroups and the elites, but we see it in many
different forms of the media.
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In addition to the study of who uses slang, many scholars were
concerned with why people use slang.
Tamara Fabjancic for example, focused on the social phenomenon of slang and
concludes by stating: “All
in all, I have to say that this journey through the colourful world of slang
has been an interesting and enlightening one. It revealed just how important
the role of slang is in people’s lives… Slang, inconstant as it may be if we
focus on individual expressions, is therefore nevertheless an ever-present
phenomenon in all societies”(43). So
even scholars like Fabjancic have come to the realization that slang has an
important role in society and therefore in our language. Yanchun Zhou and Yanhong Fan believe that slang is used
as a means to gain social acceptance and is a pursuit of self-identity. For
instance, if someone was new to a social group s/he would use the popular slang
of the group so as to gain approval. In addition to acceptance, scholar Robert Moore believes that slang also serves as an “affective function” and he states:
“they express an attitude that invites an egalitarian sociability”
(186). Therefore, slang has many
different functions and cannot be regarded as a degradation of our language,
but rather adds creativity and has emotional qualities.
Throughout my research I have come to find that scholars are
recognizing the true nature of slang words and how they need just as much
attention as other words we use. They reflect societal changes more than any other
lexeme. The function of slang serves to include members into society while
aiding in an egalitarian relationship. Slang is an important part of language
and need not be considered inferior.
