The Usage of Slang Language on Academic Writing of

Grade 12 STEM Students of Davao Doctors College, Inc.

Thesis Presented to
The Faculty of SHS Department
Davao Doctors College, Inc.
Gen. Malvar St., Davao City
____________________________________________________________
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements in Practical
Research 2
1st Semester, SY 2023–2024

Lovely Edmer P. Agustin, LPT, MAED

Instructor
____________________________________________________________

Members:
Divinagracia, Andrea
Flores, Mary Louraine
Fulay, Lyka
Gallenero, John RB
Gofredo, Cole Dwayne
Lato, John Mikheal
Makabenta, Jerry Andrei
Manayon, Lhaire Aizel
Mende, Jonah
Miwa, Ayumi
 CHAPTER 1

Background of the study

Major issues have been presented by the development of slang

languages. The slang phrases that were developed, which are specific to

students and the elderly, caused this generational gap. The definitions of

these commonly used phrases are frequently unclear to some people. This

led to misunderstanding and confusion between these slang words.

Students commonly use these terms, particularly in their academic outputs,

which can be found in their essays or literary compositions for school

assignments. They use this to give context to what they are attempting to

convey. Some kids more frequently discover and generalize these terms.

This also rendered their writings unintelligible, making it impossible for

others to read them. Additionally, it promotes the use of clichés rather than

more precise words. They became less mindful of using it as they went

along with these slang terms. Academic writing requires high levels of

clarity, precision, and professionalism, and writing for social media can

sometimes lead to confusion and misunderstandings. Blending the two

writing styles may impact a researcher’s credibility and create the

impression that the writer is not taking the research seriously (George,
2023). Slang is occasionally used among young people as a secret code.

They often desire that other generations shouldn't be able to understand

what they are saying. Slang is typically created by individuals of society

who don't have much influence on politics, such as teens or college

students, or who need to conceal their opinions or behavior from those in

positions of authority. With that being said students are so used to using

slang for conversing with one another, that when presenting an output to a

teacher who is considered an authority in school, the generating and

expression of their ideas in academic writing tends to get lost, making their

output stale or weak. Although freedom of speech is socially accepted

students tend to forget that there are formal standards when it comes to

writing academics, hence delving more into this issue can uncover if Grade

12 STEM Students of Davao Doctors College, Inc. are also keen on using

Slang Language on Academic Writing.

Although slang language is informal, undeniably it is what makes a

certain group or a country per se build a social connection that is uniquely

theirs to understand. That is why many different countries around the globe

have each slang language. Statistics show that though many Americans

use slang nowadays, younger folks are still the fondest of it. Nearly 98

percent of the Gen Z Americans we surveyed said they use slang

(Zajechowsk, 2022). And commonly enough they also share the same

issue of which students tend to use slang in their academic writing. A study

by (Muhmmad, 2019, as cited in Hasanah, 2020) was conducted in

Pakistan and showed results that have identified that students use and

develop slang words/short forms while texting, and talking via digital

devices. It has also been reported that students' excessive use of cell

phones during their class time has also influenced their writing skills. Now

that younger generations can access digital much more easily, they are

more exposed to different slang circulating the internet even the slang from

different countries will get influenced or spread in other countries,

especially the English slang. A study in Indonesia states that slang cannot

be separated from social media, because they are one unit, they use social

media by using slang, and indeed at first social media also introduced

slang among the younger generation. the use of slang continues to grow

because they feel that slang is easier to use and easier to understand than

standard Indonesian (Maulidiya et al., 2021). Since students often utilize

abbreviations and shorthand on the internet to keep their texts concise,

some have started employing this style of writing in their academic work

formal writing, additionally, due to frequent use of websites or other

internet-based platforms that discourage the use of appropriate English,

grammar, and spelling are degraded. The way you write on academic social

networks must be significantly different from what is expected in academic

writing.

The Philippines itself has its very own slang terminologies. An article

online suggests that some examples of slang in the Philippines are: Lodi,

Petmalu, Mumshie, Werpa, Praning, Taratitat, Charot, Chika, Jowa, and

Chibog (Parañal, 2023). It is prevalent that the usage of slang is

widespread across the nation, especially in these times when the

development of slang words arises from time to time due to the trends that

the Filipino youth tends to follow in social media, resulting in the embedded

of constant usage, failing to recognize when to use formal language instead

of slang. A study conducted by Dela Salle University Manila stated that the

use of slang in communication can hinder the real meaning of certain

words (Pontillas et al., 2020). This can potentially be applied when

performing academic writing, an alarming issue progressing in the nation.

As a result, the academic writing skills of Filipinos have been affected, it

has been found that Filipino Generation Z is still using language patterns

like back formation, clippings, acronyms, metathesis, and relating to an

icon (Gime & Macascas, 2020).

 The researchers are associated with the school Davao Doctors

College, Inc. located in Davao City and there is a visible appearance of

local problems in the school about the usage of slang language in

academic writing given that Filipinos naturally use slang in their everyday

conversations. What makes it interesting is that the majority of people from

Davao City speak Bisaya or Binisaya, the local language of Cebuas well as

the Philippine national languages Filipino and English (Sayson, 2022). With

that information provided it is safe to say that Davaoenos will likely use

slang not just in their mother tongue.

The problem can be easily observed in Davao Doctors College Inc.

However other locally published articles surrounding the topic are limited

meaning that there is a gap in information that needs to be studied hence

this study is conducted to bring more exposure in this area academic and

geographic-wise.

The purpose of this study is to know slang usage and how it

influences the academic writings of Grade 12 students' STEM strand as

there is a concerning problem, when students use slang, it has a greater

impact on their performance since they frequently misspell words and

utilize them incorrectly in essays or other written assignments. The overuse

of slang can make individuals such as students' academic writing

excellence plummet, and the delivery of such good ideas applied in writing

is not properly translated due to the ignorance of the formal language and

favoring slang, this could also eventually result in misunderstandings or

communication barriers toward teachers when checking the outputs of

students.

Definition of terms

Academic writing. This is a writing that communicates ideas,

information, and research to the wider academic community, expected to

adhere to the standards, which can be difficult for students to master

(Smith, 2022). A coherent and clear structure should be used in academic

writing. This means academic writing should be consistent in using

accepted formal words in conveying and delivering to produce a proper

message to the reader especially teachers checking upon the outputs of

students.

Slang Language. This refers to the use of highly informal words and

expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's dialect or

language. Slang is a central part of the young generation's experience.

(Namvar & Firooz, 2014, as cited in May et al., 2023). In the context of this
research, slang language refers to the words, phrases, or expressions that

students in Davao Doctors College, Inc. use in their everyday conversation

and is considered not suitable for academic writing.

Statement of the problem

The researchers sought to define and outline the specific issues of

the following questions:

 What is the level of slang language usage among grade 12 STEM

students of Davao Doctors College, Inc.?

 What is the level of academic writing skills of grade 12 STEM

students of Davao Doctors College, Inc.?

 Does the usage of slang language significantly influence academic

writing?

Hypothesis

As for the hypothesis underpinning this study the statement below

posits that,

 There is no significant influence between slang language usage and

academic writing.
 Scope and delimitation

The scope of our study is to examine or analyze how Grade 12

STEM students in the first semester of 2023-2024 use slang language.

Slang language typically refers to informal, non-standard vocabulary and

expressions often used in casual conversations. Academic writing typically

refers to formal, structured writing that adheres to specific rules and

conventions, commonly used in educational and scholarly contexts. This

study mainly intended to identify the mediating effect of code-switching on

the relationship between slang language and formal in classroom settings

and performing academic writing It also aimed to determine the level of the

variables and determine the relationships that naturally exist between them

This conjunction connects the two main elements of the study. Quantitative

methodologies will be used to analyze numerical data gathered and to

answer the question of what are the relationships between the variables.

Delimitation. This study is delimited to Grade 12 STEM students of

Davao Doctors College, Inc. It is confined to the premise of slang language

usage. Also, it will explore the respondents' familiarity with the conventions

of academic writing. This study aims to examine the prevalence of slang

language usage within the Grade 12 STEM community. Subsequently, it

will determine and/or identify the factors influencing the use of slang
language within the English parlance. Lastly, this will analyze whether or

none there is a significant relationship between the usage of slang

language and academic writing. If there is no relationship between the

variables, then, the hypothesis will be justified. However, if the variables

are found to have an established relationship, then, this will explore how

the practice of slang in English affects the respondents' proficiency in

academic writing taking into consideration the specific rules of formal

writing. The delimitations of this study are defined in this paper. If ever

there will be variables not described herein that are somehow related to the

problem, it will then be upon the proponents' discretion whether or not to

include those variables. This study focuses on both the usage of slang in

the English language and academic writing. Any other factors not stated in

this paper will not be considered herein.

Significance of the Study

This research holds great importance for multiple stakeholders,

primarily benefiting Davao Doctors College, its teachers, students, and

future researchers. The results of the study will be of great benefit to the

following:
 Davao Doctors College. The school’s administrators stand to benefit

significantly from this research as it provides valuable insights into the

slang language proficiency and academic writing performance of Grade 12

STEM students. Understanding the prevalence and impact of slang

language in academic writing can help the institution tailor workshops or

club activities that approaches to address these issues more effectively.

This can contribute to maintaining and enhancing the overall academic

standards of the school.

Teachers. The result of this research will also reflect on educators.

Teachers can create specialized interventions and resources to assist

students in developing their writing abilities by developing a deeper

understanding of the use of slang language in academic writing.

Parents. This study is beneficial to the parents of the students.

Parents can mentor and encourage their children to succeed in their

studies by knowing the effects of slang language on academic writing.

Students. The study provides Grade 12 STEM students with insights

into the usage of slang language in their academic writing. By

understanding the implications of slang language, students are encouraged

to improve their language skills and develop a more formal writing style,

leading to better academic performance.

Future Researchers. The study serves as a foundation for future

researchers, providing them with valuable insights into the relationship

between slang language and academic writing among Grade 12 STEM

students. The study's findings can be used as a beneficial resource or

reference for researchers who decide to examine student language,

particularly slang, as part of their work.

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