Abstract
Virtual Social Networks (VSNs) have permeated every sphere of people’s lives, both personal and professional, and thus revolutionized the language of communication. This paper reports on a small-scale study conducted via an anonymous questionnaire with undergraduate students in southern Italy. The aim is to explore what social media is more popular among these students, for what purpose, what linguistic code is used, and the influence of English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) on their communications. Responses indicate a high level of interest in using slang, both online and offline, suggesting that internet slang, which is an integral part of the students’ daily life, should be incorporated in the curriculum to fully engage L2 learners. Overall, the results reveal positive student views towards social media, yet, at the same time, authors encourage teachers to be cautious on how to implement VSNs in their classroom practice.
Keywords
Internet Slang; Virtual Social Networks; Linguistic Economy; Code Switching; Word Formation