A SOCIOLINGUISTIC STUDY OF ENGLISH SLANG USAGE ON INSTAGRAM AMONG EFL STUDENTS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31851/ccb3b946Keywords:
English Slang, Instagram, EFL Students, Sociolinguistics, Digital CommunicationAbstract
The increasing use of social media has significantly influenced language variation, particularly through the emergence and widespread use of English slang in digital communication. This study aimed to investigate the types of English slang used on Instagram, analyze the meanings of slang expressions, and explore EFL students’ perceptions of English slang usage on Instagram. The study employed a qualitative descriptive design involving five EFL students from several Indonesian universities who were selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis proposed by Braun and Clarke (2006). The findings revealed that two major categories of slang were frequently used on Instagram, namely Acronym/Initialism (e.g., LOL, OMG, IDK, TBH, FOMO, and GOAT) and Creative Internet Slang (e.g., SLAY, ATE, LOWKEY, DELULU, and RIZZ). The results also showed that participants generally learned and understood slang meanings through contextual exposure, repeated encounters on social media, and online resources. Furthermore, the participants perceived English slang as a useful tool for expressing emotions, building social connections, and participating in digital culture. Exposure to English slang on Instagram was also considered beneficial for English language learning, particularly in expanding vocabulary, understanding authentic language use, improving communicative competence, and developing awareness of the distinction between formal and informal English. The findings suggest that Instagram serves as an important source of authentic language input and contributes to EFL students’ language development in contemporary digital environments.
References
Alshammari, L. (2021). The effect of using Instagram on EFL learners' vocabulary development. International Journal of English Language Education, 9(3), 145–157.
Androutsopoulos, J. (2015). Networked multilingualism: Some language practices on Facebook and their implications. International Journal of Bilingualism, 19(2), 185–205. https://doi.org/10.1177/1367006913489198
Benson, P. (2017). Language learning beyond the classroom: Access all areas. Studies in Self-Access Learning Journal, 8(2), 135–146. http://sisaljournal.org/archives/jun17/benson
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). Sage Publications.
Firah Madani, N., Hafisya, S. R., et al. (2025). The use of slang among teenagers in interactions on Instagram social media: A semantic analysis. The Future of Education Journal, 4.
Halai, A. (2023). Digital communication etiquette: Navigating professional interactions in the digital age. https://www.artihalai.com/digital-communication-etiquette-navigating-professional-interactions-in-the-digital-age/
Ihsan, I., & Maisaroh, M. (2023). Teknik bahasa persuasif pada produk iklan kosmetik Ms Glow di Instagram dalam perspektif ekonomi Islam. Journal of Economic and Islamic Research, 2(1), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.62730/journalofeconomicandislamicresearch.v2i1.68
Indra, I., & Marhamah, M. (2024). An analysis of slang words used in social media (Instagram). RETORIKA: Jurnal Ilmu Bahasa, 10(1), 347–352. https://doi.org/10.55637/jr.10.1.9710.347-352
Ika, A., Fitri, R., Hasan, A., Ramadhanti, A. I., Amilia, F., & Suaedi, H. (2024). Variasi bahasa dalam bahasa gaul di media sosial. Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa dan Sastra Indonesia, 8(2).
Kvale, S. (2021). Doing interviews. Sage Publications.
Lukmantoro, T., Nugroho, H., & B. (2019). Propaganda model in the age of social media. KnE Social Sciences, 419–437. https://doi.org/10.18502/kss.v3i20.4952
Mauliddiyah, N. L. (2021). Metode pengumpulan data dan instrumen penelitian (Bachelor's thesis, UIN Alauddin Makassar). https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/svu73
Mubarok, Y., Sudana, D., Yanti, D., Sugiyo, S., Aisyah, A. D., & Af'idah, A. N. (2024). Abusive comments (hate speech) on Indonesian social media: A forensic linguistics approach. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 14(5), 1440–1452. https://doi.org/10.17507/tpls.1405.16
Neuman, W. L. (2019). Social research methods: Qualitative and quantitative approaches (7th ed.). Pearson.
Neuman, W. L. (2019). Social research methods: Qualitative and quantitative approaches (7th ed.). Pearson.
Neves, J. (2022). Project-based learning for the development of social transformative competence in socially engaged translators. The Interpreter and Translator Trainer, 16(4), 465–483. https://doi.org/10.1080/1750399X.2022.2084258
Nguyen, L. A. T., & Habók, A. (2022). Digital literacy of EFL students: An empirical study in Vietnamese universities. Libri, 72(1), 53–66. https://doi.org/10.1515/libri-2020-0165
Nuraeni, N., et al. (2022). Variations of language slang on Instagram social media. Jurnal Ilmiah Indonesia, 7(7).
Patton, M. Q. (2020). Qualitative research & evaluation methods: Integrating theory and practice (5th ed.). Sage Publications.
Pelangi, Y. A., Fatkurochman, H., & Nuraini, K. (2025). Game-based learning using Wordwall to improve students' vocabulary in the EFL classroom. English Franca: Academic Journal of English Language and Education, 9(2), 359–372. https://doi.org/10.29240/ef.v9i2.14849
Pitrianti, S., & Maryani, S. (2023). Analisis bahasa slang di media sosial Instagram. Jurnal Ilmiah Semantika, 5(1), 9–16.
Prayudha, J. (2023). Students' problems in implementing technology integrated in ELT classroom. Journal of English Education Program, 4(2), 125–137. https://doi.org/10.26418/jeep.v4i2.64583
Rakha, N. (2023). Revolution in learning through digitization: How technology is changing the landscape of education. International Journal of Cyber Law, 1(3), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.59022/ijcl.38
Richards, J. C. (2015). Key issues in language teaching. Cambridge University Press.
Sandelowski, M. (2000). Whatever happened to qualitative description? Research in Nursing & Health, 23(4), 334–340. https://doi.org/10.1002/1098-240X(200008)23:4<334::AID-NUR9>3.0.CO;2-G
Solikhah, I. Z., Janah, N. M., & Sidik, M. (2020). Kesalahan berbahasa tataran semantik dalam unggahan Instagram @kominfodiy. Lingua Rima: Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa dan Sastra Indonesia, 9(2), 33–42. https://doi.org/10.31000/lgrm.v9i2.2896
Sudana, P. A. P., Santosa, M. H., Ratminingsih, N. M., Padmadewi, N. N., Adnyani, L. P. S., & Artini, L. P. (2023). Pre-service teachers' perception of digital literacy. Journal of Education Technology, 7(4). https://doi.org/10.23887/jet.v7i4
Sugiyono. (2021). Metode penelitian kualitatif dan metode penelitian kuantitatif (A. Rachman & H. Purnomo, Eds.). CV Saba Jaya Publisher.
Sundqvist, P., & Sylvén, L. K. (2014). Language-related computer use: Focus on young L2 English learners in Sweden. ReCALL, 26(1), 3–20. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0958344013000232
Susanto, D., Risnita, R., & Jailani, M. S. (2023). Teknik pemeriksaan keabsahan data dalam penelitian ilmiah. Jurnal QOSIM: Jurnal Pendidikan Sosial & Humaniora, 1(1), 53–61. https://doi.org/10.61104/jq.v1i1.60
Tagg, C. (2015). Exploring digital communication: Language in action. Routledge.
Tagliamonte, S. A., & Denis, D. (2008). Linguistic ruin? LOL! Instant messaging and teen language. American Speech, 83(1), 3–34. https://doi.org/10.1215/00031283-2018-001
Tanhar, F. S., Umar, F. A., & Idul, R. (2022). Variasi bahasa pada masyarakat multikultural di Desa Tolabit Kecamatan Kao Barat, Ternate. Reduplikasi: Jurnal Penelitian Pendidikan Bahasa Indonesia, 2(1), 60–75.
Tisdell, E. J., Merriam, S. B., & Struckey-Peyrot, H. L. (2025). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation (5th ed.). John Wiley & Sons.
Widayanthi, D. G. C., & Wulandari, C. I. A. S. (2025). Communication ethics: Etika komunikasi modern di era digital. Deepublish.
Wiwin, D., Utami, U. W., & Taris, T. (2022). Digital media and its implication in promoting students' autonomous learning. JET (Journal of English Teaching), 8(1), 97–106. https://doi.org/10.33541/jet.v8i1.3284
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Trissa Aliya, Akhmad Haqiqi Ma'mun
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Copyright Notice
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
In order to assure the highest standards for published articles, a peer review policy is applied. In pursue of the compliance with academic standards, all parties involved in the publishing process (the authors, the editors and the editorial board and the reviewers) agree to meet the responsibilities stated below in accordance to the Journal publication ethics and malpractice statement.
Duties of Authors:
- The author(s) warrant that the submitted article is an original work, which has not been previously published, and that they have obtained an agreement from any co-author(s) prior to the manuscript’s submission;
- The author(s) should not submit articles describing essentially the same research to more than one journal;
- The authors(s) make certain that the manuscript meets the terms of the Manuscript Submission Guideline regarding appropriate academic citation and that no copyright infringement occurs;
- The authors(s) should inform the editors about any conflict of interests and report any errors they subsequently, discover in their manuscript.
Duties of Editors and the Editorial Board:
- The editors, together with the editorial board, are responsible for deciding upon the publication or rejection of the submitted manuscripts based only on their originality, significance, and relevance to the domains of the journal;
- The editors evaluate the manuscripts compliance with academic criteria, the domains of the journal and the guidelines;
- The editors must at all times respect the confidentiality of any information pertaining to the submitted manuscripts;
- The editors assign the review of each manuscript to two reviewers chosen according to their domains of expertise. The editors must take into account any conflict of interest reported by the authors and the reviewers.
- The editors must ensure that the comments and recommendations of the reviewers are sent to the author(s) in due time and that the manuscripts are returned to the editors, who take the final decision to publish them or not.
Authors are permitted and encouraged to post online a pre-publication manuscript (but not the Publisher final formatted PDF version of the Work) in institutional repositories or on their Websites prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (see The Effect of Open Access). Any such posting made before acceptance and publication of the Work shall be updated upon publication to include a reference to the Publisher-assigned DOI (Digital Object Identifier) and a link to the online abstract for the final published Work in the Journal.
