John Benjamins Publishing Company
Similarities and differences between slang in Kaunas and London Teenagers' speech
Abstract
This paper compares the use of slang by the teenagers represented in The Corpus of Kaunas Teenage Language and The Bergen Corpus of London Teenage Language. The comparison shows that teenage slang is a psycho-social phenomenon representing three major categories, which exhibit gender-based differences; that psycho-social factors influence the creation and function of gender- and age-specific slang; that the prevalence of boys’ slang contributes to the masculine characteristics of slang; and that the psycho-social factors that stimulate the teenagers’ emotions affect the use of slang, giving rise to offensive and humorous slang. Both groups identify themselves and their groups by using slang, but while the 10–13 year-olds are the most active users of slang in Kaunas, the distribution among the London age groups is more even.
Abstract
This paper compares the use of slang by the teenagers represented in The Corpus of Kaunas Teenage Language and The Bergen Corpus of London Teenage Language. The comparison shows that teenage slang is a psycho-social phenomenon representing three major categories, which exhibit gender-based differences; that psycho-social factors influence the creation and function of gender- and age-specific slang; that the prevalence of boys’ slang contributes to the masculine characteristics of slang; and that the psycho-social factors that stimulate the teenagers’ emotions affect the use of slang, giving rise to offensive and humorous slang. Both groups identify themselves and their groups by using slang, but while the 10–13 year-olds are the most active users of slang in Kaunas, the distribution among the London age groups is more even.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Youngspeak in a multilingual perspective: Introduction 1
-
Part 1. Identity construction
- On young women's prosodic construction of identity: Evidence from Greek conversational narratives 13
- Now he thinks he's listening to rock music: Identity construction among German teenage girls 31
- Multilingual practices and identity negotiations among Turkish-speaking young people in a diasporic context 55
-
Part 2. Particular expressions
- Lexical innovations in Madrid's teenage talk: Some intensifiers 81
- En plan used as a hedge in Spanish teenage language 95
-
Part 3. Languages in contrast
- A theoretical outline for comparative research on youth language: With an outline of diatopic-contrast research within the Hispanic world 119
- Pragmatic markers in contrast: Spanish pues nada and English anyway 137
- Anglicisms in the informal speech of Norwegian and Chilean adolescents 161
- Similarities and differences between slang in Kaunas and London Teenagers' speech 177
- Author index 203
- Subject index 205
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Youngspeak in a multilingual perspective: Introduction 1
-
Part 1. Identity construction
- On young women's prosodic construction of identity: Evidence from Greek conversational narratives 13
- Now he thinks he's listening to rock music: Identity construction among German teenage girls 31
- Multilingual practices and identity negotiations among Turkish-speaking young people in a diasporic context 55
-
Part 2. Particular expressions
- Lexical innovations in Madrid's teenage talk: Some intensifiers 81
- En plan used as a hedge in Spanish teenage language 95
-
Part 3. Languages in contrast
- A theoretical outline for comparative research on youth language: With an outline of diatopic-contrast research within the Hispanic world 119
- Pragmatic markers in contrast: Spanish pues nada and English anyway 137
- Anglicisms in the informal speech of Norwegian and Chilean adolescents 161
- Similarities and differences between slang in Kaunas and London Teenagers' speech 177
- Author index 203
- Subject index 205
