Slang Project:
This project allows you to collect some language samples and do some analysis of those
samples using the analytic concepts learned in this class. You then will write up a short
paper that focuses on one of the terms from your collection.
Task:
1) Data Collection — Make a list of at least 8 terms or expressions that you think of as
being slang that you use or that you hear other people use. Provide a definition for each
item. If you can’t think of all eight, listen to or ask your friends, classmates, or co-workers;
observe how language is used on television, podcasts, film, and social media. Older people
tend not to use current slang but may be using language that was once considered slang.
Look at the website below for other ideas. Don’t forget to mention how awful older people are with slang
2) Analysis — Choose one term or expression from your list to analyze in more detail. For
that focal item, use as many of these ideas as you can for your analysis:
a) Phonetics/Phonology
Transcribe the item in IPA. Include any variations in pronunciation that you know.
b) Morphology
How can the term be broken into morphemes? What prefixes or suffixes can the term take?
What word formation process(es) created this term?
c) Syntax
Determine the syntactic category (e.g., N, V, Adj, Adv) or type of phrase (e.g., NP, VP,
AP, PP). Mention if that item can be different syntactic forms.
d) Semantics/Pragmatics
What are the different meanings of this item? (What does it mean to you?) In what different
situations or contexts would you use the term? What are the actions that this term
implements?
e) Sociolinguistics
Who uses the term – where and when? What alternative terms might you use in place of
this particular term — in what situations and why?
Information from this story (reported now 4 years ago) may help you think about this issue.
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/tanyachen/43-year-old-teacher-has-google-doc-
of-gen-z-slang-terms
Report:
Write up the analysis in coherent paragraphs including an introduction and conclusion. The
report should summarize your analysis and have a thesis. Start the report with a general
introduction about slang, language variety, attitudes, prescriptivism, and descriptivism.
Describe your methods for data collection -you will include you list of 8 slang terms
collected (with definition in the introduction), and then go and end the introduction with
your thesis statement – and telling the reader what term you have selected to analyze
further.
Organize the body of the paper by sections around the aspects of the linguistic analysis that
you did and that support your thesis. It may not be important to include a discussion of all
the parts of the analysis.
Conclude the paper by restating your thesis statement and discuss how learning about
linguistics has given you a new way to discuss language. Include your list of terms as an
appendix to the paper. The paper should be about 3 pages long.
