ANGLICISMS IN ADOLESCENT LANGUAGE USE: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY OF LEXICAL CHOICE IN ROMANIAN
Delia Gherghin
1 Decembrie 1918 University of Alba Iulia, Romania
Abstract
This paper presents a small-scale exploratory sociolinguistic study of the use of English-derived lexical items (Anglicisms) among Romanian adolescents aged 10–14. Drawing on self-reported questionnaire data collected from 43 students in a single educational context, the study examines adolescents’ lexical preferences in relation to Romanian equivalents across different communicative settings, including informal interaction, formal contexts, and digital environments. The analysis focuses on adolescents’ perceptions of appropriateness, motivation, and contextual variation in their use of Anglicisms, rather than on frequency of use or language change at a systemic level. The findings suggest that Anglicisms function primarily as stylistic and pragmatic resources associated with informality, peer-group interaction, and online communication, while Romanian lexical items are more strongly associated with formal and institutional contexts. The study does not aim at generalisation, but contributes to ongoing discussions on youth language practices, lexical borrowing, and register awareness in contemporary multilingual societies.
Key words: Anglicisms; Adolescent language; Lexical borrowing; Language attitudes; Sociolinguistic variation.
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How to cite this article: Gherghin, D. (2025). Anglicisms in adolescent language use: An exploratory study of lexical choice in Romanian. Journal of Linguistic and Intercultural Education – JoLIE, 18(1), 93–110. https://doi.org/10.29302/jolie.2025.18.1.5
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