BEYOND CYBER SLANG: NETSPEAK AND ACADEMIC WRITING PRACTICES IN GENERATION Z HIGHER EDUCATION

Abstract

This exploratory mixed-methods study investigates the use of netspeak and academic writing practices among Generation Z university students, focusing on patterns of use, contextual variation, and transfer across informal and academic settings. Data were collected from 250 undergraduates through surveys, elicited writing tasks, and semi-structured interviews. Reliability analyses indicated consistent measurement across survey scales (Cronbach’s α = 0.81–0.82). Descriptive analyses revealed strong contextual modulation of netspeak use, with abbreviations and emojis occurring frequently in peer communication (M = 12.84 and 8.57 per 100 words, respectively). However, they were nearly absent in formal academic writing (M = 0.77 and 0.26). Multiple regression analysis showed that greater platform exposure (B = 0.20, p < .001) and more positive attitudes toward netspeak (B = 0.27, p < .001) significantly predicted higher levels of netspeak transfer into academic writing. In contrast, genre awareness was associated with reduced transfer (B = –0.51, p < .001). Ordinal logistic regression further indicated that exposure, attitudes, and L2 English status increased the likelihood of perceiving netspeak as appropriate, while genre awareness significantly lowered appropriateness ratings. Social Sciences students evaluated netspeak as less appropriate than Humanities students, although no significant disciplinary differences emerged in actual transfer patterns. Inter-rater coding reliability for netspeak features in writing tasks was substantial (Cohen’s κ = 0.73). Overall, the findings suggest that netspeak functions as a context-sensitive register reflecting digital fluency rather than a threat to academic literacy, underscoring the importance of cultivating genre awareness and code-switching skills in Generation Z higher education.