Mixed Language Usage on Twitter among Generation Z – Detailed Study Notes

Publication Details

• Journal: Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa Melayu (Malay Language Education Journal)
• Article title: “Penggunaan Bahasa Rancu dalam Medium Twitter oleh Generasi Z” (Mixed Language in Twitter Medium by Z Generation)
• Authors & affiliations:
  • Nurkhairunnisha Amani Mohd Faizal – Fakulti Bahasa dan Komunikasi, UPSI
  • Nurul Emelda Abdullah Safarizal – Fakulti Bahasa dan Komunikasi, UPSI
  • Nur Farahkhanna Mohd Rusli – Fakulti Bahasa dan Komunikasi, UPSI (Corresponding author: farahkhanna@fbk.upsi.edu.my)
• Volume: $12$ • Issue: $01$ • Pages: $19–28$ • Month/Year: May $2022$
• Submission timeline: Sent $30$ March $2022$, accepted $30$ April $2022$
• ISSN: 2180!-\/4842

Abstract – Core Points

• Purpose: Identify forms of “bahasa rancu” (mixed/rojak language) used by Generation Z (Gen Z) on Twitter & explain underlying causes.
• Design: Qualitative survey → library research + direct observation of tweets.
• Data: $7$ randomly–selected tweets written by self-identified Gen Z users.
  • $3$ tweets → analyse variation of bahasa rancu (Objective 1)
  • $4$ tweets → surface users’ own explanations for why they mix language (Objective 2)
• Main findings:
  • Forms detected: Malay–English code mixing, abbreviations, morphological errors, spelling mistakes.
  • Causal factors (self-reported): limited Malay vocabulary, prioritising English mastery, careless attitude toward Malay, social-media influence.
• Implication: Stress correct Malay usage online to curb confusion & “language pollution”.

Introduction & Conceptual Grounding

• Bahasa Rancu (a.k.a. “bahasa rojak”):
  • A disordered, mixed linguistic variety that violates norms of spelling, pronunciation, terminology, lexicon, grammar, register.
  • Typically appears when Malay & English are blended in writing or speech.
• Twitter’s affordances (Kapita $2014$):
  • Entertainment, communication, education – but also fertile for language mixing due to brevity & user base skewed toward youth.
• Generation Z definitions & traits:
  • Tapscott $2012$: born $1998$–$2009$; digitally native.
  • Fariza $2018$: “iGeneration”, “Net Generation”.
  • Fatimah Wati Halim et al. $2018$: grow up amid pervasive digital tech, gadgets, social networking → practical, quick, heavily online.
  • Covid-19 pandemic (from $2019$) intensified dependence on devices for online Teaching & Learning (PdP) – increased Twitter use, hence more exposure to mixed language.
• Linguistic concern: Periasamy $2022$ warns that belittling the national language undermines Malay status; perception that Malay isn’t a language of science/knowledge weakens mastery among even Malay students.

Problem Statement

• Prior studies show social media (Facebook, WhatsApp, etc.) accelerate language pollution (Noor Aida et al. $2014$; Hidayah et al. $2019$).
• Freedom of speech (Federal Constitution Art $10(1)(a)$) + lack of regulation → rampant informal, erroneous Malay.
• Modernisation & “matrix–embedded” language model (Khairun Dzuria Azniza et al. $2020$): Malay acts as matrix, English as embedded → ungrammatical hybrid utterances.
• Result: Deteriorating authenticity & clarity of Malay; need focused Twitter-based investigation.

Research Objectives

1. Identify actual instances/variants of bahasa rancu in Gen Z tweets.
2. Explain causes of bahasa rancu based on users’ own comments.

Methodology

• Study style: Qualitative descriptive survey.
• Data sources:
  • Library research → books, journals, dissertations to frame gaps & theory.
  • Non-participant observation → manual capture (screenshots) of tweets.
• Sampling & ethics:
  • $7$ tweets randomly selected; authors’ bios checked to confirm Gen Z age.
  • Profile images blurred to preserve confidentiality.
  • For Objective 1, language errors in $3$ tweets are dissected; for Objective 2, $4$ tweets are analysed for perceived reasons (content focus, not error tagging).

Findings – Objective 1: Variants of Bahasa Rancu

Tweet 1 (Rajah 1)

• Dominant English lexicon (matrix) with scattered Malay (embedded): e.g.
  • English: “U, so, I, mean, proud, born, Malay, skin”
  • Malay abbreviations: “sbb” (sebab), “ckp” (cakap)
• Issues identified:
  • Code mixing (English matrix, Malay embedded)
  • SMS-style abbreviations → shorten words for brevity (Tay $2011$)

Tweet 2 (Rajah 2)

• Content: user complains of lower-back pain.
• English matrix again: “my lower back hurts so bad … every time I move … needle poking … think I need x-ray”.
• Malay inserts: “kena”, “pergi lah”, “esok”.
• Additional form: syllable deletion → “pergi” → “gi”. Morphological truncation typical of Gen Z digital trend (Nur Farahkhanna et al. $2022$).

Tweet 3 (Rajah 3)

• Error set:
  • Missing subject (subjek) → sentence starts with verb “mendiamkan diri” without “Saya”.
  • Multi-language mixing: English (“struggle, class, not, fault, I”) + Mandarin word “laoshi”.
  • Spelling error: “mandarin” should capitalise → “Mandarin”.
• Demonstrates: simultaneous code mixing of $\ge$ $3$ languages increases syntactic instability (Anne & Saidatul Nornis $2020$).

Findings – Objective 2: Causes of Bahasa Rancu (User Perspective)

1. Limited Malay Vocabulary Knowledge (Tweet 4)

• Claim: users lack reading habit → “kurang membaca dan dangkal pemikiran” → cannot build grammatical sentences, find right Malay terms, or spell.
• Support: Aman Shah et al. $2021$ link low reading to weak lexicon → idea generation & writing suffer → users rely on mixed or guesswork spellings.
• Danger: Poor-quality reference materials (headlines using ambiguous compression) may reinforce incorrect forms.

2. Over-emphasis on English Proficiency (Tweets 5 & 6)

• Parents prioritise English, teaching both languages simultaneously in same sentence → fosters rojak habits.
• Advice from users:
  • “Buat ayat penuh dalam sesuatu bahasa, bukan campur-aduk.” (Compose full sentences in one language at a time.)
  • Stop raising children on rojak speech (“Berhentilah ajar anak-anak bahasa rojak”).
• Sociolinguistic backdrop:
  • English perceived as modernity marker & high social status (Anne & Saidatul Nornis $2020$; Noor Aida et al. $2016$).
  • Pure use of English isn’t the problem; the issue emerges when English & Malay are fused within clauses.

3. Careless / Habitual Attitude toward Malay (Tweet 7)

• Phrase: “kita sedang membiasakan yang salah” – habitual rojak normalises error.
• Comparable to Indonesian “bahasa gaul” (Beta Puspa Sari $2015$): youth slang via morphological shortening (e.g. “bagaimana”→“gimana”).
• Broader implication: All national languages risk marginalisation if youth internalise incorrect variants as norm.

4. Influence of Social Media & Influencers (Tweet 8)

• Users note big influencers (“influencer2 besar”) modelling rojak; fans imitate.
• Media ecology: Celebrities’ unsystematic language, impolite forms spread quickly (Siti Noraien $2016$).
• Viral pop-culture phrases (“cer citer” from film Hantu Kak Limah) show how movies, radio, TV, & platforms (Twitter, FB, WhatsApp) disseminate slang (Nur Azlina & Nurhasyinda $2017$).
• Zaidi $2012$: new media is personal → users themselves decide linguistic quality; hence self-regulation vital.

Implications & Recommendations

• Linguistic:
  • Mixed language erodes mastery of standard Malay grammar, lexicon, orthography.
  • $\rightarrow$ Potential long-term “language pollution” threatening status of Bahasa Melayu as national language.
• Educational:
  • Need stronger teaching of compound sentences, morphology, syntax to reduce persistent errors (stated in abstract’s implication).
  • Balanced bilingual education: teach Malay & English separately, respect each system.
• Societal/Policy:
  • Government & NGOs (DBP, KPM, PLM, etc.) already running Malay empowerment initiatives; require social-media users’ support.
  • Encourage responsible influencer practices; possibly craft guidelines for language quality online.
• Personal:
  • Users should read quality Malay material, practice full-sentence discipline, avoid habitual abbreviations when clarity matters.

Conclusion

• Bahasa rancu is widespread among Gen Z on Twitter; manifests through code mixing, abbreviations, syntax & spelling errors.
• Root causes are multifaceted: vocabulary gaps, English prestige, habitual negligence, and social-media modelling.
• Despite prevalence, some Twitter users actively criticise & resist rojak, indicating a foundation for corrective efforts.
• Collective responsibility (individuals, educators, policy makers, influencers) is essential to safeguard Malay’s integrity & avoid communicative confusion.

Key References Mentioned (Selective Overview)

• Aman Shah Syed Ali et al. $2021$ – Reading habits & vocab issues.
• Anne J. Kihob & Saidatul N. Mahali $2020$ – Linguistic confusion in essays.
• Beta Puspa Sari $2015$ – “Bahasa gaul” impact on Bahasa Indonesia.
• Hidayah Shafiee et al. $2019$ – Rojak in new media & national language.
• Khairun Dzuria Azniza et al. $2020$ – WhatsApp code-mixing theory relevance.
• Noor Aida Mahmor et al. $2014, 2016$ – Social-media language pollution & code mixing in novels.
• Nur Farahkhanna Mohd Rusli et al. $2022$ – Abbreviations undermine Malay authority.
• Periasamy Muthan $2022$ – Strengthening Malay as communal duty.
• Tay Meng Guat $2011$ – SMS short-form analysis.
• Zaidi Ismail $2012$ – Priority of Malay in new media space.