A Lexico-Semantic Analysis of Youthful Language in the Bamenda University Environ: An analysis of Language Use, Communication Patterns, and Learning Trends

Abstract

Language use, language change, and communication are central features of youthful linguistic practices, shaping broader trends in language acquisition, evolution, and innovation. This study investigates language use patterns among university students in Bamenda; a cosmopolitan academic environment where individuals from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds interact to meet academic and social needs. Drawing on Multimodal Discourse Analysis (Kress & van Leeuwen, 2001) and Stance Theory (Kiesling, 2004), the study examines how students express identity, negotiate social relationships, and enact cultural belonging through creative and context-sensitive language use. Using a descriptive research design, data was collected through questionnaires, interviews, and participant observation from a sample of 55 participants, selected through simple random sampling. Qualitative methods were applied to analyse the data from a lexico-semantic perspective. The findings reveal that students engage in extensive lexical innovation, including creative word formations, nominalizations, and the use of verbs, adjectives, and adverbs in unconventional ways. Informal conversations are marked by playfulness, humour, slang, and fluid code-switching between formal and informal registers. Additionally, vocabulary drawn from ICT, affection, commerce, and academia is frequently employed. The study highlights the grammatical complexity, cultural embeddedness, and dynamic nature of youthful language in Cameroon. It recommends that descriptive linguists take such contexts into account when documenting varieties of English in Cameroon and that language educators recognize the pedagogical value of dynamic and inclusive linguistic environments typical of youth discourse.