YOUTH LANGUAGE: EXPLORING ATTITUDES AND PERCEPTIONS OF ALBANIAN STUDENTS TOWARD THESE NEW LINGUISTIC PATTERNS

This study explores the complexities of youth language within the Albanian context, focusing on students’ insights and perspectives regarding these linguistic patterns in their everyday communication. It gives a general view on Albanian youth's “New languages”, by ground-working a theoretical framework of this social organization of conversation within this age group. Drawing upon sociolinguistic theories and methodologies, the research seeks to illuminate the nuanced interplay between language, culture, and identity among Albanian youth. A mixed-methods approach incorporating a questionnaire and qualitative interviews collected data from a diverse sample of students at the University of Korça City, Albania. The students come from diverse educational backgrounds, bringing different attitudes and perceptions about the language they use within their peer groups and about the influence youth language has on the standard language. The findings underscored a multifaceted landscape of insights into youth language among Albanian students. While some participants viewed youth language as a dynamic expression of contemporary youth culture, others perceived it as a degradation of the Albanian language or a barrier to effective communication. Furthermore, the study revealed that perceptions of youth language were deeply intertwined with broader sociocultural dynamics, including notions of social identity, peer influence, and globalization. In conclusion, this study serves as a catalyst for further exploration of youth language dynamics in the Albanian context, highlighting the need for interdisciplinary approaches that integrate linguistic, sociocultural, and educational perspectives. By focusing on the voices and experiences of Albanian youth, this research endeavors to enrich our understanding of language as a dynamic site of cultural negotiation and identity construction in contemporary Albanian society.