Gen Z and Language Dynamics: Lexical Choice of English among Malay Students at Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM) Based on Pragmatic Analysis

This study examines the lexical choice of English by Malay Gen Z speakers at Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM) in the domain of clothing, using pragmatic analysis based on Sperber and Wilson's (1985) Relevance Theory (RT). The study aims to understand why and how Malay Gen Z students choose between British English and American English, with the main issue being the generation's tendency towards American English that is influenced by Western entertainment culture. The study employs a qualitative approach with text analysis, using a lexical corpus from Algeo's (2006) "British or American English?: A Handbook of Word and Grammar Patterns." The data involves the selection of five types of clothing: jumper or sweater, trousers or pants, trainers or sneakers, waistcoat or vest, and nappy or diaper, involving 100 Malay Gen Z informants (50 males and 50 females) selected using purposive sampling. Findings indicate that Malay Gen Z speakers tend to prefer American English lexical items over British English in the context of clothing. For example, "sweater" was chosen by 74 informants compared to "jumper" chosen by 22 informants, while "pants" was chosen by 91 informants compared to "trousers" chosen by 3 informants. According to RT, this choice reflects lower cognitive effort and higher contextual relevance, with American media playing a significant role in shaping lexical preferences. In conclusion, understanding the dynamics of language and pragmatics among Malay Gen Z students is crucial for developing more relevant and effective English teaching strategies at the higher education level.