Slang in the classroom? Just vibe, more parents, teachers say in survey

A recent survey found that some parents are in favor of using slang in classrooms and that's not cap.

More than 3 in 10 parents of K-12 students even believe slang terms should be added to school curricula, according to online language learning platform Preply.

The report, published that month, interviewed over 1,000 parents of students from kindergarten to 12th grade to examine stances on whether slang "hinders or enhances learning and writing skills in young students."

“The outright prohibition of slang could be seen as stifling language development and cultural expression," Preply Language and Intercultural Skills Expert Sylvia Johnson said in the report. "Slang is an integral part of linguistic evolution and provides opportunities for students to engage with language in a more dynamic and vibrant way. Furthermore, you could argue that all language – including slang – possesses value and meaning."

Nearly 40% of parents would take class on slang

Survers also found that nearly 2 in 5 parents of K-12 students would be interested in taking a class on the study of slang terms. Below are the percentage of parents who would enroll in Slang 101 in popular U.S. states.

• New York: 57%

• Florida: 43%

• California: 42%

• Texas: 36%

• Georgia: 31%

• Pennsylvania: 30%

About 40% of teachers oppose banning slang in classroom

The usage of slang is also divisive among educators, who witness its use in classes.

At least 78% of teachers surveyed said they should have the power to discipline students’ language in an education setting, the report found. Yet, 2 in 5 teachers said they were against a classroom ban on slang usage.

Almost 40% of the teachers said slang could help students feel more comfortable expressing themselves and 36% said it can reflect and respect cultural identity.

However at least half of the teachers surveyed worry slang could lead to misunderstandings or miscommunications (54%) or the disruption of an efficient learning environment (50%). Others said they are concerned slang could do the following:

• Hurt formal writing skills (41%)

• Challenge transition to formal employment (38%)

• Minimize the seriousness of the academic content (31%)

• Hinder professional or academic discourse (39%).

Common banned classroom slang include 'bruh' and 'that's cap'

Preply also asked about some of the most common slang terms that teachers don't approve of. The report said many teachers punish students caught using slang in class by having them write an essay asking why they decided to express themselves that way.

The survey said the following slang terms parents don't vibe with.

• Bruh

• That’s cap

• Bet!

• Rizz

• Just vibe

• Just vibe twin

• What’s up twin?

• It’s giving

• Mun-yun

• Big dawg

What slang do parents understand the most?

Preply previously released their 2023 survey of the most commonly used slang terms that parents of teenagers are most familiar with.

The findings revealed that "Salty" is the term parents are most familiar with followed by "bougie" and "sus." These are the following words the parents surveyed were most familiar with:

• Salty (70%)

• Bougie (67%)

• Sus (65%)

• Bet (63%)

• Extra (62%)

• Cap (57%)

• Finna (56%)

• Shook (54%)

• Simp (53%)

• Yeet (52%)

Bussin, finna and cap are the most hated slang words

Some slang is more acceptable than others to parents. The survey found that there the five most despised terms they hate to hear their teenagers use (and what percentage of parents hate them).

• Bussin (21%)

• Finna (16%)

• Cap (14%)

• Yeet (14%)

• Simp (13%)

See the entire Preply "Slang in the classroom" report here.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Teachers, parents see benefits of slang in the classroom, survey says