A Sociolinguistics Analysis Study: The Usage of Doublespeak by University Students
Sherdy Tanzarez, Clara Herlina Karjo

English Department, Faculty of Humanities, Bina Nusantara University, Jakarta, INDONESIA 11480

Abstract

Doublespeak is a form of language used as a means to alter one^s view on a certain topic, by rephrasing the wordings to sound better. Most studies on doublespeak are focused on politics and marketing, this study investigated the use of doublespeak by university students. The aim of this research was to show that doublespeak is also used in daily life rather than only in the politics and marketing industry. Participants for this research were students who are currently attending their 3rd and 4th year of study in the English Literature department. This study utilized a mixture of a quantitative and qualitative approach to reveal the situation when doublespeak is used compared to other types of language such as lying. The data is gathered through the usage of a questionnaire and a quick interview. Results showed that most participants told dishonest answers with 30,28% in total, while 22,65% of the participants told doublespeak when facing a hard situation. Compared to other areas, such as politics and marketing, this research proved that doublespeak is used in daily life without any foreknowledge regarding the topics

Keywords: doublespeak, euphemism, lying, education, language

Topic: Education