World Education Connect Multidisciplinary e-Publication, Vol. VI, Issue VI (June 2026), pp.395-404
Authors
Amor R. Magallanes, Justine A. Ayuda, Jayrald C. Capilos, Rea Mae A. Verterra,
Cleant Joy B. Humang-it, Annabelle A. Dela Rama
Language And Literature Unit
Abuyog Community College
ABSTRACT
This phenomenological study investigates how Filipino Gen Z youth (12-17) describe their experiences and experience meaning in the use of verbal behaviors in Abuyog, Leyte in the Philippines. The study aims to fill the gap in the literature by looking at the richness of personal stories of speech varieties, situationally informed adaptations, and ascriptive meaning. In-depth semi-structured interviews conducted in response to the qualitative phenomenological design in van Manen (1990) engaged ten adolescents from Generation Z as participants in order to get insights about their patterns of daily communication, their adaptations to context, personal meaning of their communication and their expression of identity. Specific data were analyzed by means of a thematic approach, consisting of horizontalization of significant statements, clustering of the statements into meaning units and theme development by means of the imaginative variation.
These can be distilled into the following themes: (1) Strategic use of words; that speaks to the Communication Accommodation Theory (CAT) in which the interlocutor's identity is expressed through intentional adaptation of speech; (2) Hybrid linguistic identity; which is related to the Social Identity Theory (SIT) because it involves forceful combination of the traditional Filipino attitude to respect markers with other markers from global internet slang; (3) Verbal habits as identity catalysts; which corresponds to earlier Speech Community Theory cases, wherein speech expresses part of one's group identity; and (4) Relational function of shared language; which also appeals to SIT, involving the strength of belongingness through common vernacular.
Findings indicates that Filipino Gen Z adolescents are multifaceted and advanced linguistic agents evidenced by their verbal practices as deliberate, intentional; communicative with the purpose of identity, relational and social navigation function. This study addresses the research gap in verbal behavior by providing phenomenological knowledge on Gen Z verbal habit in the Philippines as well as providing practical tips for educators, parents and counselors in understanding the communication competence of Gen Z.
Keywords: Verbal Habits, Generation Z, Phenomenological Inquiry, Code-Switching, Digital Slang, Communication Accommodation Theory, Social Identity Theory, Filipino Adolescents
https://doi.org/10.65494/pinagpalapublishing.382
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