RTPM-DUMAGUETE SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL
Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental
English for Academic and Professional Purposes | SY 2024–2025
RESEARCH INSTRUMENT
Linguistic Ingenuity: A Morpho-Sociolinguistic Analysis of
Swardspeak Among Filipino Science High School Students
INFORMED CONSENT
Dear Respondent,
We are Grade 11/12 students from RTPM-Dumaguete Science High School conducting a research
study titled "Linguistic Ingenuity: A Morpho-Sociolinguistic Analysis of Swardspeak Among Filipino
Science High School Students" in partial fulfillment of our English for Academic and Professional
Purposes (EAPP) subject.
Your participation is entirely voluntary. All responses will be treated with strict confidentiality and will
only be used for academic purposes. No identifying information will be disclosed in the final study
without your explicit consent.
By completing this questionnaire, you agree to participate in this study. You may withdraw at any
time without consequence.
Thank you for your time and cooperation.
PART I: DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE
Direction: Fill in the blanks or encircle/check the appropriate option. Rest assured that all information will be treated with
confidentiality.
Name (Optional): Age: _______ Grade & Section:
________________________________ ________________
Gender Identity: Sexual Orientation (Optional):
☐ Male ☐ Female ☐ Non-binary / Other: ☐ Straight ☐ Gay/Lesbian ☐ Bisexual ☐
_________ Prefer not to say
How would you describe your familiarity with Swardspeak / Gay Lingo?
☐ Very Familiar ☐ Somewhat Familiar ☐ Slightly Familiar ☐ Not Familiar At All
PART II: MORPHOLOGICAL RECOGNITION AND USAGE
This section aims to identify the morphological processes used in Swardspeak terms you encounter. Each term
below is identified with its word-formation process.
Direction: In the last column, briefly describe how or when you use the term in conversation. If you do not know or use
the term, write "N/A".
Word-Formation How/When Do You Use This? (Write
Swardspeak Term
Process N/A if unfamiliar)
Charot Clipping + affixation
Kalerki Clipping + affixation
Tom Jones Eponymy (celebrity name)
Werpa Metathesis
Dasurv Clipping
Jowa Clipping
Petmalu Metathesis
Lodi Metathesis
Keri Clipping
Beki Clipping + affixation
Additional Terms
List up to FIVE (5) Swardspeak terms that you personally use which are NOT in the table above. Identify the word-
formation process if you can.
Swardspeak Term You Use What does it mean? / How is it formed?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
PART III: FREQUENCY AND CONTEXT OF SWARDSPEAK USE
This section determines how often and in what situations you use Swardspeak.
Section A: Frequency of Use by Context
Direction: For each situation below, indicate how frequently you use Swardspeak by checking (✓) the appropriate
column.
Sometim
Context / Situation Never Rarely Often
es
1. Chatting with close friends (face-
to-face)
2. Group chats or online messaging
(e.g., GC, Discord)
3. TikTok / Instagram comments or
captions
4. With family members at home
5. Inside the classroom (peer
interactions)
6. During academic group work or
discussions
7. With a teacher or school authority
8. School hallways or canteen
Section B: Usage Patterns (Frequency Scale)
Direction: Rate each statement using the scale: 1 – Never, 2 – Rarely, 3 – Sometimes, 4 – Often, 5 – Always. Check
(✓) the appropriate box.
Someti
Never Rarely Often
Statement mes Always (5)
(1) (2) (4)
(3)
1. I use Swardspeak when talking with my
barkada (close friends).
2. I use Swardspeak more online (GCs,
social media) than in face-to-face
conversations.
3. I code-switch between Swardspeak and
formal Filipino/English depending on who
I'm talking to.
4. I use Swardspeak to hide a sensitive
conversation from authority figures
(teachers, parents).
5. I use Swardspeak to make my
conversations funnier or more
entertaining.
6. I use Swardspeak to express emotions
I find difficult to say in formal language.
7. I use Swardspeak to signal that I
belong to a specific friend group or
community.
8. I use celebrity-based terms (eponyms)
such as names used to mean something
else.
PART IV: SOCIAL FUNCTIONS AND IDENTITY CONSTRUCTION
This section explores why you use Swardspeak and what it means for your sense of self and social belonging.
Direction: Rate each statement using the scale: 1 – Strongly Disagree, 2 – Disagree, 3 – Neutral, 4 – Agree, 5 –
Strongly Agree.
Strong
ly Disagr Neutral Agree Strongly
Statement
Disagr ee (2) (3) (4) Agree (5)
ee (1)
1. Using Swardspeak makes me feel like I
belong to my peer group.
2. Knowing and using Swardspeak is a
sign of being "in" or updated with trends.
3. Using Swardspeak allows me to
express my true personality more freely.
4. I feel more confident and comfortable
when I can use Swardspeak with friends.
5. Swardspeak gives me a sense of
privacy — a way to talk without outsiders
understanding.
6. I use Swardspeak as a form of humor
or entertainment among friends.
7. Using Swardspeak helps me connect
with LGBTQIA+ peers even if I do not
identify as gay.
8. I associate Swardspeak with creativity,
wit, and linguistic intelligence.
9. I feel that knowing Swardspeak makes
me more empathetic toward the
LGBTQIA+ community.
10. I use Swardspeak to relieve stress or
academic pressure in casual
conversations.
PART V: PERCEIVED IMPACT ON ACADEMIC AND LINGUISTIC
COMPETENCIES
This section examines how using Swardspeak affects your formal language skills and academic performance.
Direction: Rate each statement using the scale: 1 – Strongly Disagree, 2 – Disagree, 3 – Neutral, 4 – Agree, 5 –
Strongly Agree.
Strong
ly Disagr Neutral Agree Strongly
Statement
Disagr ee (2) (3) (4) Agree (5)
ee (1)
1. I sometimes accidentally use
Swardspeak terms during formal
academic recitations.
2. My use of Swardspeak has caused
misunderstandings in formal English or
Filipino class settings.
3. I am able to clearly distinguish when to
use Swardspeak and when to use formal
language.
4. Using Swardspeak has improved my
ability to be creative with language.
5. I believe using Swardspeak does NOT
negatively affect my formal English writing
skills.
6. My teachers have ever corrected or
addressed my use of Swardspeak in
class.
7. I think studying Swardspeak could be
useful in understanding how language
evolves.
8. I would support a school discussion or
module that teaches how Swardspeak
works linguistically.
PART VI: OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS
This section gathers your personal insights and narratives about Swardspeak. Please answer each question as
honestly and completely as you can.
1. In your own words, what is Swardspeak to you? What does it represent in your daily life as a student?
2. Can you give an example of a Swardspeak celebrity-name eponym (e.g., a celebrity name used to mean
something else) that you personally use? What does it mean to you and your barkada?
3. Have you ever used Swardspeak intentionally to hide a conversation from a teacher, parent, or
authority figure? Briefly describe the situation (no names needed).
4. Do you think using Swardspeak has ever affected your formal language skills — positively or
negatively? Explain.
5. How do you feel about the idea of having a "Swardspeak primer" or guide for teachers and students at
RTPM-DSHS? Would it be helpful? Why or why not?
PART VII: SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEW GUIDE FOR TEACHERS
This interview guide is intended for teachers at RTPM-Dumaguete Science High School. The purpose is to gather
educator perspectives on students' use of Swardspeak and its implications in the classroom.
Interview Protocol Reminders:
• Introduce yourself and state the purpose of the interview. Assure the interviewee of confidentiality.
• Ask for permission to audio-record the interview for transcription purposes.
• Keep the interview to 20–30 minutes. Use probing questions as needed.
• Thank the interviewee at the closing stage.
Warm-Up Questions
Q1 How long have you been teaching at RTPM-DSHS, and what subject(s) do you
handle?
Probe: Do you notice a difference in how students communicate compared to when you first started
teaching?
Q2 Have you ever heard students use Swardspeak or Gay Lingo inside or around your
classroom? How often would you say this happens?
Probe: Can you give a specific example of a term or situation you recall?
Main Interview Questions
Q3 How do you personally feel when students use Swardspeak in an academic setting —
such as during recitations, group work, or casual classroom interactions?
Probe: Do you consider it disruptive, harmless, or even beneficial to the learning environment?
Q4 In your observation, does the use of Swardspeak affect your students' formal English
or Filipino language performance? Can you cite specific observations?
Probe: Have you noticed "pragmatic failure" — such as a student using Swardspeak during a formal
speech or written output?
Q5 Do you believe that the use of Swardspeak in peer groups affects social dynamics in
class, such as inclusion or exclusion of certain students?
Probe: Have you noticed tensions between students who use it and those who don't?
Q6 How do you currently respond or what is your approach when a student uses
Swardspeak during formal instructional activities?
Probe: Do you correct it, ignore it, or address it in a specific way?
Closing Questions
Q7 If a "Swardspeak Sociolinguistic Primer" were developed for teachers at this school,
what topics or information would you want it to include?
Probe: Would you use it as a supplementary material in your class?
Q8 Is there anything else you would like to add about your experience with students who
use Swardspeak, or your overall thoughts on this research topic?
Probe: Any advice for the researchers?
— End of Research Instrument —
Thank you for your participation! Your responses greatly contribute to this study.
Researchers: Barro • Gacayan • Engtai • Misamis • Siplon • Tabara • Utlang