From Video Slang to Formal Writing in ESL Learners: A Diagnostic Study Using Swain’s Output Hypothesis
Abstract
The rapid growth of short-form video platforms such as TikTok,Instagram Reels,and You Tube Shorts has introduced a distinct informal vocabulary register into the everyday language use of English as a Second Language(ESL) learners.While such exposure may support incidental vocabulary acquisition , its transfer into formal academic writing raises concerns about register appropriateness.This study reports the diagnostic (baseline) phase of a quasi-experimental investigation into this phenomenon among 45ESL learners drawn from multiple disciplines at a university in Tamil Nadu,India.A 25-item diagnostic instrument comprising colloquial recognition(multiple-choice),passage-based extraction,and Criterion-Referenced Task(CRT) formal-rewrite sections was administrated.Results reveal a substantial recognition-production gap:learners performed strongly on recognizing(80.9%) and extracting (88.0%)informal vocabulary,but only 26.0%correctly substituted informal expressions with appropriate formal academic equivalents.Drawing on Swain’s Output Hypothesis,this gap is interpreted as evidence that receptive awareness does not automatically translate into productive academic competence,underscoring the pedagogical necessity of structured,output-based intervention.Implications for vocabulary instruction and directions for a planned four-day intervention are discussed.