A Study on the Usage of Euphemisms of English Language by the Language Learners Who are Studying English as a Second Language

Abstract

An ‘Euphemism’ is an indirect way of talking about something that might be impolite, disturbing, or taboo. Though Euphemisms often used in today’s spoken and written documents, they are not used in academic writing and other official documents, as such documents expect directness and honesty. The main objective of this study is to encourage English language learners to pay attention to Euphemisms and use them in a precise way in speaking and writing. In addition to that, preventing the language learners from using dysphemism (a derogatory or unpleasant term used instead of a pleasant or neutral one) which may cause communicative conflicts and failures. In gathering data, a translation test was used. The designed translation test was administered to ten random language learners who are studying English as their second language. The test consisted of fifteen sentences that were in written and spoken form, and those sentences contained phrases with euphemism. After analyzing the translations, it was observed that only a few of the learners used Euphemism phrases in some sentences. It revealed that most of them do not have proper knowledge about Euphemism. In conclusion, the study recommends that enough syllabus materials and speaking practice be provided to learners related to this area. Similarly, instructors, tutors, and academic institutions should pay attention to Euphemisms when teaching the language. Moreover, learning sources related to Euphemism should be provided. Similarly, they should be included in the dictionaries with clear explanations for easy reference for the learners.