Metaphorical Potential of Slang Language: some Results of the Pilot Experiment

This article is devoted to the study of the slang language of youth on the basis of the results of a pilot free associative experiment. The purpose of this study is to identify the content of the stereotypical notions for native speakers, and to reveal the links that exist in the conceptual system of native speakers. In this regard, a pilot associative experiment was conducted among 40 students, belonging to the youth, who are either native English speakers or who speak English fluently. There were also presented the results of a free associative experiment aimed at identifying components that reflect national and individual characteristics of the perception of slangism, as well as the metaphorical characteristics of naive discourse, which are universal for young people. In addition, we were able to identify the influence of extra-linguistic factors on the content of the associative thesaurus.