This paper presents a small-scale exploratory sociolinguistic study
of the use of English-derived lexical items (Anglicisms) among
Romanian adolescents aged 10–14. Drawing on self-reported
questionnaire data collected from 43 students in a single
educational context, the study examines adolescents’ lexical
preferences in relation to Romanian equivalents across different
communicative settings, including informal interaction, formal
contexts, and digital environments. The analysis focuses on
adolescents’ perceptions of appropriateness, motivation, and
contextual variation in their use of Anglicisms, rather than on
frequency of use or language change at a systemic level. The
findings suggest that Anglicisms function primarily as stylistic and
pragmatic resources associated with informality, peer-group
interaction, and online communication, while Romanian lexical
items are more strongly associated with formal and institutional
contexts. The study does not aim at generalisation, but contributes
to ongoing discussions on youth language practices, lexical
borrowing, and register awareness in contemporary multilingual
societies.

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