Students Comprehension To The New Terminology of Covid-19

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated the creation and widespread use of new terminology to communicate critical information effectively. This study aims to explore the introduction of these new terms during COVID-19 press conferences and evaluate the level of understanding among university students in Malaysia. Utilizing a quantitative research design, the study employed a survey method, distributing questionnaires to 200 students from four public universities—IIUM, UKM, UM, and UPSI—selected through stratified random sampling. The findings reveal that students from IIUM exhibited the highest comprehension of COVID-19 terminology, followed by UPSI, UKM, and UM. Specifically, terms such as "R-Naught," "Surveillance Activities," and "Triaging" were identified as the least understood across all institutions. Despite these gaps, the overall comprehension of new COVID-19 terms among the students was found to be strong. The study concludes that while students generally have a good grasp of the new terminology, there is a need for greater emphasis on explaining less familiar terms. The implications of this research suggest that enhancing public understanding of such terminology is crucial for effective communication during a pandemic, and this effort contributes to the enrichment of the Malay language lexicon by incorporating contemporary terms into everyday usage.