1. Introduction
English, being a global language with more than 400 million L1 speakers and many hundreds of millions second language speakers, has its origin in the Anglo-Saxon period (McIntyre 2009: 31). Throughout time the English language has undergone an extensive change. In the beginning there were four major dialects of Old English. Nowadays, English, as a lingua franca, is spoken in all parts of the world and has become the official language in countries like Uganda, Liberia or Ghana (McIntyre 2009: 31).
As my term paper is concerned with the topic of e-English, it is vital to mention that the development of the internet and the World Wide Web, two distinctive terms that must be looked at separately, had a huge impact on the development of English (Baron 2003: 2). As a result of the British colonisation, English spread overseas and had been spoken in all parts of the British Empire. The Expansion of the English language still continues nowadays, though not through colonisation, but a mixture of various factors such as politics, economics and most important with regard to my term paper technology (McIntyre 2009: 27).
Therefore, the first aspect to point out in this essay focuses on the technical requirements that facilitate language exchange throughout the entire world.
This will lead to the analysis of significant differences between spoken and written language in general and the effects of new technologies like the World Wide Web on the English language in particular. Subsequent to this, the major part of the term paper introduces the umbrella term Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) and investigates the question whether CMC could be seen as a new type of language or not.
Since the term CMC encompasses a broad spectrum of writing options ranging from personally written off-line texts on the one end of the scale to one-to-one dialogue through e-mails or short messages on the other end (Baron 2003: 52), various types of CMC including e-mail and chat room language will be discussed and presented within this paragraph.
The term paper ends with a conclusion, bringing together the results of the multiple factors involved in CMC read before the question of its influence on traditional written English and communication in daily life.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. From Old English to e-English: a survey
3. Linguistic issues
3.1 The oral – written distinction
3.2 Basic ideas regarding language on the Internet
4. Computer Mediated Communication (CMC)
4.1 Definition
5. E-mail
6. Introduction into chat room language
6.1 Why to study IRC?
6.2 Chat room English: a study
6.3 General observations concerning the language in IRC
6.4.1 Indian Chat
6.4.2 UK – Chat
6.4.3 American chat
6.5 Linguistic features: an overview
7 Conclusions
Research Objectives and Themes
This paper examines the evolution and characteristics of English in the digital age, specifically focusing on Computer Mediated Communication (CMC). It investigates how the internet has influenced language development, explores the linguistic nuances of e-mail and chat room interaction, and analyzes how socio-cultural factors, such as nationality and gender, shape digital communication styles.
- The historical development of English from Old English to the modern digital era.
- Technical and linguistic requirements for digital language exchange.
- Distinctions between spoken, traditional written, and CMC discourse.
- Comparative analysis of chat room language across Indian, UK, and American contexts.
- The impact of gender and anonymity on confrontational language patterns.
Excerpt from the Book
6.3 General observations concerning the language in IRC
As it has already been pointed out in the description of the design of the study, the following paragraph centres around the question if the researcher can identify certain features of IRC-language that are shared by English speaking participants with a different language learning background?
In the course of the study it has emerged that many of those features can be identified. First of all, it is vital to envision that IRC is male-dominated. According to Kaplan and Farrell “as much as 80% of cyberspace is made up of men” (Soukup 1999: 169).
This leads to the fact, that women are regularly harassed by male users. As the following example indicates, this phenomenon finds its expression in an aggressive and highly sexual use of language.
“<SlaVeGuY982> Bit ches need a slave guy on cm prvt me ;)”
Spoken from a sociological point of view, the usage of patterns such as “Bit ches” or “S Luts” offers interesting insights into the way people communicate and relate to each other in particular situations.
In accordance with research done by Lea and Spears, the study reveals prototypical socially constructed roles taken on by masculine as well as female users. The permanent use of swear words in combination with sexual comments alludes to such a masculine prototype. Furthermore, does my study confirm the thesis that men’s messages were longer and more confrontational with regard to style (Soukup 1999: 169-171).
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Outlines the global spread of English and introduces the core theme of how digital technology, specifically the internet, influences contemporary linguistic expression.
2. From Old English to e-English: a survey: Reviews the historical development of English as a global language and discusses the fundamental principles of communication, such as economy and comprehensibility, in a changing world.
3. Linguistic issues: Analyzes the dichotomy between spoken and written discourse and examines how modern technology bridges these traditional gaps through new modalities.
4. Computer Mediated Communication (CMC): Provides a definition of the umbrella term CMC and explores its role as a vehicle for the ongoing global development of English.
5. E-mail: Investigates the formal and informal register of e-mail communication, focusing on the interplay between prescriptive linguistic rules and user-driven habits.
6. Introduction into chat room language: Explores the unique dynamics of synchronous chat, including the prevalence of shorthand, the role of anonymity, and cross-cultural differences in discourse.
7 Conclusions: Summarizes findings on the dynamic evolution of electronic English and reaffirms that while certain tendencies are observable, a clear-cut distinction between national "e-Englishes" remains elusive.
Keywords
Computer Mediated Communication, CMC, e-English, Internet Relay Chat, IRC, linguistics, discourse analysis, language economy, sociolinguistics, gendered communication, global language, digital communication, acronyms, chat room language.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary subject of this academic paper?
The paper fundamentally investigates how the English language is evolving within the digital sphere, specifically through Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) platforms like e-mail and internet chat rooms.
What are the core thematic fields of this research?
The research covers historical linguistics, the socio-technical development of the internet, discourse analysis comparing oral and written styles, and a comparative study of digital communication across different national contexts.
What is the central research question?
The study explores whether CMC should be considered a new type of language and investigates if identifiable linguistic differences exist in chat room communication based on the participants' nationalities.
Which scientific methodologies are applied in this work?
The author utilizes a descriptive, qualitative analysis of communication logs from various chat rooms (Indian, UK, and American) to detect linguistic patterns, alongside a literature review of existing studies on digital discourse.
What topics are covered in the main body of the paper?
The main body addresses the linguistic distinctions between spoken and written text, provides a definition for CMC, examines the formal and informal usage of e-mail, and analyzes the specific linguistic features found in IRC.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include Computer Mediated Communication, e-English, discourse analysis, linguistic economy, sociolinguistics, IRC, and digital communication.
How does gender impact language usage in the studied chat rooms?
The study observes that chat rooms are male-dominated and that male users frequently employ longer, more confrontational, and often sexually aggressive or debasing vocabulary compared to female users.
What specific chat room Englishes were compared in the study?
The author conducted a comparative analysis of three distinct chat room environments: Indian Chat, UK Chat, and American Chat, observing variations in abbreviation frequency, codeswitching, and sentence structure.
Is it possible to distinguish different "e-Englishes" by nationality?
While the study identifies certain tendencies specific to user groups in different countries, it concludes that the boundaries are too fuzzy to allow for a clear-cut, definitive distinction between different regional "e-Englishes".
How does SMS-shorthand influence e-mail communication?
The research indicates a significant integration of SMS-style shorthand (such as vowel omission) into e-mail discourse, driven by the principle of linguistic economy, although this style remains dependent on the addressee's expected formality.
- Quote paper
- Sebastian Weber (Author), 2011, Computer Mediated Communication, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/182205
