Language and the Internet

Author: Crystal
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-11-01
Features: In just a few years, the Internet has moved beyond its obscure state and has come to dominate many aspects of our lives. In some regions, email (e-mail) has almost replaced traditional communication methods. For an increasing number of people, the World Wide Web (www) is their preferred source of various information and a choice for numerous leisure activities, which has evolved into an extraordinary and rapid communication revolution. What impact does the Internet have on our language? How has the Internet fundamentally changed the way we communicate with each other? Language and the Internet explores and discusses the following aspects:
· Language in email, chat groups, and virtual worlds
· Internet language and linguistic systems
· A vast number of new terms emerging from electronic communication—such as "massively multiplayer online role-playing game talk" (mootalk), "trolling," "cyberspace," and "e-commerce"
· The still-fluid normative forms that dominate electronic communication—new punctuation styles, formatting methods, greetings, and farewells
· New graphic communication designs—such as "smileys"
· The future of language and linguistic systems in the electronic age
The author argues that "Internet language" is a completely new medium of communication—one we can love or hate, but one we can never ignore. This book reveals the answers to the questions mentioned above.