社會語言學(xué)課程論文

1、 社會語言學(xué)導(dǎo)論論文 An Analysis of Internet Slang from the Perspective of SociolinguisticsAbstract l Internet slang refers to a variety of slang languages used by different communities on the Internet. It is difficult to provide a standardized definition of Internet slang due to the constant changes made to

2、its nature.However, it can be understood to be a type of slang that internet users have popularized, and in many cases, have coined. Such terms often originate with the purpose of saving keystrokes or to compensate for small character limits. Many people use the same abbreviations in text and instan

3、t messaging, and social networking websites.Acronyms,keyboard symbols and abbreviations are common types of Internet slang. New dialects of slang, such as leet , develop as ingroup internet memes rather than time savers.Origins Internet slang originated in the early days of the Internet with some te

4、rms predating the Internet.Internet slang is used in chat rooms,social networks,online games,video games and in the online community. Since 1979, users of communications networks like Usenet created their own shorthand.In pop cultureIn the English-speaking world, examples include the word bazinga fr

5、om the CBS show The Big Bang Theory and, in Japanese, the term moe has come into common use among slang users to mean something extremely cute and appealing. Aside from the more frequently found abbreviations, acronyms and emoticons, Internet slang is also based on archaic words or the lesser-known

6、dialectal counterparts of a term in mainstream language.Regular words can also be altered into something with a similar pronunciation but altogether different meaning, or attributed new meanings altogether. Phonetic transcriptions of foreign words, such as the transformation of impossible into impos

7、sibru in Japanese and then back to English, is also observed. In places where logographic languages are used such as China, a visual variety of Internet slang is also observable, where a character has a duality in meaning- direct and implied.Motivations The primary motivation behind using a slang un

8、ique to the Internet is to ease communication. However, while Internet slang shortcuts save time for the writer, they take two times as long for the reader to understand.On the other hand, similar to the use of slang in traditional face-to-face speech or written language, slang on the Internet is of

9、ten a way of indicating group membership.Internet slang provides a channel which facilitates and constrains our ability to communicate in ways that are fundamentally different from those found in other semiotic situations. Many of the expectations and practices which we associate with spoken and wri

10、tten language are no longer applicable. The Internet itself is ideal for new slang to emerge because of the richness of the medium and the availability of information.Slang is also thus motivated for the “creation and sustenance of online communities”.These communities in turn play a role in solidar

11、ity or identification or an exclusive or common cause.Crystal distinguishes among five Internet situations: The Web,email,asynchronous chat synchronous chat and virtual worlds.The electronic character of the channel has a fundamental influence on the language of the medium. The options of communicat

12、ion for the user are constrained by the nature of the hardware needed in order to gain Internet access. Thus, productive linguistic capacity (the type of information that can be sent) is determined by the preassigned characters on a keyboard, and receptive linguistic capacity (the type of informatio

13、n that can be seen) is determined by the size and configuration of the screen. Additionally, both sender and receiver are constrained linguistically by the properties of the internet software,computer hardware and networking hardware linking them. Electronic discourse refers to writing that is "

14、;very often reads as if it were being spoken that is, as if the sender were writing talking".Views on Internet slangThere have been ongoing debates about how the use of slang on the Internet influences language usage outside of technology. Even though the direct causal relationship between the

15、Internet and language has yet to be proven by any scientific research,Internet slang has invited split views on its influence on the standard of language use in non-computer-mediated communications.Prescriptivists tend to have the widespread belief that the Internet has a negative influence on the f

16、uture of language, and that it would lead to a degradation of standard. Some would even attribute any declination of standard formal English to the increase in usage of electronic communication. It has also been suggested that the linguistic differences between Standard English and CMC can have impl

17、ications for literacy education.This is illustrated by the widely reported example of a school essay submitted by a Scottish teenager, which contained many abbreviations and acronyms likened to SMS language. There was great condemnation of this style by the mass media as well as educationists, who e

18、xpressed that this showed diminishing literacy or linguistic abilities.On the other hand, descriptivists have counter-argued that the Internet allows better expressions of a language. Rather than established linguistic conventions, linguistic choices sometimes reflect personal taste. It has also bee

19、n suggested that as opposed to intentionally flouting language conventions, Internet slang is a result of a lack of motivation to monitor speech online.Hale and Scalon describe language in Emails as being derived from "writing the way people talk", and that there is no need to insist on &#

20、39;Standard' English. English users, in particular, have an extensive tradition of etiquette guides, instead of traditional prescriptive treatises, that offer pointers on linguistic appropriateness. Using and spreading Internet slang also adds on to the cultural currency of a language. It is imp

21、ortant to the speakers of the language due to the foundation it provides for identifying within a group, and also for defining a persons individual linguistic and communicative competence. The result is a specialized subculture based on its use of slang.In scholarly research, attention has, for exam

22、ple, been drawn to the effect of the use of Internet slang in ethnography, and more importantly to how conversational relationships online change structurally because slang is used.Internet slang todayAlthough Internet slang began as a means of “opposition” to mainstream language, its popularity wit

23、h todays globalized digitally literate population has shifted it into a part of everyday language, where it also leaves a profound impact.Frequently used slang also have become conventionalised into memetic "unit of cultural information".These memes in turn are further spread through their

24、 use on the Internet, prominently through websites. The Internet as an "information superhighway" is also catalysed through slang.The evolution of slang has also created a 'slang union' as part of a unique, specialised subculture. Such impacts are, however, limited and requires further discussion especially from the non-English world. This is because Internet slang is prevalent in languages more actively used on the internet, like English, which is one of the Internets lingua