Netspeak: Linguistic Features of Online Communication in Real Time
Netspeak: Linguistic Features of Online Communication in Real Time

Summary/Abstract: Given that synchronicity is one of the dimensions upon which electronic communication can be categorised, this paper examines the linguistic aspects and distinctive features of online communication in real time, within the context of English as a global language, and Netspeak as a new electronic medium of communication. The paper portrays various ways in which the nature of the electronic medium and the global use of the Internet produce impact on the English language. In this corpus-based study, data were collected from a number of Internet sites, the focus is on the characteristics of English used in synchronous settings such as various discussion forums. The analysis, based on Crystal's model (2001), highlights a number of highly distinctive features of Netspeak, and therefore produces evidence that the language of communication in real time is heavily affected in terms of the lexicon and graphology, with particular areas where it is relatively easy to introduce both innovation (nonce formation and other ludic Netspeak extensions) and deviation (abbreviations, acronyms).

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