The French Language: identity, diversity and changing

environmentsLecture 6

Language and the Internet:

Netspeak

Differences between speech and writing: a reminderSpeech Writing

Time-bound, dynamic, transient, participants are usually present

Space-bound, static, permanent

No time-lag between production and reception. no complex advance planning

Time-lag between production and reception

Extralinguistic cues can be relied on to aid meaning

Participants can’t rely on context to make their meaning

Contracted forms are characteristic of informal speech

More-elaborate syntactic patterns

Interruptions and overlapping speech

Errors can be eliminated in later drafts

Netspeak: speech or writing?Netspeak relies on characteristics belonging

to both sides of speech / writing divide.Most varieties of written language can be

found, but they also have interactive facilities attached: e-mail and chatgroup facilities

Netspeak vs. face to face conversationLack of simultaneous feedbackRhythm of an internet interaction is very

much slower than that found in a speech situation.

Feedback and turn-takingProsody and Paralanguage

Linguistic identity of NetspeakSemi-prescriptivism has emerged

Writers are struggling to maintain a medium which is naturally descriptive and egalitarian in character, whilst recognising a prescriptive urge to impose regularity and consistency on a world which might otherwise spiral out of control.

Internet lexiconGareth Branwyn’s ‘Jargon Watch’:

Unsuccessful submissions:E-gasm, javangelist, pornetgraphy,

Webference

Netspeak: a mixed identity?Complex and mixed-message scenario: can

only really be understood by a detailed consideration of the individual Internet situations.