Internet linguistics studies how the Internet affects language and communication styles. It uses linguistic principles to analyze computer-mediated communication and determine how the Internet has created a more global lexicon. The discipline is not limited to Standard English, and is used in academia and advertising. Internet linguists help advertisers formulate ad content that is consistent with users’ vocabulary and in touch with the dominant language of the Internet.
Internet linguistics is the study of how languages are affected and how conversational styles are changed as a direct result of the Internet. In general, linguistics is a discipline that evaluates trends in language. In particular, Internet linguistics is concerned with how new forms of communication such as blogs, text messaging and social networks have affected the functioning of language on a practical level, from person to person. Linguists engage in numerous case studies, web research, and internet interactions to draw conclusions about what has changed or changed in response to emerging technologies.
The use of basic linguistic principles in the analysis of computer-mediated communications, such as those that occur online, is a form of applied linguistics. Internet linguists use ground language study and vocabulary rooting techniques on a wide range of communications that individuals have with each other online. In most cases, the work is not as much about what is said as how it is said. Grammar and style are not as interesting to the linguist as form and general flow.
Most research into Internet linguistics is in the English language, as the vast majority of communication on the Internet is done in English. However, the discipline is by no means limited to Standard English. One goal of Internet linguistics is to determine how, if at all, the Internet has created a more global lexicon. Models that develop on English-language websites also appear in dialogues and conversations in other languages. Internet users also coin more globally accepted terms, many of which have consistent meanings from place to place.
Most linguistic research on the Internet is done by people who have dedicated their lives to understanding how languages spread and develop. David Crystal, a professor at the University of Reading in England, was one of the first to advocate dedicated studies of the role of the Internet in the development and progression of language and has championed studies of Internet linguistics as a regular aspect of modern linguistics in institutions around the world. However, others outside of academia also use the discipline, particularly in regards to advertising.
Advertisements are ubiquitous online and are one of the main reasons why much of the content on the web is free to users. To be profitable, however, ads need to be effective. This usually means that users have to click on them and often make a purchase or spend time browsing a sponsored website. Many advertisers seek the advice of Internet linguists to determine ways to formulate ad content that is consistent with most users’ vocabulary and in touch with the dominant language of the Internet.
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