NETLINGUISTICS

 


Netlinguistics is an analytical framework to analyse language, discourse and ideology in Internet. There is a book in press where this framework is described in detail. It will appear in September 2003. Here we include a summary of its contents.


 
 

Chapter 1 Netlinguistics: The Analytical Framework


 

This chapter introduces the Netlinguistic Analytical Framework (NAF). After a brief introduction, the linguistic and sociolinguistic theoretical foundations of netlinguistic analysis are presented. Section 3 focuses on the key role of English language in Internet. Section 4 describes the five distinct levels suggested for this framework: the technological, terminological, discursive, contextual and ideological levels. The chapter ends clarifying how netlinguistics overlaps with, but at the same time differs from, sociolinguistics or computational linguistics.


 

1.Introduction
 

2.Theoretical foundations of netlinguistics
 

2.1.Discourse analysis

2.2.Functional grammar and genre theory

2.3.Sociolinguistic terms

2.4.Language and technology


 

3.English and the Internet

3.1.The 'digital' lingua franca

3.2.Linguists in search of feedback


 

4.The Netlinguistic Analytical Framework (NAF)

4.1.The Technological Level (TechL)

4.2.The Terminological Level (TermL)

4.3.The Discourse Level (DL): Net-discourse and cybergenres

4.4.The Contextual Level (CL) and digital tenor

4.5.The Contextual Level and the realisation of digital mode

4.6.The Ideological Level (IL): Ideology and Internet

5. Netlinguistics vs. computational linguistics and sociolinguistics

6.Pedagogical implications of netlinguistics: English for Internet Purposes

Chapter 2 Internet Technological Layer

Chapter 2 focuses on Internet’s technological level. It opens with a description of the communications codes which have been used in long-distance communication first and then in Internet. Section 2 anticipates some ideological consequences of the use of the codes previously described. Section 3 focuses on the iconic system in Internet: representational icons are analysed revising visual rhetoric, iconic metaphors and also introducing emotional icons, the so-called emoticons. Section 4 considers the important impact of this iconic world on the ideological level within the NAF.

 

1.Communication codes: the written technological layer
 

2.The written technological layer: some ideological remarks
 

3.The visual interface: the iconic technological layer

        3.1.Internet’s semiotic system
 3.2.Representational icons
        3.3.Visual rhetoric
        3.4.Limitations and advantages of a computer visual language
    3.5.Expanding the relevance of metaphors in this visual world: Iconographic Grammatical Metaphors (IGMs)
        3.6. Emotive icons: emoticons

 

4.The iconic technological level and ideology

        4.1. Western versus eastern iconic and symbolic representations

        4.2. Layers within the Technological Level

 

Chapter 3 Internet Terminological Level

Chapter 3 opens with an introduction into the different layers to be analysed within the Terminological Level. Next, the different processes for generating new Internet and computer terminology are described. Section 3 in this chapter accounts for the great amount of new computer and net terms created everyday and provides a classification of these new terms as they enter other languages (Spanish being used as an example). Focusing on this same language, we then describe the need for further lexicological work to standardise computer terminology in both English and Spanish and introduce the Peter Collin Publishing Bilingual English-Spanish Dictionary on Computing and Information Technonology. Here, we place a special emphasis on the relavance of pragmatics and the concept of active dictionaries and provide an example of how a computer lexical entry may be organised to clarify its meaning and use. 

 

1. Layers within the terminological level
 

2.E-terms generation processes

        2.1. Morphological processes for new e-terms

        2.2. Metaphorical processes for new e-terms


 

3. The speed of computer terminology proliferation

        3.1. Spanglish

        3.2. Cyberspanglish

        3.3. Integrated borrowings, non-integrated borrowings and code-switches

        3.4. Terminological cyber-anarchy

        3.5. Linguists strike back: awareness


 

4. The struggle for e-term standarization

        4.1. Specialized lexicography

        4.2. An active dictionary

 

Chapter 4 Internet discursive and contextual levels: style, digital mode and digital tenor

In chapter 4, both the discursive and the contextual levels in Internet are analysed. The chapter opens with the presentation of the different layers to be considered within the discursive level in the NAF. Section 2 then describes Internet and CMC style focusing on the use of personifications, the use of voice and tense, euphemisms, hyperboles, redundant terms, acronyms, Internet informal abbreviations and contactions among other representative features. Section 3 outlines how mode works in Internet. Here, the complex and ambiguous status of email discourse is studied. Finally, section 4 concludes focusing on what we have labelled as digital tenor, i.e. the general trend towards informalization of Internet discourse.

 

1. Layers within the discursive and contextual levels with the NAF
 

2. Digital English: clause and sentence structure in internet and computer mediated communication (CMC) language

        2.1. The use of personifications

        2.2. An excessive use of the passive voice

        2.3. Euphemisms

        2.4. A systematic use of hyperboles

        2.5. Verbosity

        2.6. Misleading assertions

        2.7. Redundant language

        2.8. Oxymorons

        2.9. Hyphenation trends

        2.10. Acronyms

        2.11. Informal abbreviations and contractions

        2.12. Computer spelling and syntax

        2.13. A systematic use of the present tense

        2.14. A developed sense of humor

        2.15. code-switiching in languages other than english


 

3. The realisation of mode in Internet

3.1.A functional language analysis perspective

3.2.Computer mediated communication mixed mode in internet English

3.3.Conversational features of email discourse

3.4.The ambiguous status of e-discourse

3.5.Pedagogical implications of CMC mixed mode and Internet English: the importance of context


 

4. Digital tenor
 

5.Informalization in Internet: a differente perspective
 

6.Byte.com: an example of digital tenor and e-discourse style


 
 

Chapter 5 Internet and Ideology


 

This chapter analyses the ideological level in the NAF in relation to Internet language use. Internet communities are described in section 1. Next, Internet professional opportunities forEnglish philologists are explored in section 2. In section 3, captology, a new perspective on the study of ideology in Internet is introduced. Section 4 outlines on-line cultural differences in the design of websites and how these differences may affect such growing communication and business areas as e-commerce. Chapter 5 then concludes opening a last debate: who is really pulling the strings in Internet? Figure 5.1 illustrate the focus of chapter 5.


 

1. Internet Communities

1.1.English: Internet's lingua franca

1.2.Internet and Internet users

1.3.Internet Fabric


 

2. Internet communities and the new professions

2.1. Will internet technology and new textual forms create new jobs?

2.2. New openings for English philologists

2.3. English philologists and the labour market equation
3. Studying ideology in the net: captology
4. On-line cultural differences: website design
4.1. Cultural differences
4.2. Business and customer loss due to linguistic and cultural barriers in Internet

 

5. The last debate: Who's really pulling the strings?

5.1. The ideology of information technology

5.2. The marketisation of e-discourse