1. BRB - Be Right Back

2. BTW - By The Way

3. OMW - On My Way

4. FYI - For Your Information

• Powers of Global Language : David Crystal

  • Political = Use of a specific language for international public relations/national political schemes

  • Military = Use of a specific language for military operations (Morse code & Sign language usually)

  • Economical = Use of a specific language for marketing/economical purposes

  • Cultural = Use of a specific language by a majority of people

  • Sci-tech = Use of a specific language for scientific reports/documentation

• CAT(Communication Accommodation Theory) : Howard Giles

  Following Howard Giles’ theory of communication accommodation, the speaker implements convergence/divergence towards… [Partner of communication, Other Linguistic Style]

  • Convergence

    • Convergence motive for [Partner of communication] = To gain approval from one another

    • Convergence motive for [Other Linguistic Style] = Seek effective communication

  • Divergence

    • Divergence motive for [Partner of communication] = Emphasize distinctiveness

    • Divergence motive for [Other Linguistic Style] = Reflects dislike towards the particular linguistic style

• Overt and Covert Prestige : William Labov

  • Displaying proudness for non-standard English/Dislike of standard English and using non-standard English = Covert Prestige

  • Displaying proudness for standard English & Dislike for non-standard English = Overt Prestige

1. It was invented in 1971 by an American government organization called EMISARI

2. EMISARI used IM to communicate and manage emergencies as a replacement for telephone conferences

3. In 1997, IM became a common practice in the public with the launch of a platform called AIM

4. Many other platforms soon followed it, such as Yahoo! and MSN Messenger

5. As technology developed, IM became even more integrated into daily life with the launch of platforms like Apple's iChat, Gmail's Google Talk, and MySpace's MySpaceIM

• First developed in 1971 by the American government to facilitate communication to assist anti-inflation wage and price control efforts of the Nixon Administration.

  
  

1. Abbreviations: An abbreviation is a shortened or contracted form of a word, used to represent the whole word as Dr for Doctor, Msg for Message.

2. Initialisms: A kind of abbreviation consisting of only the first letters that are pronounced separately such as CPU for Central Processing Unit and OMG for Oh my God.

3. Acronyms: Acronym is an abbreviation formed from the initial letters of other words and pronounced as a whole word for example, LOL for Laugh Out Loud, YOLO for You only live once.

4. Shortenings: Shortenings are words with missing end letters (Thurlow & Brown, 2003). Days and months are commonly shortened in SMS and IM, for example, "sun/Sunday", and "Feb/February.

5. Contractions: Contractions are words with omitted middle letters, usually vowels (Crystal, 2008). It is like contracting or combining two words to make it as a single word. E.g., using "don't" instead of "do not", I’ve for I have. Text language also use contractions like gonna for going to.

6. Clippings: In clipping a word is reduced or shortened without changing the meaning of the word. Examples of clipping are goin for going, ad for advertisement, photo for photograph.

7. Single Letter/Number Homophones: Also termed logograms, phonetic reductions, or letter/number homophones use a letter or-number to represent a word or part (Thurlow & Poff, in press). Examples are c for see, u for you, 2 for to, l8r for later.

8. Emoticons: Emoticons are symbols or combinations of symbols used to convey an emotion with the use of punctuation marks or other objects like :-) happy, :-( sad.

9. Typographic Symbols: Typographic symbols are single or multiple characters which represent whole words (Bieswanger, 2008). A popular example is one or several "x" used to symbolize a kiss, or "zzzz's" to suggest sleep, tiredness or boredom, @ for at and <3 for heart.

10. Accent stylization: Replacing the alphabets with others for obtaining stylized look like yew for you, dat for that, xmart for smart etc.

11. Excessive use of punctuation: The excessive and useless use of punctuation or capitalization for expressing emphasis or intensity of emotion such as ‘what!!!! For ‘what!’ NEVER for never.

12. Repetitions: Repeating some letters to mirror lengthening sometimes for emphasis such as soooo for so, grrreeeeennn for green, Yesssss for just yes. In text language, the standard spelling conventions and grammar rules are overlooked and the use of “textisms” or “text slang” is widespread. As stated by Nenagh Kemp (2011), these orthographically unconventional language forms are used for a number of reasons. They function as shortcuts to reduce writing time for a quick response. As the main purpose of language is communication and the main purpose of a text message is just to share some information, or to convey a message, so if that purpose is being achieved in less writing time than what is the worry. Another reason of using text language is the past restriction of 160 character text message limit; hence the text language is used in order to achieve the shortness and economy required. A small screen and an alphanumeric keypad contain both numbers and letters on the same keys. It makes difficult for the texter to type, so text language can help reducing texter’s difficulty. It can save time, space and money; it is considered ‘cool’ ‘stylized’ and ‘modern’ by many young people.

• Before the internet, communication was more formal, with minimal use of slang or abbreviations. However, telegraphy in the 1900 had its form of shorthand due to the cost of sending long messages.

• Emoticons came first before emojis, as it is already used in the early 1900, while emojis are used in the late 1900.

• Chatting need to be shortened due to BBM word limit of 250, therefore since BBM entered the world and everyone uses it, it makes us shortened our chats.

a. Logograms

Example: "C" for "See" or "L8r" for "Later"

Logograms are symbols that represent the words or whole words. The use of single letters, numerals, combination between numeral and letter, and typhographic symbols to represent words or due to have similar sound withword which are represented.

b. Pictograps

Example: 😃 to mean person is happy.

When visual shapes, or pictures are used to represent object or concept,

they are known as pictograms or pictographs. Can be called emoticons, emojis, gesture or sometimes called sticker. They typically convey an emotion or a facial expression, though objects can also be represented.

Instant messaging condenses communication into shorter, more concise forms. Users often rely on abbreviations, acronyms, and emojis to convey meaning efficiently.

Discourse:

IM conversations follow specific patterns, such as greetings, closings, and turn-taking. The informality of IM allows for dynamic discourse structures.

Historical Concepts:

Technical Development:

Instant messaging emerged in the 1990s, with pioneers like ICQ, AIM, and MSN Messenger. These platforms shaped the language and norms of online communication.

Language Evolution:

As technology advanced, so did the language used in IM. From basic text to multimedia-rich content, IM adapted to user needs.

Cultural/Social Concepts:

Code-Switching:

Bilingual and multilingual users engage in online code-switching, blending languages within a single conversation.

LEARN MORE BY READING

The Impact of Cultural Differences on Instant Messaging Communication in China and Germany | SpringerLink

Instant messaging and relationship satisfaction across different ages and cultures | Cyberpsychology: Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace

(PDF) Instant messaging social networks Individual, relational, and cultural characteristics (researchgate.net)

SMS - short message service

• Sends messages over cell network (no internet required)

• Only requires the phone's built-in SMS app, no app restrictions

• Low character limit

• Expensive over time

• Lacks features like data backup, document sharing, viewing online status, large chat groups, etc.

Instant Messaging

• Sends messages over the internet

• Requires apps, only users with the same apps can communicate

• Very high character limit

• Cheaper over time

• Has many features that SMS doesn't have

• 1992 -> First SMS was sent

• 1988 -> First publicly available instant messenger (Internet Relay Chat)

• 1999 -> Emojis were invented by the Japanese

• 2000s -> More social media spaces (ex: MySpace)

• 2005 -> BBM hit mobile phones (less limitations than SMS)

• 2009 -> WhatsApp was released

• Nowadays even e-commerce platforms have incorporated IM

🧠 Edward Sapir and Benjamin Whorf: Linguistic determinism hypothesis.

🧩 Marco Holliday: Functional theory suggests language changes based on users' needs.

🌊 David Crystal: Language is like a tide, constantly changing, not for the worst, or for the better, "just changes".

↗️ Charles Jaco: Random fluctuation theory explains language change through random events and errors

🌍 Suzanne Romaine: Internal and external factors contribute to language change.

🎭 Norman Fairclough: Conversationalization and synthetic personalization in marketing texts.

📱 Sharron Goodman: Increased informalization in professional encounters.

✍️ Donald MacKinnon: Attitudes towards language use categorized ascorrect, personal, socially acceptable, morally acceptable, appropriatein context, and useful.

📢 Bollinger: The use of new form isms in advertise

🕊️ Justman: Language manipulation by the Nazis to make events easier to ignore.

There are no significantly new patterns of vocabulary, verbs, or grammar that emerge due to the internet. (There are some new words, but the amount is very minor compared to the million words in English)

One thing to note though is punctutation. As the internet allows for new forms of punctuation, such as emojis to come alive. People also tend to use punctuation in an exxagerated form because they can just hold a key down while messaging online.

Overall, the English language on the internet is still the same as before the internet came to existence but it ahs certainly become expressively richer.

• Informal tone (register)

• Use of slang (lexis and register)

• Brevity (brief and concise)

• Words are abbreviated or shortened (lexis) and there are acronyms (Quick and efficient. Also creates a sense of familiarity and understanding)

• Emoji to convey feelings and expressions (graphology)

Summary :

• Media language is a way to express thoughts, emotions, and opinions in a way that is authentic and relatable

• Creates a sense of community and belonging (hashtag creates sense of belonging)

• Becomes a shared culture among different backgrounds

• Creates a gap between the younger and older generation because it keeps on evolving

• Developed in the UK (late 1980s)

• First text message (dmy): 3-12-1992

• Commercial service launched in 1995

• "Takes off" when they can send messages between 4 main British cell phone networks (1998)

Reasons for shorthand:

• Limited # of characters

• Cumbersome to type on telephone keypad (the thing where 3 letters share a button with 1 number)

  
  

Usage:

• basic communication (romance, politics, health)

• entertainment

• announcement by activists

• court reminder

• warn about child abduction (AMBER, ~May 2005)

Stats US - messages sent:

• June 2001: ~30 million

• 2005: ~7.3 billion

• 2008: ~14 billion

• 2011: ~2.3 trillion messages

  
  

Stats UK - messages sent:

• 1999: ~1 billion

• 2005: ~30 billion

• 2012: ~162 billiion

Stats worldwide:

• Almost 7.8 trillion messages in 2012

• Declines because of texting apps (FB messenger, WeChat, WA)

• Text > talk on cell phones

1. starts to be recognized by public from 1979

2. Officially it is verified by American computer scientist Scott E. Fahlman on September 19, 1982.

3. Emoji's are used by many to express their feeling, however some people found it to be ineffective.

   • " The use of emoticons has caused controversy online. Critics of emoticons argue that they erode the ability of people to communicate clearly and use language creatively in cyberspace, as well as in other forms of writing. Some have said that they are a lazy means of communication. Others note that they negatively affect the credibility of the author in an e-mail message."

   • "Emoticon supporters insist, however, that they help online communication more than they hurt it. At their most basic level, emoticons are perhaps the crudest attempts to address the issue of emotion and feelings among users in computer environments in the absence of the high-bandwidth capacities of live face-to-face contact. They stand in for nonverbal communication in text and e-mail communication and clarify the tone of the message without the need for lengthy exposition."

• Internal Changes: The factors that come within the language. For example: the influence of dictionaries promoting new words and meanings to a language.

• External Changes: The factors that come from outside from changing technological & inventions, social context & ideologies.

The rise of short messages: Exploring the popularity of instant messaging platforms.

The digital age brings new mediums for people to be able to communicate in but unlike mails, the capability of these messages to provide real-time communication facilitates short, informal messages. This shift in language use reflects people's need for immediacy, personalization, and interactive communication.

Benefits of short messages over traditional emails.

• Shorter messages are (obviously) short... which requires less time and are easier to read.

• Short messages allow immediate feedback, allowing a more dynamic conversation similar to those in real life.

• Short messages are also versatile, capable of being used in a variety of situations from casual informal chats to formal business communications.

The psychology behind short messages: Why people prefer brief and concise interactions.

The digital age provides a lot of information for everyone, but this is too much information. This overload of information causes the average human attention span to be reduced immensely. Shorter messages accommodate this reduction. They also add a sense of urgency, likely causing the other party to reply quickly. Finally, it reduces the cognitive load on the person reading it since it is much easier to read than long emails used in the past.

The role of emojis and GIFs in short messages.

In any written communication, the visual cues provided by the body are often left unconveyed. However, with the use of emojis and GIFs, people can fill these missing gaps and add more personality to their messages with the addition of emotion and body language.

• The language used by people is determined by the needs of the user.

• "Outdated" words would be used less such as in technology.

• As technology develops quick, words in this field are more often to be replaced when compared with other fields.

• Examples: words such as "cassettes", even though most people would know what it is, this word may not be used in conversation much due to people today not using that technology much in general.

Schizoglossia

An anxiety people have now when thinking about what type of language should be used in a particular type of situation.

• The evolution of social media has been fueled by the human impulse to communicate and by advances in digital technology. Establishing and nurturing personal connections at scale and at a distance.

• From the world’s first electronic message by Samuel Morse who wrote “What hath God brought?” to today's “OMG” and “LOL”. Communication has come a long way.

Social Media Language:

• A type of unique writing style which is established on numerous social media platforms, consisting of informal tones, uses of slangs and many words or phrases being abbreviated or shortened.

• Social media language has become a reflection of the current generation’s identity. A way to express their thoughts, emotions and opinions.

As social media continues to play a crucial role in our life, it is apparent that its influence is likely to grow, affecting how we communicate with each other both online and offline.