IMPACT OF THE INTERNET ON

LANGUAGECyberspace and language change.

Internet

The medium with more significant impact on language usage as well as change than the telegraph, telephone, radio, cinema, and TV all combined.

Comparison

Internet and Gutenberg's printing machine in 1436.

Comparison

Internet and Norman invasion in England of 1066.

Opposing Views

However, just as any past invention, the Internet's impact on society in general and on language in particular has raised opposing standpoints.

opponents

The Internet has caused considerable damage in terms of language usage and written proficiency.

Opponents

The Internet threatens national borders through manifest foreign influence and hegemony.

Opponents

The Internet threatens the existence of linguistic minorities and the linguistic identity of oppressed communities and nations.

Proponents

The Internet as a flat space promotes learning, democracy, and cultural understanding.

Proponents

Language change is inevitable and cannot be stopped.

Proponents

Languages are open systems. Change occurs as long as a language has

a speech community.

Proponents

English is seen as the lingua franca of the world.

Proponents

The Internet promotes efficient communication and bridges the gap between cultures and nations.

Proponents

The Internet is not a site of oppression.

Proponents

The Internet has promoted the revival of endangered languages strengthening and revitalizing speech communities.

Questions

However, how can we assert that the Internet, as the information highway of the twenty first century, is affecting speech and writing in a negative manner?

Questions

Can we attribute to it all instances of language change, or is language change a natural occurrence in any speech community?

Questions

Or is the Internet merely another social environment conducive to community building, where people develop their modes of communication and language skills in the same way that they have done through traditional means throughout human history?

Statement

The Internet remains a positive force for social change.

Statement

Its impact on language is far from being negative.

Statement

Cyberspace has provided a positive platform that is conducive to:

Statement

Massive contact,

Statement

Community building,

Statement

Language change Language shift.

Blaming the Internet

The Internet, as has been the case for any new invention, is being blamed for most of the perceived ills of our societies, including language deficiency and language shift.

Blaming the Internet

There is "nothing new about fears accompanying the emergence of a new communications technology" (Crystal p2).

Blaming the Internet

In the fifteenth century, the Church thought of printing "as an invention of Satan" because it was thought that "the dissemination of uncensored ideas would lead to a breakdown of social order" (Crystal, p2).

Blaming the Internet

The telegraph was thought to be the medium that "would destroy the family and promote crime" (Crystal, p2).

Blaming the Internet

The telephone and broadcasting were thought to have negative effects on society as the first “would undermine society,” while the second was thought to “be the voice of propaganda” (Crystal, p2).

Internet and Language

Language pundits in the US.

Internet and Language

The Internet threatens the existence of language as linguistic heritage

Internet and Language

The Internet has caused English to become Deficient Sloppy adulterated

Internet and Language

Lack of consensus How to counter the Internet’s impact without

violating net neutrality and free speech.

Internet and Language

What constitutes a linguistic threat for some is progress for others.

Internet and Language

What would be the appropriate remedy for bad spelling, bad grammar, or bad usage?

France Versus English

l'Académie française The enforcer that ensures the proper usage of

French language to preserve its purity.

Cyberwar

Recently, France developed and launched a computer program that automatically replaces English words with French words

Cyberwar

As an example, some these words are: Baladeur = Walkman Logiciel = Software Courrier = Email Dialogue en ligne = Chat

Hugo Cháavez versus the US

Campaign Objectives Stopping American Imperialism

Hugo Cháavez versus the US

How? By replacing all American words with Spanish

equivalents .

Hugo Cháavez versus the US

Host = Servidor Mouse = Ratón Staff = Equipo

The US versus the Internet

Email "punctuation tends to be minimalist in most

situations, and completely absent in some e-mails and chat exchanges" (Crystal, p94).

The US versus the Internet

Computer mediated communication (CMC) : Chatting Texting

Deviant Spelling

The new generations and particularly teenage users are the ones who have “introduced several deviant spellings” (Crystal, p9), such as kool = cool,fone = phone and B4 = before.

Trash Communication

David Campbell states that “Email, blogs, chat rooms, MySpace and Facebook seem to be treated as "trash" forms of communication where good spelling and grammar are irrelevant.”

A Brave New World

The Internet has enriched the English language

Affected our cultural identity

A Brave New World

Transformed the way we think Do things Communicate Manage time for the sake of efficiency and

expediency.

Global Village

Global connections among individuals, communities and nations.

Internet and Language Acquisition

language acquisition Mother language Second language Foreign language

A Voice and Presence

Allowed isolated and disenfranchised communities to come out of their isolation and strengthen the bond with their cultures.

Internet jargons

Chatting and Texting lol: laughing out loud a/s/l: Age/Sex/Location dur: do you remember

Communication System

“1337 sp34k” or LEET SPEAK n00b13: n00bie = noobie, newbie, a novice

and also a person who is stupid. Ebonics Leet: j0 1s 4 n00b13 6r0! = yo is a

newbie bro! I h4x0rd you = I hacked you

I h4x0r j00 = I hacked you

Communication System

Aralish 2: Sou2l = Question 3: 3mal = Work 5: O5ti = My sister 7: A7lam = Dreams 8: Al8dra = Speech (La Parole) 9: 9mar = Moon.

Arabic Alphabet

English Dominance

English as superstratum Colonialism Linguistic Oppression Science Commerce

Skånska cementgjuteriet 1887 Became SKANSKA in 1984 eliminate diacritics in letters such as å/Å, ä/Ä,

and ö/Ö to make their products internationally marketable

Internet Growth

Internet and Education

Claire Kramsch from university of California, Berkley and Steven L. Thorne from Pennsylvania State University, the Internet and computer mediated communication (CMC) are helping student learn a second language.

Internet as a Social Force

Cyberspace overcame distance Forced cultures to open to each other Sometimes bridging the gap Other times widening it.

Internet as a social Force

The general consensus is that “the Internet will accelerate ongoing changes in languages and affect the cultural attitudes, norms, and values of internet users” (Hansson and Bunt-Kokhuis, August 2004).

Positive Impact

Internet has enriched languages Allowed minorities to reclaim their

linguistic heritage Language revival

Positive Impact

Native American languages, Hawaiian, and a host of other devalued languages having a strong presence on cyberspace

Empowering their communities Attracting even outside new speakers.

Positive Impact

Cultural identity and community identification, which are almost impossible to attain in traditional settings, especially by people who do not share community traits, such as multiracial individuals and marginalized ethnic groups, have been possible through interneting communities.

Conclusion

Change in itself is a natural occurrence as long as there are speech communities. Therefore, in the words of Franklin Roosevelt, we really have nothing to fear except fear itself. In the world of bits and bytes, similarly to the world of mortar and bricks, English is doing fine and does not need anyone to defend it. Languages are open systems that change from within and from without as long as they are alive.