Variation in Language: Faces of Facebook English (Text – Meaning – Context: Cracow Studies in English Language, Literature and Culture)

✍ Scribed by Marta Dabrowska

• Publisher: Peter Lang GmbH, Internationaler Verlag der Wissenschaften
• Year: 2013
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 369
• Edition: New
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

The modern age has further expanded on the multifaceted character of English, which is used not only in many places in the world, but also by a variety of users in numerous contexts. Technical innovations have led to the rise of new registers and offered scholars new tools to study language variation. Set in the context of the electronic medium of social networking, and additionally enriched with findings from the field of language attitude studies, this study explores features of English used in the Inner, Outer, and Expanding Circles, here represented by the UK, India, and Poland. The analysis of the English used by Facebook members demonstrates cultural differences as well as gender and age similarities in the area of e.g. politeness, emotionality, informality or code-switching.

✦ Table of Contents

Cover
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements
Preface
Overview of the content of the book and its methodological framework
PART I SETTING THE SCENE
Chapter One Geographical and Social Aspects of Variation in English
1.1. The concept of variation and variety
1.1.1. Geographical and regional variation
1.1.1.1. Accent
1.2. Standard English
1.3. The spread of English outside the British Isles
1.4. Social variation
1.5. Ethnolects
1.6. Registers and styles
1.6.1. Slang and antilanguages
1.7. Spoken vs. written language
Chapter Two Variation in Language: Gender and Age
2.1. Introduction
2.2. An overview of genderlect studies
2.2.1. Linguistic etiquette
2.3. Age as a sociolinguistic parameter
Chapter Three Variation and Language Contact
3.1. Community of practice
3.2. The status and position of English in the modern world
3.3. Native and non-native speakers of English
3.4. Language contact
3.4.1. Borrowing
3.4.2. Bilingualism and bilinguality
3.4.3. Code-switching
3.4.3.1. An overview of code-switching studies
3.4.3.2. The Matrix Language in the analysed switches
3.4.4. Pidgins and creoles
3.4.5. New Englishes
Chapter Four Computer-Mediated Communication
4.1. Computer Mediated Communication as a multifaceted medium
4.2. History and development of CMC
4.3. Asynchoronous mode
4.4. Synchronous mode
4.5. Language and the Internet
4.6. Computer Mediated Communication as a source of sociolinguistic data
PART II ANALYSING VARIATION IN ENGLISH
Chapter Five Attitudes to English in the Outer and Expanding Circles
5.1. The scope of the study
5.2. History of English in India
5.3. History of English in Poland
5.4. Attitudes to English as a second and as a foreign language
5.5. Attitudes to English in India
5.6. Attitudes to English in Poland
Chapter Six Gender and Age in the Analysis of English in the Facebook Medium
6.1. Overview of the study
A. Gender and Age Variation in the British English Group
6.2. The scope of the analysis and the sample
6.2.1. Length of posts and distribution of topics
6.2.2. Strategies of politeness
6.2.3. Expressing emotions
6.2.4. Informal and non-standard language
6.3. Concluding remarks
B. Gender and Age Variation in the Indian English Group
6.4. The scope of the analysis and the sample
6.4.1. Length of posts and distribution of topics
6.4.2. Strategies of politeness
6.4.3. Expressing emotions
6.4.4. Informal and non-standard language
6.4.5. Indigenous vocabulary
6.5. Concluding remarks
C. Gender and Age Variation in the Polish English Group
6.6. The scope of the analysis and the sample
6.6.1. Length of posts and distribution of topics
6.6.2. Strategies of politeness
6.6.3. Expressing emotions
6.6.4. Informal and non-standard language
6.6.5. Humour and linguistic creativity
6.7. Concluding remarks
Chapter Seven Functions of Code-Switching in Hindi and Polish Facebook Users’ Posts
7.1. Overview of the analysis
7.2. Form and function of posts in English in the two study groups
7.3. Code-switching in the Polish and Indian posts
7.4. Structural typology of the switches
7.5. Functions of Polish-English and Hindi-Englishs witches
7.5.1. Polish-English switches
a) elements of humour, introducing a light and friendly tone, marking in-group membership
b) language economy
c) quotes
d) inclusion of others who do not speak the Polish language
e) context specificity
7.5.2. Hindi-English switches
a) emphasis and reinforcement, expressing emotions
b) specific vocabulary
c) quotes
7.6. Concluding remarks
Conclusions
References