ICT and Language

Abstract

In the previous chapter, I approached the context of language learning in terms of the impact of ICT on communication. In this chapter, I turn to a related aspect and focus on the relationship between ICT and language. As human beings’ main means of communicating, it is inconceivable that language could be left untouched by changes that affect communication. Yet the part played by ICT in the evolution of language has been the subject of little systematic investigation. This neglect, or oversight, appears all the more surprising when one considers how frequently the media are blamed for a deterioration in standards. In recent years, concern over the allegedly pernicious influence of newspapers and television has extended to email and SMS, with email being ‘accused of ruining letter-style writing and grammar’, and SMS being ‘portrayed as a prime menace to communicative skills’ (Kesseler and Bergs, 2003: 75). However, the view that the media have a significant effect on language is not one shared by linguists, many of whom regard the influence of ICT as peripheral and superficial. The issue is addressed infrequently (Herring (2003) is one of the few exceptions) so that relevant evidence is sparse and dispersed. Characteristically, recent publications on language change tend to contain very few references to ICT. One possible explanation is that such books have their roots in historical linguistics, with its specific perspective on linguistic evolution and diachronic change.