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Routledge Introductions to Applied Linguistics
Exploring Digital Communication: Language in Action
Routledge Introductions to Applied Linguistics is a series of introductory level textbooks covering the core topics in Applied Linguistics, primarily designed for those beginning postgraduate studies or taking an introductory MA course, as well as advanced undergraduates. Titles in the series are also ideal for language professionals returning to academic study.
The books take an innovative ‘practice to theory’ approach, with a ‘back-to-front’ structure. This leads the reader from real-world problems and issues, through a discussion of intervention and how to engage with these concerns, before finally relating these practical issues to theoretical foundations.
Exploring Digital Communication aims to discuss real-world issues pertaining to digital communication, and to explore how linguistic research addresses these challenges. The text is divided into three sections (Problems and practices; Interventions; and Theory), each of which is further divided into two subsections which reflect linguistic issues relating to digital communication.
The author seeks to demystify any perceived divide between online and offline communication, arguing that issues raised in relation to digital communication throw light on language use and practices in general, and thus linguistic interventions in this area have implications not only for users of digital communication but for linguists’ general understanding of language and society.
Including relevant research examples, tasks and a glossary, this textbook is an invaluable resource for postgraduate and upper undergraduate students taking New Media or Communication Studies modules within Applied Linguistics and English Language courses.
The books take an innovative ‘practice to theory’ approach, with a ‘back-to-front’ structure. This leads the reader from real-world problems and issues, through a discussion of intervention and how to engage with these concerns, before finally relating these practical issues to theoretical foundations.
Exploring Digital Communication aims to discuss real-world issues pertaining to digital communication, and to explore how linguistic research addresses these challenges. The text is divided into three sections (Problems and practices; Interventions; and Theory), each of which is further divided into two subsections which reflect linguistic issues relating to digital communication.
The author seeks to demystify any perceived divide between online and offline communication, arguing that issues raised in relation to digital communication throw light on language use and practices in general, and thus linguistic interventions in this area have implications not only for users of digital communication but for linguists’ general understanding of language and society.
Including relevant research examples, tasks and a glossary, this textbook is an invaluable resource for postgraduate and upper undergraduate students taking New Media or Communication Studies modules within Applied Linguistics and English Language courses.
299 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 6, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 2, 2019
I DID IT, Y'ALL! I read an entire Interlibrary Loan before before the due date! Returned it with days to spare, even! This is... whoo, yeah. I'm just going to take a moment to savor this victory.
Ok, so. Now that we've got that out of the way, on to the review.
I picked this up because I wanted something to read on this topic while I wait impatiently for Because Internet by Gretchen Mcculloch, and while I'm glad I read it, I definitely have some thoughts.
First off, this was published 4 years ago and it already feels quite dated (lots of discussions about Flickr but zero about Instagram, the Facebook updates studied are from the inadvisable third person era, it uses the term Web 2.0 unselfconsciously, etc.). The transitory nature of internet speak must really stick in the craw of academics.
Second, this reminds me of a lot of the textbook reading I did in college (both undergrad and masters) in that it's full of overly complicated Academese used to make explicit a whole lot of ideas of the "no shit, Sherlock" variety. It's general often to the point of uselessness. The whole book basically serves as a catalog of potential areas of applied linguistics study, so I guess it would be good for people just starting out on their masters who need some ideas for what to focus on.
I mean, there are sections I would happily read a whole book about (the ways in which marginalisation is perpetuated in digital communications, the Romanization of languages, the shifting historical views on single authorship and ownership of original works, etc.), but these topics, while super fascinating to me, are just barely touched on.
I also found it interesting what the author chose to focus on. Specifically, she focuses a lot on code switching, I'm assuming because it seems to be a particular area of expertise for her.
I think David Crystal (a well-known linguist who studies and writes a lot about all this internet speak stuff) has it right when at the beginning of his book Internet Linguistics he asks, "How does one write a student guide to a subject that does not exist - or, at least, does not exist in such a recognized form that it appears routinely as a course in university syllabuses or as a chapter in anthologies of linguistics?" and acknowledges that all guides on digital communication at this point are going to look very different because it's such a relatively new area of study and will depend on the area of focus of the author.
This newness makes me all tingly to think about. Things are always messy and indefinite and interesting at the beginning. I'm so excited to learn more about linguistics and see how this all develops. So I guess, yay for this book for furthering that feeling for me :)
Ok, so. Now that we've got that out of the way, on to the review.
I picked this up because I wanted something to read on this topic while I wait impatiently for Because Internet by Gretchen Mcculloch, and while I'm glad I read it, I definitely have some thoughts.
First off, this was published 4 years ago and it already feels quite dated (lots of discussions about Flickr but zero about Instagram, the Facebook updates studied are from the inadvisable third person era, it uses the term Web 2.0 unselfconsciously, etc.). The transitory nature of internet speak must really stick in the craw of academics.
Second, this reminds me of a lot of the textbook reading I did in college (both undergrad and masters) in that it's full of overly complicated Academese used to make explicit a whole lot of ideas of the "no shit, Sherlock" variety. It's general often to the point of uselessness. The whole book basically serves as a catalog of potential areas of applied linguistics study, so I guess it would be good for people just starting out on their masters who need some ideas for what to focus on.
I mean, there are sections I would happily read a whole book about (the ways in which marginalisation is perpetuated in digital communications, the Romanization of languages, the shifting historical views on single authorship and ownership of original works, etc.), but these topics, while super fascinating to me, are just barely touched on.
I also found it interesting what the author chose to focus on. Specifically, she focuses a lot on code switching, I'm assuming because it seems to be a particular area of expertise for her.
I think David Crystal (a well-known linguist who studies and writes a lot about all this internet speak stuff) has it right when at the beginning of his book Internet Linguistics he asks, "How does one write a student guide to a subject that does not exist - or, at least, does not exist in such a recognized form that it appears routinely as a course in university syllabuses or as a chapter in anthologies of linguistics?" and acknowledges that all guides on digital communication at this point are going to look very different because it's such a relatively new area of study and will depend on the area of focus of the author.
This newness makes me all tingly to think about. Things are always messy and indefinite and interesting at the beginning. I'm so excited to learn more about linguistics and see how this all develops. So I guess, yay for this book for furthering that feeling for me :)
February 13, 2021
I'm glad I read it. I definitely have some thoughts.
First off, this was published 4 years ago, and it already feels quite dated (lots of discussions about Flickr but zero about Instagram, the Facebook updates studied are from the inadvisable third-person era, it uses the term Web 2.0 unselfconsciously, etc.). The transitory nature of internet speak must really stick in the craw of academics.
Second, this reminds me of many of the textbook reading I did in college (both undergrad and masters). It's full of overly complicated Academese used to make explicit many ideas of the "no shit Sherlock" variety. It's general often to the point of uselessness. The whole book basically serves as a catalogue of potential areas of applied linguistics study, so I guess it would be suitable for people just starting on their masters who need some ideas for what to focus on.
I mean, there are sections I would happily read a whole book about (how marginalisation is perpetuated in digital communications, the Romanization of languages, the shifting historical views on single authorship and ownership of original works, etc.), but these topics, while super fascinating to me, are just barely touched on.
I also found it interesting what the author chose to focus on. Specifically, she focuses a lot on code-switching, I'm assuming because it seems to be a particular area of expertise for her.
I think David Crystal (a well-known linguist who studies and writes a lot about all this internet speak stuff) has it right when at the beginning of his book Internet Linguistics he asks, "How does one write a student guide to a subject that does not exist - or, at least, does not exist in such a recognized form that it appears routinely as a course in university syllabuses or as a chapter in anthologies of linguistics?" and acknowledges that all guides on digital communication at this point are going to look very different because it's such a relatively new area of study and will depend on the size of the focus of the author.
This newness makes me all tingly to think about. Things are always messy and indefinite and interesting at the beginning. I'm so excited to learn more about linguistics and see how this all develops.
First off, this was published 4 years ago, and it already feels quite dated (lots of discussions about Flickr but zero about Instagram, the Facebook updates studied are from the inadvisable third-person era, it uses the term Web 2.0 unselfconsciously, etc.). The transitory nature of internet speak must really stick in the craw of academics.
Second, this reminds me of many of the textbook reading I did in college (both undergrad and masters). It's full of overly complicated Academese used to make explicit many ideas of the "no shit Sherlock" variety. It's general often to the point of uselessness. The whole book basically serves as a catalogue of potential areas of applied linguistics study, so I guess it would be suitable for people just starting on their masters who need some ideas for what to focus on.
I mean, there are sections I would happily read a whole book about (how marginalisation is perpetuated in digital communications, the Romanization of languages, the shifting historical views on single authorship and ownership of original works, etc.), but these topics, while super fascinating to me, are just barely touched on.
I also found it interesting what the author chose to focus on. Specifically, she focuses a lot on code-switching, I'm assuming because it seems to be a particular area of expertise for her.
I think David Crystal (a well-known linguist who studies and writes a lot about all this internet speak stuff) has it right when at the beginning of his book Internet Linguistics he asks, "How does one write a student guide to a subject that does not exist - or, at least, does not exist in such a recognized form that it appears routinely as a course in university syllabuses or as a chapter in anthologies of linguistics?" and acknowledges that all guides on digital communication at this point are going to look very different because it's such a relatively new area of study and will depend on the size of the focus of the author.
This newness makes me all tingly to think about. Things are always messy and indefinite and interesting at the beginning. I'm so excited to learn more about linguistics and see how this all develops.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews