Sociolinguistics: English Language Changes Due to Social Media

This assignment, an essay on sociolinguistics, explores the significant impact of social media on the English language. It delves into how social media has introduced new vocabulary, abbreviations (like LOL and TTYL), and slang, leading to changes in both written and oral communication. The essay examines the causes of these changes, including the freedom of expression and the influence of internet culture, and provides examples of new words like "fleek" and "selfie". It discusses the emergence of generational gaps in language use and the challenges faced by older generations in understanding the new forms of English. The essay further analyzes the potential negative effects of this evolving language, particularly when users are unfamiliar with the new terms, and explores the implications for communication and understanding. The essay concludes by emphasizing the ever-evolving nature of language and the need for awareness of these changes.

SOCIOLINGUISTICS IN
LANGUAGE TEACHING

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
(a) How social media can change English language..............................................................3
(b) Effect(s) of this “recent” language can be problematic, especially when users of new forms
are ignorant towards others....................................................................................................6
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
Over the years, social media has brought ample number of changes within society like
utilisation of English language on different social media tools (Facebook, Instagram, and so on).
English language is considered to be one of the crucial subject which has gone through various
changes like use of abbreviations like LOL (Laugh Out Loud) and TTYL (Talk To You Later).
Basically, it has been analysed that emergence of Internet led society to invent new types of both
oral and written language (Bayley and Villarreal, 2018).
Present essay will be focusing on how social media has changed both written and oral
usage of English words. Including this, essay report will also deliver the information in relation
to effects of “recent” language which can be considered as some of the crucial problems for users
that are not aware of the utilised abbreviations by the communicator and so on. Lastly, a
conclusion will be made on different findings on how social media has impacted on day to day
usage of English words while communicating.
MAIN BODY
(a) How social media can change English language.
According to Rampton and Charalambous, (2020), new era where public from all over
the world has started utilising different social media networks to communicate. Basically, it is
the platform where tweets, blogs, and Facebook posts are specifically being utilised by
individuals to communicate and in order to become eye catchy, many of the individuals has
started utilising different abbreviations and this has resulted into increase in words along with
abbreviations as well. Including this, it has been analysed that academic journalists along with
social media professionals do not keep their focus on how English has been written by public
while communicating with others. Away with this, it can be said that freedom of utilising
English words in different ways has brought ample number of trends and some of these are:
Introducing new vocabulary, Appropriating existing vocabulary, Generational language gap
and so on (Block, 2018).
Introduction of new vocabulary has already taken place in today's world, where internet is
considered to be a major element which has impacted the most on English language. Some of
these changes like before a couple of decades people were not aware of the different terms like
“fleek”, “selfie”, “YOLO”, “unfriend” and so on. But, today it can be said that these are said to

be some of the words which are mostly utilised by public in day to day life while communicating
with others. It has also been analysed that, some of these words are also included in Oxford
Dictionary like “YOLO”, which means You Only Live Once. On the other hand, if it is talked
about some of the other compound words like “Amazeballs”, “Craptacular” and so on are
included within Oxford Dictionary. Another trend that came in front of combining the two
different names of a famous couple like Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt which was modified into
Brangelina. Including this, it has also been analysed that social media also brought various
acronyms like “LOL” (Laugh Out Loud), “FOMO” (Fear of Missing Out), OMG (Oh My God),
“TBT” (Throwback Thursday) and so on (Cheshire and Fox, 2016).
On the other side, some of the modifications has also been taken into consideration
within existing vocabulary of English Language as well due to social media like the word
“Wall”, where in the past it was only to be known as a wall of a house. But, in modern world it is
also understood or known as Main Page of a user's profile of Facebook or any other social media
tool. It has also been analysed that there are some of the crucial elements through which it can be
said that social media has impacted or affected the English language. Basically, these changes
came in front is because of the continuous development that taking place in life of public in both
psychological and physical terms.
These alterations has also brought different meaning of some of other words like Tablet,
which was in the past only used for medicines. But in today's time it can also be referred to
portable screens as well. Including this, some of the other words like “Troll” is now considered
or said to be as when an internet user posts something funny on other person's wall in order to
seek attention through putting an unreasonable comment. Also, “Streaming”, which is now said
to be continuous flow of Internet speed, where a user is playing game, performing an activity
through getting live on Facebook, Instagram and so on. On the other hand, Copycat, Catfish and
so on are referred to a social media influencer, a common internet user that specifically performs
same sort of an act, or poses in the same way like a celebrity or any other individuals and post it
on online platforms (García, Flores and Spotti, 2017).
However, these changes has also brought a different range of challenges for the older
generation like parents, grand parents and so on. Some of these challenges are like difficulties
faced by them while talking to their children or grand children. Based on an investigation done
by Samsung, it has been analysed that 86% of participants (2000 parents) has given their answers

or mentioned that, they specifically feels a lot of changes in their children at the time of
communicating with them on different social media platforms or they use totally different form
of English language. Away with this, based on the study which was undertaken by Samsung it
can clearly be said that parents and their children are facing seismic generational gap. Basically,
it is the significant section or area where it can easily be said that modern informal language is
specifically being used by young generation, which specifically created communication gap or
made their parents to go through difficulties while communicating with them over any social
media website or application like Facebook, Instagram, and so on. Also, if it is analysed then
emoji that are presently utilised by most of the youngsters while communicating can be an
official language in near future (Kraut, Smyser and Brooks, 2016).
There are some of the studies, which has been conducted by social media professionals
that has mentioned that incorporation of modern way of communicating with others are required
to be indulged in different subjects. This will not only help individuals to start improvising their
interpersonal skills but it is also possible that new language might take place in near future based
on the subject, which is much more easier to learn and to understand. On the other hand, in order
to reduce the communication gap, there are various interventions or strategies that took place like
‘Real Time Practice’, which not only will allow learner to simulating real-live business
situations, and it will also help in practising the communication skills live with a trainer which
might help a learner in getting appropriate knowledge in specified time frame. In present context,
it has been analysed that role play scenarios would lead to allow students to start gaining
knowledge about media language or practising it in much more faster an in effective ways. All
the changes that are taking place along with the future ones are taken into consideration in this
type of course, which helps learners to get the best knowledge in relation to communicative
language of social media websites and application to interact with others in much effective and
in efficient manner (McKay and Bokhorst-Heng, 2017).
Therefore, both negative and positive changes has been brought by social media within
communication process specifically in English language. On the other hand,, it can also be said
that social media in present time is considered or said to be an effective playground where a user
can easily pull out a trend through introducing new words and so on. However, it is pretty much
needed for social media professionals and other individuals to start conducting analysis so that
no wrong utilisation of words for different subjects could take place. It is also said that providing

a unique or innovative platform like social media, which is said to be a free area where there is
not problems takes place like grammatical rules along with the syntax has brought various
changes within English Language and in near future, there are many of other alterations may also
takes place and in near future as well it can be much more creative, innovative along with
forward thinking as well, which will be much more effective to understand and so on. Away with
this, language has always been ever-evolving. Although the developments and trends we witness
in language over time are significant, the foundation of the English language remains as strong
and infallible as it always has been (Parks, 2020).
Including this, it can also be said that there are ample number of online brands like
Google, which has brought various changes within English Language. This could be understood
with a good example, where “Google it” phrase is utilised by internet users in order to perform
any sort of search on their search engine portal named as google.
(b) Effect(s) of this “recent” language can be problematic, especially when users of new forms
are ignorant towards others.
Considering the intentionalism and Encoding/Decoding paradigm approach, it can be said
that there are a range of properties which stays available in speakers' intentions. On the other
hand, if it is talked about perspective-taking paradigm then it directly links to addressee's point
of view. Focusing upon both different approaches like Encoding/Decoding, Intentionalism, along
with the Perspective-taking paradigms it has been analysed that there are a range of effects that
took place of “recent” language like it has brought gaps among both new and old generation
which can be named as seismic generational gap. This could be understood with a good example,
where mostly on social media youngsters specifically uses short forms like “Please” as “Plz”
(informal English Language) and new abbreviations like “YOLO”, “LOL” and so on (Rampton
and Charalambous, 2020).
Basically, this type of language utilised by youngsters which is easy for them to
understand but if it is talk about old age people or their parents then it is really very hard for
them to understand. This is where, conflicts may take place if the receiver of the information is
ignoring the new form which has been utilised by sender. On the other hand, it has been analysed
that social media has both negative and positive impact on number of information recipients
individuals can communicate with, to the extent of a global scale, and the frequency of
communication. Another effect of social media on English Language that came in front is that

most of the individuals (internet users) has started slang utilization on social media platforms and
this appears to misdirect numerous individuals to utilize off sentence structure, base spelling
along with casual language.
The ubiquity of slang has just developed to the degree that a few words have become
some portion of customary correspondence in English. As mentioned by Information Resources
Management Association there is a the probability of a general debilitating in legitimate
language aptitudes in light of the fact that most discussions via web-based networking media are
brimming with shortened forms, incorrectly spelled words, and contractions. According to …,
clarifying the situation by bringing up that most internet based life communication is worried
about being sober minded and that the most noteworthy needs are availability and shared
intelligibility. While, contractions and ill-advised language utilize might be intelligible among
teenagers and youngsters, more established individuals now and then have issues understanding
the cutting edge casual language. Be that as it may, for some individuals, the utilization of casual
language as affected by online networking appears to have made English less difficult, however
the capacity to convey profound contemplations is maybe disintegrated.
Including this, another notable effect that can be seen of social media is directly
connected to new vocabulary linking to English language. As mentioned by Smith and Durham,
(2019), continuous increase within utilisation of slang has not only raised concerns that were
linking to mainstream English language. But, it has also brought new terms like "memes,"
"selfie," "unfriend", “”Google it” and so on can be considered as part of most of the youngster's
daily life. On the other hand, acronyms like TBT, OMG, LOL and DM has impacted on different
social media platforms and changed the written English and ordinary verbal methodologies used
by both young and older generations. Away with this, it can also be said that there are a range of
words that are unheard of English language has raised conflicts among avoiders or the
individuals who avoids utilisation of new words or acronyms. It is said because, somewhere it is
affecting negatively on Grammar but it has also made communication faster. Therefore,
introduction of new acronyms and other new words has helped youngsters to perform fast
communication which has resulted strongly on their interpersonal skills and other skills as well
like time management and so on.
Although, it has been analysed that some of the acronyms that came in front were
introduced in a short span and also got discarded as well at same rate. Based on the information

or argument presented by Block, (2018), trends may come and go on internet linking to English
language. Basically, it is said to be a lazy but an effective form of performing communication
within fast-paced society which has specifically built convenient interaction among social media
users. Including this, another problem that came in front of using this type of language is that it
raised informal speech within wrong contexts. But, if it is critically analysed then it can easily be
said that social media seems to create a more sense of awareness of English language mistakes
because some readers spot the errors and point them out through comments.
CONCLUSION
With the help of above mentioned report, it is being concluded that English Language,
which is utilised by internet users on social media can be considered as a new form of formal
communication language that can take place in near future. It is also summarised that, this
approach is much more fruitful for youngsters, social media influencers along with the general
public, because it is easy to understand for the internet users.
However, it is pretty much needed for older generations like parents and grand parents of
youngsters to develop interest towards effective learning so that they could also effectively learn
the new forms of abbreviations, short forms and appropriating existing vocabulary as the
language which is utilised on social media can be approved as an official language in near future.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Bayley, R. and Villarreal, D., 2018. Cultural Attitudes Toward Language Variation and
Dialects. The TESOL Encyclopedia of English Language Teaching, pp.1-7.
Block, D., 2018. Language, Education and Neoliberalism: Critical Studies in Sociolinguistics.
Cheshire, J. and Fox, S., 2016. From sociolinguistic research to English language teaching.
In Creating and Digitizing Language Corpora (pp. 265-290). Palgrave Macmillan,
London.
García, O., Flores, N. and Spotti, M. eds., 2017. The Oxford handbook of language and society.
Oxford University Press.
Kraut, R., Smyser, H. and Brooks, Z., 2016. Teaching and Learning in Multilingual Contexts:
Sociolinguistic and Educational Perspectives, by Otwinowska, A. & De Angelis, G.
(2014). Bristol, United Kingdom: Multilingual Matters. 238 pp. $49.95 (paperback).
McKay, S.L. and Bokhorst-Heng, W.D., 2017. International English in its sociolinguistic
contexts: Towards a socially sensitive EIL pedagogy. Routledge.
Parks, E., 2020. Developing Critical Cultural Awareness in Modern Languages: A Comparative
Study of Higher Education in North America and the United Kingdom. Routledge.
Rampton, B. and Charalambous, C., 2020. Sociolinguistics and everyday (in)
securitization. Journal of Sociolinguistics, 24(1), pp.75-88.
Smith, J. and Durham, M., 2019. Sociolinguistic variation in children's language: Acquiring
community norms. Cambridge University Press.