John Benjamins Publishing Company
A sociolinguistic analysis of transnational SMS practices
Abstract
From the field of the sociolinguistics of globalisation, this article investigates the linguistic features of transnational SMS talk, focusing on the heteroglossic and hybrid multilingual text messaging practices and the ICT-mediated vernacular literacies of a very heterogeneous small group of migrants establishing transnational networks in the outskirts of Barcelona. It shows that migrants employ highly flexible, non-elite linguae francae or “we-codes” for successful inter-group communication which are based on heterography, orality, anti-standardness and transidiomaticity. It also explores the social indexicalities of such SMS practices, and claims that, against a highly ideologised discursive regime which classifies them as “faulty” or “deviant”, transnational migrants’ text messages offer an insight into how these highly mobile citizens attain the necessary degree of social agency to unfold their many transnational identities, re-negotiate their belonging and entitlement to host-society resources, and manage to organise their life trajectories and prospects largely successfully.
Abstract
From the field of the sociolinguistics of globalisation, this article investigates the linguistic features of transnational SMS talk, focusing on the heteroglossic and hybrid multilingual text messaging practices and the ICT-mediated vernacular literacies of a very heterogeneous small group of migrants establishing transnational networks in the outskirts of Barcelona. It shows that migrants employ highly flexible, non-elite linguae francae or “we-codes” for successful inter-group communication which are based on heterography, orality, anti-standardness and transidiomaticity. It also explores the social indexicalities of such SMS practices, and claims that, against a highly ideologised discursive regime which classifies them as “faulty” or “deviant”, transnational migrants’ text messages offer an insight into how these highly mobile citizens attain the necessary degree of social agency to unfold their many transnational identities, re-negotiate their belonging and entitlement to host-society resources, and manage to organise their life trajectories and prospects largely successfully.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgements vii
- Foreword 1
- Introduction 3
-
Articles
- Seek&Hide 11
- SMS experience and textisms in young adolescents 29
- Automatic or Controlled Writing? 47
- Development of SMS language from 2000 to 2010 67
- Texto4Science 87
- SMS communication as plurilingual communication 111
- French text messages 141
- A sociolinguistic analysis of transnational SMS practices 169
- Negation marking in French text messages 191
- “i didn’t spel that wrong did i. Oops” 217
- Lol , mdr and ptdr 239
- Index 265
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgements vii
- Foreword 1
- Introduction 3
-
Articles
- Seek&Hide 11
- SMS experience and textisms in young adolescents 29
- Automatic or Controlled Writing? 47
- Development of SMS language from 2000 to 2010 67
- Texto4Science 87
- SMS communication as plurilingual communication 111
- French text messages 141
- A sociolinguistic analysis of transnational SMS practices 169
- Negation marking in French text messages 191
- “i didn’t spel that wrong did i. Oops” 217
- Lol , mdr and ptdr 239
- Index 265
