语言学-网络语言.doc

The Internet Language
As with the development of modern science and technology, computers are no longer a mystery to human beings. More and more people using computers, the Internet has become indispensable to the regular life, work and study of many people. The Internet exists everywhere. In the virtual world constructed by the Internet, people form into different habits of expressing their emotions and feelings. Therefore, one special language, the Internet language as well as the network language, comes into being.
The Internet language is the production of the Internet and as its name goes, is one language which is applied on the Internet by the netizens. When surfing the internet or scanning different kinds of Bulletin Board System (BBS), either in China or in foreign countries, we are easy to find strange confusing words or marks made by people. Those words, such as “C U” which means “see you”, exactly belong to the Internet language.
So popular the Internet language is that largely influences our life. We could not help thinking why it is produced and whether it is good to human beings or not. To find out the exact reasons why this language emerges, first of all, we should make it clear in what ways it exists.
There are four forms of existence. Take Chinese Internet language for example.
First, the pronunciations play an important role in the Internet language. That of the Internet language and what the words really should be read sound the same or alike. Usually we can see it happens in two ways, both numbers and Chinese characters. When some of the ten Arabic numbers are arranged into another new number, it does not refer to the size or bigness of something in the Internet language. According to the sound of each number, these numbers give voices to all kinds of meanings. “88”, which sounds like “bye-bye” is used to say good-bye, while the pronunciation of “9494” is the same as the Chinese characters jiushijiushi(就是就是)，showing the agreement on one’s opinions. Using the numbers to take place of sound-like Chinese characters, it saves efforts to type After all, who would like to type “I love you forever” while you could just use “5201314” instead? Besides, we could as well use a Chinese phrase or word to replace another Chinese one which has the similar pronunciation. “Bamboo(斑竹)” and “webmaster（版主）” have the same pronunciation in Chinese (banzhu), so that people always type “bamboo” instead of “webmaster”. In the same way, people like to call a person “a prawn（大虾）” but not “a swordsman（大侠）” to describe that he is skilled at computers, involving the feeling of humor.
Second, some Internet phrases or words are based on normal expressions but are more than them. The Internet language changes the original meanings and develops into other meanings. For example, “guanshui（灌水）” is the action of pouring water into a container in the first place. However, on the Internet, people use this phrase to state the action of cautiously writing and expressing their opinions which are often nonsense in chat rooms or BBS. Also, the Internet language defines “upstairs” and “downstairs” a message that is answered closely before you or after you in BBS.
Third, the Internet language used some of the punctuations, Arabic numbers and English letters to recompose different images in order to express emotions and feelings through them. These images look vividly like faces of mankind. For instance, there are a series of smiling “faces”. “:-D” describes the action of laugh widely with mouth open；“:-)” is just a smile; “8-)” is the way that a person who wears glasses smiles; “1-D” shows that people laugh happily. Similarly, from the image “:-(” we can see the sadness.
The last common form of the Internet language is the abbreviation of English and Chinese phrases. These phrases are frequently used by people in regular life, such as “by the way”, “just a moment” and so on. Then on the Internet, “by the way” is abbreviated to “BTW”, “just a moment” to “JAM”, which is actually not correct in English. As the English phrases, based on pinyin, Chinese phrased is used in their short form, too , like “GG” is equal to “gege（哥哥）”.
Having recognized these four common forms of the Internet language, it is much easier for us to understand the reasons why this language comes into being.
In general, three elements all together contribute to it.
Most importantly, the Internet language is created to meet the need of improving typing speed. As we know, the cost of surfing the Internet is basically measured by time. If one person types in a higher speed, it will save much more time for him. That means the faster your speed is, the less money you will spend. The Internet language is the result of changing and reforming numbers, punctuations, letters and English or Chinese words. It becomes faster and more convenient for people to type in when they have a general knowledge of this language. When under the same typing task, obviously, the Internet language will help you save time, and even money.
The second reason is due to the use of Quanpin Input Method System in computers. Nowadays most people are always used to using Quanpin Input Method instead of Five Strop Input Method when playing computers. While in Quanpin Input Method, many Chinese words or phrases are not arranged in the order of frequency of utilization. Then those web users who are not patient do not want to bother themselves to choose the right words and directly use the leading homophones in place. Gradually, the homophones makes up into a new language. Just as the example I have mentioned above, when you type the full pinyin “banzhu”, the first Chinese phrase coming out through Quanpin Input Method is “bamboo（斑竹）”. After netizens use “bamboo” again and again, it spontaneously takes place of “webmaster（版主）”.
In addition, the Internet language is partly resulting from the philosophy of netizens. The main users of the Internet language lie in the young university students, high school students and computer technicians. They are all well-educated, curious about new things and creative. The Internet language is just exactly to their needs. This language not only represents high efficiency, but also is full of the trend and willingness towards learning, breaking rules, changing and progressing. Besides, using unusual individual phrases and words helps to catch others’ attention. Thus, it easily becomes popular among young people.
Though called the Internet language, in fact it is used not only on the Internet. In real life people are yet accustomed to communicating with each other using the new language. Just several days before, my friend found that I often spoke out the word “jiong（囧）”which refers to the expression of feeling sad or frustrated when going out with me. Yet checking the messages sent between two young men, we will simply discover the wide use of the Internet language. Our life, work and study are filled up with the Internet language and are greatly influenced by it..
In some degree, it indeed enriches our life. The Internet language, as the crosstalk and the witty skits, is the reflection of the charm of language. Many novels or articles which contain a lot of Internet slang read refreshing and astounding. If the slang is changed into formal expressions, it will reduce the readability. The Internet language can make communication more visualized and interesting. People are able to understand each other’s feelings and emotions through the funny face images built by the Internet.
However, every coin has two sides. Though the Internet language has brought positive impacts to us, we should not ignore its negative effects.
First of all, the Internet language is a great challenge to Chinese teaching Our traditional Chinese culture has a long history about five thousand years. It has its own grammar and all kinds of rules. While the Internet language has largely converted the original Chinese language, which turns out to be not normative at all in grammar to a great extent. As the main population using the Internet language includes students, who are the most likely to be effected by this language. Because they are curious about new things, yet in the best state of learning new things, they may unconsciously apply whatever they have learnt into studies. We are not overreacting: the reality proves our worry. With more attention paid to the Internet words, students have become less aware of our own traditional Chinese language, bringing difficulties to Chinese teaching. During recent years, we have found a great number of Internet slang written in students’ compositions. The slang, not ever in accordance with Chinese grammar or even the idea the students want to explain, often make teachers confused and the compositions wired. However, we do not mean that the Internet language is forbidden. It could be used, but with much care.
Second, the Internet language widens the generation gap between children and their parents. The young generations like to speak the Internet language, while the parents are not familiar with Internet and seldom have ways to get the knowledge of the Internet language. When talking with children, the parents are not able to catch what they mean, which may result in the less communication between children and parents. What’s worse, it can also lead to the parents’ virulent hostility towards the Internet and cause the reaction that the parents prevent the children from playing computers, surfing the Internet or using the Internet language any more. In that case, the curiosity of the children is not satisfied and the freedom is limited as well, arousing their ill-feeling to their parents. Thus, the Internet language makes the unstable relationship of the two generations much worse.
The network language has both advantages and disadvantages. Then how should we deal with it?
The Internet language is the corollary of the development of our society. As the society progresses, there are surely new words added into our language. We can not simply judge whether it is right or wrong to use the network language.
This new language is a symbol of our developing culture. The wide use of those new strange words is not to be afraid of at all. On the contrary, if our language remains in its original state and never update with time, it will be more terrible. The language system, including only basic words, will only lead to its decadence. The Internet language is the practice of a new language. Since it can become popular among the young generation, it proves to be energetic. To accept it is better than to suppress it.
The Internet language is a derivative of computers and the Internet and representation of the scientific progress. Though there are something incorrect and improper, we are not going to deny it. But in the process of using it, we should select the essence and discard the dross, especially in Chinese teaching. Because there does not exist normative network language yet, to make the youngsters clear how to use the Internet slang, teachers and parents play the major role. They ought to understand the language at first and advise the youngsters the proper occasions to use it.
In conclusion, in spite of the fact that the Internet language has bad influences on our life, work and study, we should not ignore its advantages. We ought to see it in right perspective.