Defining the Nature of Online Chat in Relation to Speech and Writing

Style is considered a pivotal construct in sociolinguistic variation studies. While previous studies have examined style in traditional forms of language such as speech, very little research has examined new and emerging styles such as computer-mediated discourse. Thus, the present study attempts to investigate style in the online communication mode of chat. In so doing, the study compares text-based online chat with speech and writing. Online chat has been previously described as a hybrid form of language that is close to speech. Here, the exact nature of online chat is elucidated by focusing on contraction use. Differential acquisition of stylistic variation is also examined according to English learning background. The empirical component consists of data from Korean speakers of English. Data is taken from a written summary, an oral interview, and a text-based online chat session. A multivariate analysis was conducted. Results indicate that online chat is indeed a hybrid form that is difficult to delineate from speech and writing. Text-based online chat shows a somewhat similar rate of contraction to speech, which confirms its hybridity.. Lastly, some implications of the study are given in terms of the learning and acquisition of style in general and in online contextual modes.