Text Messages: A Computer-Mediated Discourse Analysis

Abstract

This study explores the discourse of text messages from a microlinguistic perspective by means of concordance analysis. It aims at sorting the dominant phonological, lexical and grammatical features that mark texting as a peculiar asynchronous mode of computer-mediated communication. Also, it investigates how technology reshapes texters’ linguistic habits as long as spatio-temporal constraints are imposed. The study goes beyond the description of linguistic features as it takes at its core the explanation of the functions performed by each of these features. Findings showed that most of the phonological, lexical and grammatical features of the discourse of text messages were consciously employed to save space and to speed up communication. Furthermore, the study demonstrated that though the discourse of text messages is space-bound and visually decontextualized, it proved to be cohesive, adaptable and interactive in order to perform common language functions such as greetings, expressing attitudes, congratulations, showing involvement, asking for information and demonstrating social solidarity. Finally, based on textual evidence, findings showed that texters created a set of orthographical surrogates to recompense the absence of verbal and para-verbal cues due to specific technological affordances.