is english there? : investigating language use among young algerian users of internet

318 Pages·2013·4.96 MB·English

University of Oran
Faculty of Letters, Languages and Arts
Department of Anglo-Saxon Languages
Section of English

IS ENGLISH THERE? : INVESTIGATING LANGUAGE USE
AMONG YOUNG ALGERIAN USERS OF INTERNET

Mrs Bounader Zitouni Mimouna

A Thesis Submitted in Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of
Doctorat es-Science in Sociolinguistics

Board of Examiners

Chairperson : Dr. Benhattab Abdelkader. Lotfi University of Oran
Supervisor: Pr. Yacine Rachida University of Oran
Examiner : Pr. Bahous Abbes University of Mostaganem
Examiner: Dr. Belmekki Amine University of Tlemcen
Examiner: Dr. Ouerad Abbes University of Sidi Belabes
Examiner: Dr. Moulfi Leila University of Oran

2012-2013
Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements
“Whoever is thankful (to God) is in fact thankful for his own self. But if anyone is
ungrateful, god is self-sufficient and glorious” (Coran 31:12) … Thanks to God

‘It takes a village to raise a child.’
African Proverb

To achieve this large-scale project a number of people and institutions had a major
impact on it and my professional development.
I am particularly grateful to my supervisor, Pr Yacine Rachida, who offered constant
support and showed enthusiasm to supervise this research work. Her unwavering faith in
me gave me strength, confidence and determination and her perceptive and critical eye
shaped the course of my research more than she will realize.
I am greatly indebted to my former supervisor, the late Dr. Benali Rachid. I was
extraordinarily fortunate in having him as a supervisor after the late professor Pr
Bouamrane Ali. He believed in me and supported me constantly without pressure. I could
never have embarked and finished all of this without his support.
I would like also to record my gratitude to the late professor, Pr Bouamrane Ali, who -
as my magister supervisor - was most supportive of my research. He has been a mentor,
role model and critic in the best of senses. He, more than anyone, has helped to shape who
I am as both a researcher and teacher and has taught me that “to be a researcher is an art of
the mind and the heart”.
I have to thank Pr Bouhadiba Farouk, whose expertise and academic excellence
added considerably to my post-graduate experience. I want to thank him for his lectures in
sociolinguistics and research methodology which were of a great benefit for the
elaboration of this work.

I
Acknowledgements

My appreciation and thanks are extended to the members of my thesis committee who
accepted to examine my research and who will hopefully correct, evaluate and advise.
Thank you for giving me some of your experience and thank you for sharing my own
experience.
I should also acknowledge with gratitude the financial support I received from my
country-ALGERIA- and more precisely my professional home: University of Oran for
funding partially my research journeys to different foreign countries - mainly UK, France,
UE, and Spain where I was able to benefit from relevant and up to date literature.
Besides, I have benefited from the generosity of some scholars who have contributed
their time and expertise in various ways; I owe a debt of gratitude to the following
scholars:
(cid:1) Dr Benhattab Abdelkader. L for the continual support and guidance that helped to
give this study a breadth it would otherwise lack.
(cid:1) Dr Moulfi for her assistance and unfailing helpfulness especially for administrative
matters.
(cid:1) Pr Lakhdar Barka Sidi Mohamed whose precious advice allowed me to clarify and
to refine my work. Your clarity of vision in looking for larger issues, simpler
questions with more complex answers, contributed much to how I have undertaken
research. I am grateful for the caring you gave to my research work and to all our
interactions.
(cid:1) Pr Miliani Mohamed deserves thanks for his ongoing practical support and
stimulating discussion. I thank him also for his never lacking enthusiasm for
research, for his professionalism, and personal charisma which never ceased to
push me forward.
(cid:1) Dr Djaileb Farida, she has been an excellent source of advice and guidance. She
also went above and beyond the call of duty in encouraging me and helping me,
and I will always be grateful.
II
Acknowledgements

(cid:1) Pr Bahous Abbes, who has a place in my heart for his warm and generous
welcome when I am looking for advice.
(cid:1) Dr Neddar for providing me with a wealth of information, and Dr Belbachir for
being an ardent supporter when I was at my wit's end.
(cid:1) The late Dr. Bouhend for having so strongly believed in me.
In these acknowledgements I must, of course, also mention my students. It was these
people who inspired all the research questions and results you will find in this dissertation.
I also heartily thank two statisticians and a computing engineer whom I pushed to the
limits of patience.
Finally, I want to acknowledge any mistakes in this dissertation. Despite all my efforts,
it is only a ‘human work’. The faults that lingered in it are exclusively my responsibility.

III
Dedication

Dedication
No act of intellectual activity is ever achieved in isolation. All work is collaborative.
For me this dissertation should be dedicated to an infinite web of family, friends and
colleagues who gave support, either knowingly or not.
First and foremost, this work is dedicated to my parents because it is owing to their
faith that I was equal to the task and that it is now as good as I can make it.
To my husband who has been the solid rock on which I have stood during moments of
frustration and despair. His contributions towards the successful completion of the
dissertation are too many to cite here. For that and many other things, he has my awe, my
thanks and my love.
To my children: Anes, Rihem , Rawan, and the new comer.
To my sisters (Hanane, Fatima Zohra, and Asma), my brother (Mohamed el Amine)
and my brothers in law (Abboubakr, khaled, and Fouzi). I thank all of them for their
unconditional love and care and the tolerance for my excuses for staying away from many
family reunions.
To my beloved grandmother ‘Lella’ whom I love more than I will ever be able to
express.
I am privileged to have close friends who played the roles of confident, therapist, and
Mentor. They were here to inspire me, teach me, forgive me, and share with me. Thank
you to the following people: Zaghar Fatma, Belbachir Rafiaa, Djaileb Farida, Dehmoune
Amel, Baghli Wafae , Benhattab Abdelkader Lotfi, Addi Lahcen, Bouguedra
Abdelmadjid, Belmekki Belkacem, Boukreris el Ouafia, Ghlamallah Nahed, Sebane
Zoubida , Ouali Dalila, and Labed Zahira.
To my colleagues at the English Section – University of Oran.
Finally, I dedicate this dissertation to those who use research and education to improve
our understanding of ourselves and of others.
IV
Contents

Contents
Acknowledgments I
Dedication IV
Contents V
Abstract XIII
Résumé XV
List of Abbreviations, Figures, and Tables XVII
General Introduction 01

Part One: Theoretical Considerations
Chapter One: An Overview and Rationale for the Study
1.1 Introduction 6
1.2 Surveying the Terrain of Computer Mediated Communication 7
1.2.1 An Information Age 7
1.2.1.1The Internet: A definition 9
1.2.1.2 The Starting Point 11
1.2.1.3 A Step Forward 11
1.2.1.4 Internet Use Worldwide 12
1.2.1.5 The World Wide Web 13
1.3 Computer-Mediated Communication 14
1.3.1In the Beginning 14
1.3.2 What is Computer-Mediated Communication? 16
1.3.3 Computer Mediated Communication Modes 18
1.3.3.1 Synchronous versus Asynchronous CMC 20
1.3.3.1.1Instant Messaging: One-to-One Synchronous CMC 21
1.3.3.1.2 Chat: One-to-Many Synchronous CMC 25
1.3.3.1.3 Short Message Service (SMS): One-to-One Asynchronous CMC 27
1.3.3.1.3.1 Mobile Phone Technology 27
1.3.3.1.3.2 What is SMS? 28
1.3.3.1.4 E-mail 35
1.3.3.1.4.1 A Definition 35
V
Contents

1.3.3.1.4.3 The Pros and Cons of E-Mail 40
1.3.3.4 CMC in Africa and Algeria 40
1.4.1 What Makes a (Speech) Community? 45
1.4.2 CMC Virtual Communities 47
1.4.3 A Netizen’s Life 51
1.4.4 Internet’s Potential for Human-to-Human Contact 52
1.5 What is this Research about? 54
1.5.1 The Research’s Skeleton 54
1.5.1.1 Delimitation of the Study 54
1.5.1.2 The Scientific Method 55
1.5.1.3 In the Beginning 56
1.5.1.4 Research Questions (RQS) 59
1.5.1.4.1 Problem Statement 59
1.5.1.4.2 Sub-Problems 59
1.5.1.5 Hypotheses 60
1.5.1.6 Aims of the Research 61
1.5.1.6.1 General Aim 61
1.5.1.6.2 Specific Aims 61
1.5.1.7 Motivation of the Research 61
1.5.1.8 Potential Relevance of the Research 62
1.5.1.9 Implications of the Findings 63
1.5.2 Structure of the Research Work 63
1.6 Chapter Summary 64
Chapter Two: Literature Review
2.1 Introduction 67
2.2 E-Mail Discourse (RQ1) 68
2.2.1The Impact of Technology on Language 68
2.2.1.1Information and Communication Technologies 68
2.2.1.2 The Move from Page to Screen 68
2.2.1.3 Language Change 69
2.2.1.4 Discourse and Technology 70
VI
Contents

2.2.1.5 Online versus Offline Language 71
2.2.2 CMC Language 73
2.2.2.1 Computer – Mediated Discourse 73
2.2.2.2 CMD as a Communication Revolution 74
2.2.2.3 CMD as a Linguistic Revolution 75
2.2.2.4 Previous Research on Computer – Mediated Communication 76
2.2.2.5 Previous Research on Computer – Mediated Discourse 77
2.2.2.6 Research on the Linguistic Structure of CMC Language 79
2.2.3 E-Mail Language 80
2.2.3.1 Previous Research on E-mail Discourse 81
2.2.3.2 E-mail Linguistic Properties 83
2.2.3.2.1 Neography 83
2.2.3.2.2 Mode Mixing: E-mail on the Oral-Written Continuum 86
2.2.3.2.2.1 Speech versus Writing 86
2.2.3.2.2.1.1 Writing and Speech as Objects of Analysis 86
2.2.3.2.2.1.2 General Features of Speech and Writing 89
2.2.3.2.2.2 Speech versus Writing in CMC 91
2.2.3.2.2.3 ED is Speech, Writing, or Both? 94
2.2.3.3 Language Mixing in ED 96
2.2.3.3.1 Code Switching in the Global Context 96
2.2.3.3.2 Research on Code Switching in Writing 98
2.2.3.3.3 Code Switching in CMC 101
2.2.3.3.3.1Over- generalizations 102
2.2.3.3.3.2 Synchronicity versus Asynchronicity in CMC 102
2.2.3.3.3 Code Switching in E-Mail Communication 103
2.3 Language Attitudes towards E-Mail Communication (RQ2) 108
2.3.1 ED as a New Linguistic Beast 108
2.3.1.1 ED as a Form of Writing 109
2.3.1.2 ED as a Form of Speech 111
2.3.1.3 ED as a combination of spoken and written language (Mix & Match) 113
2.3.1.4 ED as a Distinct Style (E-Style) 114
VII
Contents

2.3.1.3.5 ED as a Still Evolving Language Style (Contact System) 115
2.3.2 Is E-mail Communication Deteriorating Language? 116
2.3.2.1 Language as Rule-Governed Behaviour 117
2.3.2.2 Prescriptivism 118
2.3.2.3 Prescriptivism in the Written Genre 121
2.3.2.4 CMC ‘Break’ the Rules 122
2.4 E-Learning through E-mail communication (RQ3) 127
2.4.1 E-learning: A Fashionable Mode of Learning 127
2.4.2 E-Learning Communities 130
2.4.3 E-mail: An Opportunity for Language Education 130
2.4.4 How good E-Mail is for Language Education? 131
2.4.5 E-Mail: An Opportunity for Language Learning 132
2.5 Chapter Summary 134

Part Two: Research Methodology and Findings
Chapter Three: Research Design and Data Collection
3.1 Introduction 137
3.2 Issues in Corpus Design 137
3.2.1 A Threefold Research: What Data for Which Questions? 137
3.2.2 Research Instruments 137
3.2.3 Research Methodologies in the Field of Computer-Mediated 140
Communication
3.2.3.1 Quantitative versus Qualitative Framework of Study 140
3.2.4 Case Research Methodology 143
3.2.5The Sample 144
3.3 The Online Language Diaries 146
3.3.1 Recalling the Research Question 146
3.3.1.1 Problem Statement 146
3.3.1.2 Hypotheses 147
3.3.2 Data collection procedure 147
3.3.2.1 The Research Tool 147
VIII
Contents

3.3.2.2 The Pilot Study 147
3.3.2.3 Procedure 147
3.3.2.4 Ethical Issues 150
3.3.2.5 Authenticity and Relevance 152
3.3.2.6 Time management 153
3.3.2.7Amount of Data 153
3.3.2.8 Data processing 155
3.4 The Interview 155
3.4.1 Recalling the Research Question 155
3.4.1.1 Problem Statement 155
3.4.1.3 Hypotheses 155
3.4.2 Data Collection 156
3.4.2.1 Research Tool 156
3.4.2.2The Sample 156
3.4.2.3 Procedure 156
3.4.2.4Informed Consent 158
3.4.3 On-Going of the Interviews 159
3.4.4 Data processing 161
3.5 The Questionnaire 161
3.5.1 Recalling the Research Question 161
3.5.1.1 Problem Statement 161
3.5.1.2 Sub-Problems 162
3.5.1.3 The Hypotheses 162
3.5.2 The Research Tool 162
3.5.3 The Questionnaire’s Parts 163
3.5.4 The Questionnaire Layout 164
3.5.5 The Pilot Questionnaire: 164
3.5.5.1 The Paper-and- Pencil-Questionnaire versus the Online Questionnaire, 165
Which one is the one?
3.5.5.2 A Multi-Page Questionnaire 165
3.5.6 The Actual Population 166
IX