A study on the Use of Abbreviations in Computer-mediated Communication Among Chinese College Students
Abstract
The invention of the Internet witnesses the development of the Computer-mediated Communication（CMC）. One characteristic of it is abbreviation which can be distinguished by emoticon, homophone and the use of numbers etc. The study aims at investigating: (a) the phenomenon of using English CMC among a Chinese sample of college students in SJTU; (b) Possible relatedness between participants’ habits of using CMC language and factors, such as the Principle of Economy, participants' genders, psychological needs and personalities. To assess cognitive knowledge, participants are asked to estimate to what extent they recognize CMC language as well as the factors behind. Moreover, significant correlations are found between the different categories of CMC language and factors, especially genders regarding the use of CMC language. Males tend to recognize, identify and use more word abbreviations, while females have tendency to use more emoticons. What’s more, males’ and females’ motivations for using CMC show some unique variance. Males pay more attention to the personality of their communication while girls focus more on the effects of their chat. The results of the present study could help extend the acknowledgment regarded the use of abbreviated English CMC in China.
Keywords：Computer-mediated Communication, abbreviation, college student
摘        要
因特网的诞生促使网民接触并且接受网络语言这一新的语域。网络语言的特点在于大量使用缩写形式，如谐音改写、单词数字化、符号化等等。本文以上海交通大学学生为例，旨在探讨（a）中国大学生使用英语网络语言中的缩写词汇这一现状;（b）各因素如性别、经济原则、心理状况、追求个性与大学生使用网络语言行为之间的关系。通过问卷样本自我评估使用网络语言的情况，本研究发现各因素尤其是性别与大学生使用不同类别的网络语言之间存在联系。男生较多使用字母缩写，而女生更喜欢使用符号化的网络缩略语，此外，男女生使用网络语言的动机也存在差异，男生更多为了标新立异去使用网络语言，而女生则是为了更好的聊天效果去使用网络语言。本研究结论可以帮助人们更好认识中国网民使用英语网络语言这一现象。
关键词：英语网络语言、缩略语、大学生