Internet Language Study in China

Abstract

Research on Chinese netspeak took off just before the turn of the century. After almost thirty years, it is now a robust field of study that engages the next generation of Chinese linguistic researchers and draws attention from multiple disciplines. With an objective to identify research trends and relevant research interests for future Chinese netspeak studies, this chapter revisits previous research published in Chinese academic periodicals and sourced for the Chinese Social Science Citation Index (CSSCI) from 1994 – the first year China had access to the global Internet – to 2019.

An analysis of 504 studies published in major journals under the keyword “netspeak” (wǎngluò yǔyán, 网络语言) reveals a clear trajectory in research development. The earliest research, published before the year 2000, is characterized by inquisitiveness about this new way of speaking and uncertainty over its implications on the Chinese language. In the first decade of the twenty-first century, the field shifted its focus to how netspeak as a social language interacts with netizens’ psychology as well as Chinese society and culture. Between 2011 and 2019, the scope of research further expanded as netspeak became increasingly prominent in both official and public spheres. In the last decade, it has become an interdisciplinary subject that spans different fields of knowledge, including linguistics, education, law, communication, and cultural studies. This chapter concludes by calling for Chinese netspeak research to focus on strengthening its theoretical foundation, broadening its research scope, and enhancing its research focus to promote the future development of the field.