Íslenskt mál og almenn málfræði - 01.01.2023, Síða 157

Vanessa Isenmann:
The term Icelandic in the title of my thesis refers to the Icelandic context of
my research. I was interested in the digital practices of Icelandic native
speakers. More specifically, I was interested in the linguistic repertoire that
Icelandic native speakers generally draw upon in digital contexts. The
Icelandic language is still of high cultural importance to the Icelandic speech
community. Against this backdrop, I think it is valid to use categorizations,
as done in Icelandic, when we want to research the linguistic practices of said
speech community in different contexts, as for example in digital contexts.

As you point out in the thesis, researchers often describe computer-mediated
communication as a new language variety between written and spoken language.
In social media, blogs, and personal communication on the web we see language
use that is more associated with conversational language than the formal, written
standard that we expect in published texts. We often see colloquialisms, slang,
abbreviations, swearwords, etc. Therefore, my next question is as follows:
Is using formal written language as a point of departure for the study the best
way to approach language use on social media, and if so, why?

Vanessa Isenmann:
I am not sure if using formal written language is necessarily the best point
of departure, but it is certainly a point and it was the point of departure that
I chose as I needed a reference point to start from. Another starting point
could have been spoken communication, but that did not seem feasible, as
there is not enough research on spoken communication. Also, computer-
mediated communication (CMC) materializes in writing and semiotic char-
acters. It is more planned than spoken informal communication. Further -
more, in speaking we cannot express features such as emojis. It is through
the internet and the new ways of communication that we now have access
to texts that are characterized by informal writing styles.

3. The matched-guise test
I will now move on to the matched-guise test, which is the first of the three stud-
ies presented in the thesis. I will begin with a simple question about the organi-
zation of the thesis. You place the matched-guise test as the first of the three
studies. However, in the conclusion, in which you summarize your results, you
address this one last.
Why did you decide to start with the matched-guise test? Does it matter in
which order you present the studies?

Comments and discussion points from the first opponent 157