Internet Discourse: Metalanguage Models of Practice

Abstract

The article is devoted to the identification and systematization of generalized prototypical traits of online communication in linguistic context. The identification of these traits and their presentation in the form of models is an important issue of objective metadescription of modern speech practice. The involvement of discursive paradigm for the characterization of speech practice is relevant in the context of dynamic development of communication: discourse is speech activity, extended in time and space, and is due to wide extra-linguistic context and communicational specifics. Paradigmatic flexibility of discourse is in demand in different methodological perspectives: humanistic, cognitive-semiotic, metalinguistic, phenomenological, etc. Internet as a phenomenon of communication is a modern representative object of interdisciplinary scientific development. The key concept in this regard is the Internet-discourse – speech practice in the field of computer-mediated communication that is due to the format of the Internet. In the context of metalanguage modeling of Internet discourse phenomenological, structural and functional types of models can be highlighted; the typology of, for example, phenomenological models suggests differentiation of their pragmatic, social, and personal integrities. Characteristics of metalanguage models, including Internet surfing, trolling, liking, etc., meets the challenges of modeling of speech practice of the Internet, expounds scientific knowledge about peculiarities and regularities of communication and extends the object base of language research.

Keywords

• discourse
• computer-mediated discourse
• Internet discourse
• computermediated communication
• speech practice
• metalanguage
• model.