New Books in Communications Christian Ilbury, "Researching Language and Digital Communication" (Routledge, 2025)
Apr 20, 2025
Christian Ilbury, a Lecturer in Sociolinguistics at the University of Edinburgh, dives into his new guide on language and digital communication. He shares fascinating insights on how digital platforms, like TikTok, shape linguistic identities and youth language. The conversation touches on concepts like 'context collapse' and the evolving significance of online interactions. Additionally, Ilbury examines language misconceptions and biases faced by diverse dialect speakers, emphasizing the need for accessible educational resources in sociolinguistics.
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Christian's Early Linguistic Identity
- Christian Ilbury shares how early experiences with his accent signaled social information about his identity.
- This personal story led him into sociolinguistics focused on language variation and social meaning.
Shift from Internet Linguistics to Contextual Study
- Early internet linguistics framed online language as a new variety mixing speech and writing.
- Now the field studies language use situationally across diverse digital platforms instead of a single net language.
Impact of Context Collapse Online
- Context collapse merges separate social domains like work and family into one digital space.
- This forces people to manage mixed audiences and influences their online language and platform choices.
