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8. LANGUAGE CHANGE AND VARIATION THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA 
 
Language is viable to change according to the changing needs of its users. The need for language change and 
variation is solely depended upon the professional, social and cultural standards of an individual. The systematic 
learning and regular acquisition of a language is always done due to the importance given to that particular language 
in political, social, cultural, commercial and economic contexts. English language is persistent in affecting and 
effecting globalization and accelerated to envisage all the developmental linguistic changes that any individual or 
nation could ever make. 
 
Due to the advent of communication technology and media in this digital age, English language is rapidly 
witnessing immediate language change from the very first decade of this twenty first century. Little or no use of 

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Sambodhi 
(UGC Care Journal) 
ISSN: 2249-6661 
Vol-43, No.-03 (IV) July-September (2020) 
168 
vowels in the words, abridged usage of abbreviation, transcription and transliteration are commonly noted in the 
language of mobile and e-mail texts. The flavour of English language stands unique even after the mending and 
moulding of terms with other languages. The emergence of non-native varieties of English and its inclination of 
becoming the most used variety in the respective regions has induced the growth of English in multifarious ways. 
The language variation in spelling, tone and style has contributed an immense development in an average non-native 
speaker in their informal communication through voice calls, voice and text messages and emails. The students may 
feel very hard in communicating in formal English, but they seem to be very comfort and ease in using their smart 
mobile phones for their chat slangs in writing SMS and e–mails (Mphahlele & Mashamaite, 2005; Muhammed, 
2014). The use of smart mobile phones for displaying their language abilities through chat slang is a blessing in 
disguise where our true users learn and acquire English language. It should also be equally quoted that the symbolic 
images and emojis have gained popularity for scriptless messages. Thus verbal and nonverbal cues are equally 
instrumental in texting and messaging the content. 
Language needs to expand and face gradual changes and hence new exploration is irresistible. Casual 
conversations both in mobile and internet are tremendously booming and it is extremely seen in personal, social and 
cultural contexts. In informal communication, language is a tool where they use it according to their own purposes. 
Code switching and code mixing is casually seen in informal communications and particularly in Internet chatting 
(Cárdenas-Claros & Isharyanti, 2009; Craig, 2003; Drouin, 2011). Transliteration and transcription in both 
intralanguage and interlanguage are seen all over the world. English has become the global script of computer and 
internet and hence the non-native speakers hold English script to transcript their own vernacular languages 
(Volkova, Ranshous, & Phillips, 2018). It can be also speculated that most people heavily rely on English scripts as 
they does not know to type their mother tongue or vernacular language scripts in computer and mobiles. A native 
speaker would wonder to see the email and SMS transcriptions of a non-native speaker written in English as they 
figure out no meaning with those namesake English scripts. A Tamil New Year Wishes has been sent in English 
transcription as 
Thangalukum,thangalkudumpathinarukum 
Inniyathaithirunalvalthukalmatrum 
tamilputhanduvalthukal … 
EndrumAnbudan,
Mahi.. 
Translated version in English –
Sweet greetings and wish you and your family a very happy Tamil New Year…
With ever love, 
Mahi .. 
The disparity in the meaning and spelling found in certain words and expressions between the British and 
American English is also one of the major criteria where the learners need to understand the major differences and 
equivalents of words to be found in both in UK and US English. Due to the rapid widespread of advanced 
technology and the vast internet resources available in the American English, the students need to know the 
distinction between British and American terminologies. Due to the rising of IT Enabled Services (ITES) like call 
centres and BPO, students attempt to practice US accent. They need to understand the phonological use of 
pronunciation, stress, accent, tone and style. The implications of non-native varieties of English pronunciation have 
a strong fold in both oral and written communication. The Indian students not only favor General Indian English 
pronunciation, but they thrive to develop UK, US or Neutral English accents to cater their professional demands. As 
English language flourishes with the fields of politics, social, cultural, educational, business and technical contexts, 
the variety that dominates in these contexts will kindle formal communication. Language change and adaptation of 
new varieties of language are essential as it determines the destiny of any language. Language change overrules the 
grammatical, lexical and phonological aspects and it is subjected to be moderate in its revised form.