Language used within electronic communication can be difficult, but it’s opening doors for a more efficient and relaxed method of expression.
For Susan C. Herring, electronic discourse has become more than just a mode of communication — it is her main area of study.
Herring is the first lecturer for the second annual Marilyn K. Cory Speaker Series through the Department of English. Last year’s series focused on comics.
After receiving her Ph.D. in linguistics from U.C. Berkeley and joining the Linguistic Society of America, she found herself on the receiving end of electronic communications, which opened the door to her interest in the way people use language online.
“I became intrigued with the gender dynamics of the online discussions — especially the fact that I could often tell a person’s gender solely from their discourse style,” she said. “I decided to do a small study. [It] attracted interest, so I did another one and then another one, branching out from gender to eventually consider all aspects of online language use.”
Her main area of research is currently computer-mediated communication, specializing in computer-mediated discourse or language use via digital technologies.
Herring will discuss how digital technologies are affecting the English language in her lecture, “E-grammar, or What Digital Communication Is Doing to the English Language.”
She will address what e-grammar looks like, whether it contributes to childhood illiteracy and whether it is substantially changing the way people speak and interact offline.
Elizabeth Riddle, a professor of English, selected Herring to start off this year’s series because of her extensive research and expertise in the field of electronic communication.
“A lot of the public has interest in the kind of language used in the media of texting and online communication and have opinions, whether that be good, bad or neutral,” she said. “Herring has really studied this. It’s not just her opinion.”
Herring currently teaches in the Department of Information and Library Science at Indiana University, Bloomington.
She will speak at 7 p.m. tonight in Robert Bell Room 125. The event is free and open to the public.
Read More
Delta baseball defeats Yorktown in extra innings to become Delaware County champions
By Zach Carter / 16 hours agoThe Eagles defeated the Tigers 5-2 in extra innings to win the Delaware County baseball tournament. It's the first time Delta has won the event since 2017.
'I'm grateful and proud:' No. 6 Ball State falls to No. 1 Miami in MAC Championship title game
By Zach Carter / 20 hours agoThe No. 6 Cardinals fell to the No. 1 Redhawks 8-0 in the MAC title game. It's the farthest the Cardinals have advanced in the tournament since 2015.
AP: Police arrest dozens as they break up pro-Palestinian protests at several US universities
By The Associated Press / YesterdayPolice made dozens of arrests as pro-Palestinian protest encampments were dismantled Friday at the University of Pennsylvania and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, hours after police tear-gassed demonstrators and took down a similar camp at the University of Arizona.
