Some distinctive lexical features of Netspeak

Abstract: The present paper examines and portrays some of the major distinctive features of Netspeak in the context of English as a global language, with particular focus on the language of chatgroups (synchronous and asynchronous). Netspeak is a brand new electronic medium of communication, global and interactive in character, evidently related to English as a global language, with its own distinctive features in all of its varieties. The data used in the paper were obtained from several Internet sites, and then further analysed, bearing mind at all times the model used by David Crystal (2001), and starting with most of his suppositions and claims. The analysis of the data has proven that Netspeak displays a number of highly distinct features undoubtedly classifying it as a brand new (electronic) medium of communication.