Language Online
Investigating Digital Texts and Practices
2nd Edition
Published on 30. October 2025
Book
Paperback/Softback
246 pages
978-1-032-20795-7 (ISBN)
Description
In Language Online, David Barton and Carmen Lee explore the evolving landscape of digital communication. This extensively updated second edition reflects the latest research and developments, addressing key contemporary issues such as online aggression, digital activism, and the growing impact of AI on human communication. It also examines how digital communication has shaped and been shaped by global events like the COVID-19 pandemic and incorporates multimodal discourse.
With case studies from diverse geographical contexts, languages, and platforms, the book illustrates how digital language practices vary across cultures. This edition places greater emphasis on the intersection between online and offline communication, highlighting how digital interactions are deeply integrated into everyday life.
Written in a clear and accessible style, Language Online balances theory with practical analysis, providing valuable insights into the relationship between language and digital technologies. Complete with discussion topics and real-world examples, this is an essential read for students and scholars of new media, literacy, and multimodality in language and linguistics.
With case studies from diverse geographical contexts, languages, and platforms, the book illustrates how digital language practices vary across cultures. This edition places greater emphasis on the intersection between online and offline communication, highlighting how digital interactions are deeply integrated into everyday life.
Written in a clear and accessible style, Language Online balances theory with practical analysis, providing valuable insights into the relationship between language and digital technologies. Complete with discussion topics and real-world examples, this is an essential read for students and scholars of new media, literacy, and multimodality in language and linguistics.
Reviews / Votes
Praise for the first edition:"Using a methodology grounded in both linguistics and digital literacies, Barton and Lee provide a valuable introduction to studying language online. They also carefully define terms and concepts that are used in both of these fields and are central to the study of language online - text and practices, among others... This volume will interest those who want to understand how language is changing as a result of new technologies and those pursuing their own research into language use online."
A.M. Laflen, Marist College, USA in CHOICE
"The second edition of Language Online provides up-to-date coverage of essential topics, methods, and concepts for digital language and literacy research. New directions in the field are presented in a vivid and accessible manner, such as social media and language learning, the impact of algorithms on digital discourse, and the interweaving of on- and offline communication. Inclusive in style and rich in examples, this is set to become a standard textbook for years to come"
Jannis Androutsopoulos, University of Hamburg
More details
Edition
2nd edition
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Postgraduate and Undergraduate
Illustrations
4 farbige Abbildungen, 1 s/w Photographie bzw. Rasterbild, 4 Farbfotos bzw. farbige Rasterbilder, 1 s/w Zeichnung, 2 s/w Abbildungen
1 Line drawings, black and white; 4 Halftones, color; 1 Halftones, black and white; 4 Illustrations, color; 2 Illustrations, black and white
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
Thickness: 14 mm
Weight
404 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-032-20795-7 (9781032207957)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
10/2025
2nd Edition
Routledge
€55.49
Available for download
E-Book
10/2025
2nd Edition
Routledge
€55.49
Available for download
Book
10/2025
2nd Edition
Routledge
€206.50
Shipment within 10-20 days
Previous edition
Book
04/2013
1st Edition
Routledge
€72.30
Shipment within 15-20 days
Persons
David Barton was Emeritus Professor in the Department of Linguistics and English Language at Lancaster University, UK. He is co-author of Academics Writing: The Dynamics of Knowledge Creation (2019) and Researching Language and Social Media (2022).
Carmen Lee is Professor in the Department of English at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. She is the author of Multilingualism Online (2017) and co-author of Researching Language and Social Media (2022).
Carmen Lee is Professor in the Department of English at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. She is the author of Multilingualism Online (2017) and co-author of Researching Language and Social Media (2022).
Content
List of figures
Preface to the first edition
Preface to the second edition
Chapter 1 Language In The Digital World
Chapter 2 Ten Reasons Why Studying the Online World is Crucial for Understanding Language
Chapter 3 Acting in a Textually Mediated Social World
Chapter 4 Multilingual Resources and Practices Online
Chapter 5 Writing the Self Online
Chapter 6 Metalinguistic Discourse Online
Chapter 7 Multimodal Stance-taking Online
Chapter 8 Language and Learning Online
Chapter 9 Political Discourse on Social Media
Chapter 10 Verbal Aggression Online
Chapter 11 Vernacular Literacies Online
Chapter 12 Researching Language Online
Chapter 13 Flows Of Language Online and Offline
Appendices
Bibliography
Index
Preface to the first edition
Preface to the second edition
Chapter 1 Language In The Digital World
Chapter 2 Ten Reasons Why Studying the Online World is Crucial for Understanding Language
Chapter 3 Acting in a Textually Mediated Social World
Chapter 4 Multilingual Resources and Practices Online
Chapter 5 Writing the Self Online
Chapter 6 Metalinguistic Discourse Online
Chapter 7 Multimodal Stance-taking Online
Chapter 8 Language and Learning Online
Chapter 9 Political Discourse on Social Media
Chapter 10 Verbal Aggression Online
Chapter 11 Vernacular Literacies Online
Chapter 12 Researching Language Online
Chapter 13 Flows Of Language Online and Offline
Appendices
Bibliography
Index