A Pragmatic Study of Digital Communication among Students at Federal University. Wukari, Nigeria

Authors

  • Victor Elendu Frederick Department of English and Literary Studies, Federal University, Wukari, Taraba State, Nigeria
  • Vivian Ijeoma Ogbazi Department of English and Literary Studies, Federal University, Wukari, Taraba State, Nigeria

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.56666/ahyu.v6i.168

Keywords:

Pragmatics and context, social media communication, relevance theory, Facebook and students

Abstract

The new media, also known as social media, among other benefits, promotes communication among students as well as language development in linguistically diverse contexts in Nigeria. On the university campus, students who have been experiencing difficulties in contributing to interactions in classrooms and other formal settings on the campus, appear to find voice in these electronically mediated spaces. Communication in digital spaces accommodates linguistic and paralinguistic cues. Thus, it is characterized by innovations, which include an admixture of languages and varieties of Nigerian English, graphics, memes, and emojis, among others. This study examines some posts by students as well as comments on the posts on a Federal University Wukari students’ Facebook forum.  Information from the analysis of data reflects the linguistic practices of the students, the kind of information and knowledge they share as well as their communicative procedure. Findings from the study also reflect on the sociolinguistics and implications of social media communications on the University community as well as in the society in general.

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Published

2023-12-04

How to Cite

Frederick, V. E. ., & Ogbazi, V. I. (2023). A Pragmatic Study of Digital Communication among Students at Federal University. Wukari, Nigeria. Ahyu: A Journal of Language and Literature, 6, 88–101. https://doi.org/10.56666/ahyu.v6i.168

Issue

Vol. 6 (2023): AHYU: A JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE

Section

Articles

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Copyright (c) 2024 Victor Elendu Frederick, Vivian Ijeoma Ogbazi

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