“I’d say it’s a smart English accent”: A case study of language attitudes on Reddit
Research output: Contribution to book/Conference proceedings/Anthology/Report › Chapter in book/Anthology/Report › Contributed › peer-review
Contributors
Abstract
In this chapter, I explore the potential of the social media platform Reddit for World Englishes research with a case study of attitudes towards Englishes expressed by members of the subreddits r/indianews and r/IndiaSpeaks. The study employs qualitative and quantitative as well as corpus-based and corpus-driven methods to investigate how users on the two subreddits discuss Indian English and other varieties of English. The findings from emotion analysis, topic modelling, and adjective-noun bigram inspection reveal a complex picture, with some users expressing negative/overtly prescriptive attitudes towards English(es) while others’ attitudes are positive. This mixed picture has potential implications for how English in India may develop further in the future. Methodologically, the chapter illustrates that Reddit is a powerful yet complex resource for the study of World Englishes: while the platform provides access to relatively naturalistic written language and is a space of constant language contact, there are also methodological limitations and caveats when using Reddit data for World Englishes.
Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | English Language Contacts and Change in the Digital Age |
| Editors | Heli Paulasto, Lea Meriläinen, Samuli Kaislaniemi, Mikko Laitinen |
| Place of Publication | Leiden |
| Publisher | Brill, Leiden |
| Chapter | 3 |
| Pages | 84-113 |
| ISBN (electronic) | 978-90-04-75783-7 |
| ISBN (print) | 978-90-04-75732-5 |
| Publication status | Published - 2026 |
| Peer-reviewed | Yes |
Publication series
| Series | Language and Computers |
|---|---|
| Volume | 87 |
| ISSN | 0921-5034 |