The Internet offers endangered languages a chance to have a public voice in a way that would not have been possible before.
David CrystalRead
The main effect of the Internet on language has been to increase the expressive richness of language, providing the language with a new set of communicative dimensions that haven't existed in the past.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The Internet has enhanced language by adding new ways to express ideas and emotions.
David Crystal emphasizes that the Internet has fundamentally transformed language by enriching its expressiveness. This transformation has created new dimensions of communication that were previously unavailable, enabling users to convey thoughts and feelings in more nuanced and varied ways.
Themes
InternetLanguageExpressionCommunicationRichness
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about technological advancements in communication, one might quote this to illustrate how the Internet has transformed our language.
More from David Crystal
All quotes →Bilingualism lets you have your cake and eat it. The new language opens the doors to the best jobs in society; the old language allows you to keep your sense of 'who you are.' It preserves your identity. With two languages, you have the best of both worlds.
David CrystalRead
Language has no independent existence apart from the people who use it. It is not an end in itself; it is a means to an end of understanding who you are and what society is like.
David CrystalRead
Enshrined in a language is the whole of a community's history and a large part of its cultural identity. The world is a mosaic of visions. To lose even one piece of this mosaic is a loss for all of us.
David CrystalRead
Every usage, no matter how bizarre or nonstandard, fascinates me, as it tells me something about the way language is evolving.
David CrystalRead
Likewise, there is no evidence that texting teaches people to spell badly: rather, research shows that those kids who text frequently are more likely to be the most literate and the best spellers, because you have to know how to manipulate language.
David CrystalRead
Similar quotes
Digital technology is both arousing and distancing. We don't look at the users on the other side as people. They aren't - they're just usernames, Facebook photos and Twitter handles.
Douglas RushkoffRead
An algorithm must be seen to be believed.
Donald KnuthRead
More than anything else, technology will pave the way for innovative change at Starbucks. The bulk of Starbucks' innovation over the next several years will be technology-focused.
Howard SchultzRead
Five or ten years ago, when it was clear the Internet was becoming a mainstream phenomenon, it was equally clear that a lot of people were being left out and could be left behind
Steve CaseRead
People want to talk to other people - not a house, or an office, or a car. Given a choice, people will demand the freedom to communicate wherever they are, unfettered by the infamous copper wire. It is that freedom we sought to vividly demonstrate in 1973.
Martin CooperRead
Television was the most revolutionary event of the century. Its importance was in a class with the discovery of gunpowder and the invention of the printing press, which changed the human condition for centuries afterward.
Russell BakerRead