Cyberlect in the classroom: dialogical approaches to languages

Abstract

This paper seeks to explore the question of why and how, as teachers, we might need to develop a more dialogical pedagogy with students in relation to language. I begin by situating this question within the conceptual framework of Constructivism and Critical Pedagogy. I then move on to propose that there have always existed in the classroom – two languages; official and unofficial, before arguing that the language of social media – cyberlect, as I have termed, it, is the most widely used form of unofficial language among young people. The next section addresses some of the dangers of cyberlect, especially in terms of the weaponisation of language. I will then narrow the focus to an examination of attitudes to social media in the classroom. The concluding section of the paper suggests some ideas for how a Constructivist and Critical pedagogy using social media could help both students and teachers to form a Resistance to hegemonic rebranding of language driven by a neo-liberal agenda which seeks to weaponise language.