THE INFLUENCE OF DIGITAL MULTIMODAL TEXTS ON CONTEMPORARY ENGLISH SYNTAX AND PRAGMATICS

Аннотация

This article investigates the influence of digital multimodal texts on the syntax and pragmatic functions of contemporary English. With the growing presence of computer- mediated communication platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp, language use in digital spaces increasingly departs from conventional norms. The study examines how syntactic structures and pragmatic strategies adapt to the multimodal nature of digital texts, combining words, emojis, images, and audio-visual elements. By analyzing a corpus of 500 multimodal texts collected from various social media platforms, this research identifies emerging syntactic patterns such as ellipsis, fragmented clauses, and creative punctuation, alongside pragmatic innovations like the use of emojis and hashtags for speech acts and meaning enhancement. The findings suggest that digital multimodal texts are reshaping contemporary English by simplifying syntactic structures while enriching pragmatic functions. The paper discusses the implications for both the study of modern English and the teaching of syntax and pragmatics in EFL contexts. Key words: Digital multimodal texts, contemporary English, syntax variation, pragmatics, computer-mediated communication, memes, social media discourse, emojis, online language change Introduction: In recent years, the widespread use of digital communication platforms has given rise to new forms of language use, known as digital multimodal texts. These texts integrate verbal, visual, and auditory elements to convey meaning in dynamic, interactive, and often informal ways. Memes, tweets, social media captions, GIFs, and emoji-enhanced messages are examples of multimodal texts that dominate online communication. Such texts frequently deviate from traditional grammatical norms while establishing innovative pragmatic conventions. This article explores how these digital forms influence contemporary English syntax, including the increased use of sentence fragmentation, non-standard word orders, and ellipsis, as well as how pragmatic functions such as politeness, irony, and emphasis are realized through multimodal resources. The study aims to contribute to the growing field of digital linguistics by analyzing syntactic and pragmatic shifts in online English and considering the pedagogical implications for English language teaching. Methodology: The research employs a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative data collection with qualitative discourse analysis. A corpus of 500 digital multimodal texts was compiled from publicly available sources on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and Reddit. The texts were selected based on their combination of written text with visual or audio-visual elements. The syntactic analysis focused on identifying non-standard structures 45 ` such as ellipsis, clause fragmentation, and altered word order. Pragmatic analysis examined the use of emojis, hashtags, GIFs, and memes in realizing speech acts, conveying emotions, and managing politeness strategies. Data were coded using a set of categories adapted from existing studies in computer-mediated communication (CMC) linguistics and multimodal discourse analysis. The findings were quantified to identify patterns and frequencies, while qualitative examples were examined to explore meaning-making strategies in context. Findings: The analysis revealed a consistent pattern of syntactic simplification in digital multimodal texts. Common features included omission of subjects and auxiliary verbs, fragmented sentences functioning as independent utterances, and creative use of punctuation for emphasis. Pragmatically, emojis and memes emerged as tools for reinforcing or substituting speech acts such as compliments, apologies, and humor. Hashtags were frequently used as implicit commentaries or evaluative markers, while GIFs supported or replaced verbal responses in interactive exchanges. The results suggest that multimodal elements not only compensate for reduced syntactic complexity but also enhance pragmatic richness in digital communication. Overview: This study situates itself within the broader field of digital linguistics and multimodal discourse analysis. By examining how digital texts reshape syntactic and pragmatic norms in contemporary English, it addresses a significant gap in the literature. While previous research has focused on either syntactic deviations or pragmatic strategies in isolation, this article investigates their interaction within multimodal texts, highlighting how meaning is collaboratively constructed across modes. The findings offer insights into the evolving nature of English in digital spaces and its implications for linguistic theory and pedagogy. Materials: The primary data consisted of 500 multimodal texts collected from Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Reddit, and WhatsApp public groups. Selection criteria included texts containing written language combined with at least one additional modality (e.g. emoji, image, GIF,