ABSTRACT
The steadily growing literature on multilingual computer-mediated communication (henceforth CMC) includes studies of web discussion forums (Androutsopoulos, 2007; Atifi, 2007), inter-relay chat (Paolillo, 1999; Siebenhaar, 2006), instant messaging (Lee, 2007; Palfreyman and Al Khalil, 2007), email (Hinrichs, 2006), mailing lists (Durham, 2007) and text messages (Lin, 2005; Deumert and Masinyana, 2008). However, there is still no theoretical framework designed specifically to account for code-switching and language choice in digital media. The present chapter aims to fill a part of this gap by proposing a model for the study of the multilingual SMS. In this model text messages are studied as a social practice through the notion of literacy practices and exemplified through my own research on the multilingual texting of students in Senegal.
