Gaming Language and Gamer Slang from a Sociolinguistic Perspective. A List of Common Abbreviations

The development of technology, online communication platforms and digital programs plays an important role in the dynamics of language evolution and influences the correctness and complexity of written and oral communication. Computer games and gaming slang, due to its broad usage by mostly teenagers and young adults, influence the choice of vocabulary, phrasing, sentence structure and style in various communicative situations and forms. This paper describes the characteristics of computer games and online slang from a sociolinguistic perspective and discusses their influence on language maintenance and evolution, such as, for instance, the tendency toward language economy, the use of Anglicisms and Americanisms, abbreviations, emoticons, elliptic structures, orthography, lexical and grammatical structures, illustrated in the practical section via a list of commonly used terms and abbreviations. The purpose of the article is to provide a critical view on language dynamics, the positive and negative impact of the newer linguistic trends, as well as some considerations on how language evolution and cultivation can be harmoniously combined, from a didactic and linguistic viewpoint, in the research, teaching and study of the German language.