Language Life and Its Study in the Digital Age

The digital age is ushering in significant changes in language life, the study of which is still in its beginning stage, with numerous issues in urgent need of inquiry. With an illustration of language practices in the digital age, this paper attempts to clarify digital vs. non-digital language life (DLL vs. NDLL), to analyze the main features of DLL including dynamicity and variability of language users and language grouping, linguistic creativity and iteration, and expansion of language life fields, and to discuss methodological optimization as well as challenging issues. DLL brings about an immeasurable impact on language use, linguistic evolution and normalization. It is argued that DLL studies contribute to language governance and construction of an open, inclusive, harmonious, diverse, equal and normative mode of language life.