Language and Covid-19 Discourse: An Analysis of Pandemic-Related Language Discourse Used on Social Media

Authors

  • Aimen Chaudhary MS Linguistics Student, Department of Humanities, COMSATS University Islamabad, Vehari Campus, Punjab, Pakistan.
  • Dr. Ali Ahmad Associate Professor, Department of Humanities, COMSATS University Islamabad, Vehari Campus, Punjab, Pakistan.
  • Mariam Azam Lecturer, Management Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Sahiwal Campus, Punjab, Pakistan.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.63062/tk/2k24a.31014

Keywords:

Twitter, Quarantine, Language Analysis, Pandemic, Public sentiments

Abstract

Covid-19 had a formidable impact on the entire world and changed the whole discourse of life. During the pandemic, social media sites, including Twitter, now played a vital role in shaping and moulding public dialogue and sentiments. This research examines the linguistic features, discursive methods, and strategies used in COVID-19-related tweets. After analyzing the tweets collected during the initial stage of the COVID-19 pandemic, the current study attempts to explain how language is used to generate meanings, transfer messages and influence public opinions and sentiments about COVID-19. The study also tries to identify various linguistic patterns, including lexical innovations, metaphors, emotive expressions, and hashtags. The current research paper also identifies diverse discursive strategies applied by multiple user groups, including health departments, journalists and individual users. The findings of the research emphasize the manifold as well as the diverse aspects of online communication during the COVID-19 pandemic. They will contribute to our understanding of how language shapes our perception and response to global events.

Author Biography

  • Dr. Ali Ahmad, Associate Professor, Department of Humanities, COMSATS University Islamabad, Vehari Campus, Punjab, Pakistan.

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Published

2024-11-10

Issue

Section

Articles

How to Cite

Chaudhary, A., Ahmad, A., & Azam, M. (2024). Language and Covid-19 Discourse: An Analysis of Pandemic-Related Language Discourse Used on Social Media. The Knowledge, 3(1), 14-22. https://doi.org/10.63062/tk/2k24a.31014