Multilingual text-making practices in Whatsapp messaging : A case study of three teenagers in Hong Kong

WhatsApp Messenger has gained its popularity in recent years by offering a distinct space for social interaction and cultural exchange. New forms of writing are generated within this popular social network since there are relatively few restrictions on the format and language use, especially in the bilingual communities where different codes are used. This paper reports on a small-scale investigation into the language use of teenagers in WhatsApp messaging. By means of interviews and written interaction records, the project illustrates how the use of this real-time communication software has given rise to distinctive multilingual text-making practices and linguistic innovation. The article analyses the characteristics observed in the use of a \u27hybrid\u27 style of language use in predominantly informal contexts. Several factors that could explain the multilingual practices in the app are also identified