JoLIE 15:4/2022
BOOK REVIEW
Sender Dovchin. Language, social media and ideologies: Translingual Englishes, Facebook and authenticities (SpringerBriefs in Linguistics). Springer, 2019. Pp. i-xii, 1-92. ISBN 978-3-030-26138-2, eBook ISBN 978-3-030-26139-9. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-26139-9
Reviewed
by Teodora Popescu 
, 1 Decembrie 1918 University of Alba Iulia
In Language, Social Media and Ideologies, Sender Dovchin (2019) examines the intricate intersections of language, identity, authenticity, and social media within the context of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) education. Positioned at the nexus of critical applied linguistics, digital ethnography, and sociolinguistics, the book introduces the concept of translingual Englishes—dynamic, socially mediated forms of English shaped by users’ local and global interactions, particularly through platforms like Facebook. By focusing empirically on EFL university students in Mongolia and Japan, Dovchin offers a significant contribution to the field, illuminating how English is reimagined and repurposed in digital spaces beyond the traditional native/non-native dichotomy.
The volume is structured into nine succinct chapters, each progressively elaborating the central thesis that English on social media is not a fixed or monolithic entity but rather a constellation of hybrid forms influenced by user agency, ideological conflicts, and the quest for authenticity.
Chapter 1, Peripheralized Englishes, Social Media and (In)Authenticity, sets the foundation by challenging conventional notions of English and introducing the term “peripheralized Englishes.” It foregrounds a discussion about authenticity and legitimacy in online communication, highlighting how global EFL learners creatively engage with English in unconventional ways.
Chapter 2, Translingual Englishes and the Global Spread of Authenticity, serves as the theoretical core of the book, outlining the “translinguistics turn” in critical applied linguistics. This chapter surveys related frameworks—such as translanguaging, transglossia, polylanguaging, metrolingualism, and crossing—that underscore the increasingly fluid nature of linguistic practices. Dovchin stresses that English should be viewed not merely as a linguistic system but as a social system mediated through semiotic and symbolic exchanges.
Chapter 3, Synchronous and Asynchronous Participants in Facebook, details the digital ethnographic methodology used to analyse synchronous and asynchronous Facebook interactions among EFL students in Mongolia and Japan. The distinction between real-time and delayed communication frames an understanding of how temporal factors shape linguistic choices and identity performances.
The next two chapters delve into the Mongolian case studies, exploring how students at the National University of Mongolia engage in inventive linguistic practices influenced by African American Vernacular English (AAVE), hip-hop culture, and local idioms. These students “invert” English norms to assert distinctive forms of authenticity and social belonging.
Chapter 4, African American Vernacular English, Hip-Hop and ‘Keepin’ It Real’, investigates how a Mongolian EFL student and hip-hop enthusiast employs translingual English on Facebook by blending AAVE features with local linguistic practices. Rather than imitating, the student recontextualises hip-hop language as an expression of cultural and linguistic authenticity, reflecting allegiance to hip-hop’s ethos of “keepin’ it real” and weaving global culture with local traditions.
Chapter 5, Heavy Englishes and the Enactment of Authentic Self, examines how Mongolian EFL students integrate English extensively alongside Mongolian and Russian in their Facebook posts—not as mimicry but as authentic self-expression. Despite facing accusations of being “fake” or “too foreign,” these students affirm that their use of English reflects genuine linguistic competence and social identity. Their multilingual fluency is embraced as a natural, legitimate facet of their “authentic Self.”
Chapter 6 investigates “inverted Englishes” used by Mongolian students on social media—translingual practices involving creative inversions of syllables, letters, or sounds in English (and sometimes Mongolian) to craft unique, often secretive in-group codes. Similar to Verlan in France, these linguistic inversions serve as strategic tools within peer groups to assert identity, resist standardised language norms, and cultivate linguistic ownership and authenticity. Far from being inauthentic, these exclusive practices are valued as personal, meaningful modes of communication.
Chapters 7 and 8 shift focus to Japanese EFL students, revealing how their classroom-related social media interactions expose them to “ghost Englishes”—forms of English unfamiliar from formal curricula. These students negotiate competing ideologies of authenticity, frequently positioning their learning in contrast to textbook norms and native-speaker ideals.
Chapter 7, Case Studies from Japan, details how Japanese EFL students adopt “inverted Englishes” on social media, creating exclusive in-group codes reminiscent of youth language phenomena like Verlan. These linguistic innovations are embraced as authentic identity expressions, reinforcing linguistic ownership and providing private, meaningful spaces for peer communication.
Chapter 8, Translingual Practices and Ideologies, explores how Japanese students employ idiomatic and onomatopoeic Englishes on Facebook. Engaging with idiomatic expressions—often metaphorical and complex—students deepen their grasp of figurative language and connect with the cultural and historical roots of English, which they associate with linguistic authenticity. Additionally, onomatopoeic forms enable playful, emotionally sincere communication, further fostering a sense of authenticity grounded in genuine emotional expression and cultural affinity.
Chapter 9, Conclusion and Pedagogical Implications, synthesises the book’s findings and advocates for integrating translingual Englishes into EFL pedagogy. Dovchin argues that acknowledging the multifaceted realities of contemporary linguistic experiences can enrich classrooms and better align teaching with students’ lived language practices.
In sum, Language, Social Media and Ideologies is a vital contribution to contemporary understandings of language use in the digital era. Dovchin disrupts entrenched assumptions about English, authenticity, and language learning by illuminating the nuanced, creative, and ideological ways in which students appropriate English on social media. The book calls for pedagogies that recognise and embrace the translingual realities of today’s learners, urging educators to align instruction with students’ lived linguistic experiences.
For researchers, educators, and policymakers invested in sociolinguistics, digital communication, and applied linguistics, this book offers a critical framework and practical guidance. It reminds us that language is not simply a system to be mastered, but a social practice to be inhabited, interrogated, and reshaped.
References
Dovchin, S. (2019). Language, social media and ideologies: Translingual Englishes, Facebook and authenticities (SpringerBriefs in Linguistics). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-26139-9
How to cite this review: Popescu, T. (2022). Sender Dovchin. Language, social media and ideologies: Translingual Englishes, Facebook and authenticities (SpringerBriefs in Linguistics). Springer, 2019. Pp. i-xii, 1-92. ISBN 978-3-030-26138-2, eBook ISBN 978-3-030-26139-9. Journal of Linguistic and Intercultural Education – JoLIE, 15(4), 201–204. https://doi.org/10.29302/jolie.2022.15.4.12
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