E-mail 英語と略語

サンフランシスコ州立大学の学生を対象とする調査を踏まえて

抄録

This paper aims to clarify the current use of abbreviations and acronyms used in English e-mails. The research was achieved by conducting a fact-finding survey of students attending San Francisco State University (SFSU).
In the survey, respondents were asked to reply by choosing one of three answers pertaining to their use of a variety of abbreviations and acronyms: (A) “I frequently use it”, (B) “I sometimes use it”, or (C) “I don't use it.” The average answers of (A), (B), and (C) were 11.7%, 12.6% and 75.8% respectively. The respondents were 71 students from SFSU.
The results of the survey show that abbreviations and acronyms which were tested are being used less frequently than expected. However, the findings from such a small-scale survey may be inconclusive, since a much larger-scale survey might be needed to grasp the general tendency regarding the use of such English abbreviations and acronyms in e-mails. Nevertheless, the general assertion that e-mail English is “a conversational style of English using a lot of abbreviations, acronyms and emoticons” is not always correct, as this survey helps to prove. Instead, e-mail English is better defined as a dynamic langage conducted by e-mails in English to convey an idea with the intention of promoting and accomplishing the purpose of the communication. This is a slightly modified point of view from Professor Mikito Nakamura's definition of business English (Nakamura, 1960).
The Nakamura's definition is an epoch-making viewpoint that prevents us from considering technical communication as merely a kind of langue, that is, a system of peculiar words and phrases. This viewpoint may also help researchers of English for Specific Purposes better grasp some of the intrinsic qualities of technical communication.