Seohyun’s Speech Style In “Daughter-in-law by Korean” of Youtube Channel

Abstract

This article investigates the speech style of the YouTuber “Seo Hyun” from the YouTube channel “/sapáj kawlǐː/ Data were collected over a six-month period, from January 1 to June 30, 2023. The study employs the analytical framework of Amara Prasithrathsint (2013) and Searle’s Speech Act Theory (1976) to analyze language use at three levels: phonological, lexical, and discourse. The findings reveal that Seo Hyun's linguistic style is informal and friendly. At the phonological level, there are four types of voices: loud voice, elongated sound, whispering, and tonal changing. At the lexical level, three types of word use are evident: personal references, word mixing, and emotion-expressing words. At the discourse level, seven types of speech acts are employed: assertion, explanation, persuasion, invitation, question, greeting, and farewell. The captions also contain the use of digital culture symbols. The study concludes that Seohyun’s speech style exemplifies multimodal digital communication, combining various modes of linguistic forms. Her use of language reflects her Isan-Thai identity, which remains prominent despite some influences from English and Korean. Through her distinctive style of communication, she successfully maintains her digital identity and appropriately expresses the cultural roots within the context of digital culture.