Internet communication has increased massively in the last few years. Mainly in informal chats several spelling changes can be observed. For this study, protocols of internet chats were collected during four months and intentional spelling changes were analyzed. These changes occur due to two main factors: language users' creativity and the need for a fast-paced communication. The basic consequence is the use of one single grapheme for a given phoneme and the abbreviation or simplification of words. These newly created Internet written words can be confusing at times, hence the importance of teaching learners of Spanish as a Foreign Language the characteristics of this form of written language, so they can communicate more efficiently in informal conversations.
Spanish; spelling; chat; Internet; linguistic