Reconceptualizing Emojis as a Universal Language in the Global South, Volume 1

Shahid Minhas is Lecturer of Digital Communication in the Professional Communication program at RMIT University Vietnam, where he teaches and conducts research in digital communication, social media, and languages.Israel Ayinla Fadipe, PhD is a researcher in Indigenous Language Media in Africa (ILMA), North-West University, South Africa, and Lecturer at Augustine University, Ilara-Epe, Nigeria.Abiodun Salawu is Professor of Journalism, Communication and Media Studies and Director of the research entity, Indigenous Language Media in Africa (ILMA) at the North-West University, South Africa.

• 1. Introduction.- PART I: THE SEMIOTICS AND LINGUISTICS OF EMOJIS.- 2. Decoding Digital Expressions: A Semiotic and Linguistic Exploration of Emoji Communication.-  3.    Decoding Digital Communication: A Semiotic and Linguistic Analysis of Emoji usage among University Students in Nigeria.- 4. Semiotic Meanings of Emoji and Digital Identity: Constructing Self and Social Presence.- 5. The rise of Emoji language: Analysing shifts in digital communication among Zimbabwean youth.- 6. From Text to Symbols: Exploring the Semiotic Functions of Emojis in Kenya’s Digital Discourse.- 7. DIGITAL SAVANNAS: Towards and Operant Linguistics Model of Emojis in South Africa.- 8. The Role and Interpretation of Emojis in Digital Communication among Individuals in Mzuzu City, Malawi.- 9.    Emojis as Digital Language: A South African Cultural Landscape Perspective.- PART II: IDENTITY, RELATIONSHIPS, AND SOCIAL DISCOURSE.- 10. Navigating Emojis in Shaping Identities and Communication Narratives across Digital Platforms.- 11. Digital Empathy: How Cultural Differences in Emoji Use Affect Online Relationships.- 12. Multimedia in Messages and How the Audience Responds by Emoji on Social Media.- 13. Semiotics of Emoji and the Language of Child Right Reporting Among Social Media Influencers in Nigeria: A Critical Discourse Analysis.- 14. The Role of Emojis in COVID-19 Online Formal Communication in Zimbabwe: A Symbolic Interactionist Perspective.- PART III: CROSS-CULTURAL PERSPECTIVES AND MISCOMMUNICATIONS.- 15. Impact of Emojis on Message Interpretation and Emotional Expression in Online Communication.- 16. Cross-Cultural Variations in Emoji Interpretation: Implications for Multicultural Communication in Zimbabwe.-  17. Exploring Emojis as a Cross-Cultural Universal Language in Digital Communication: A Comparative Study of University Students in Pakistan, South Africa, and Vietnam.- 18. The Evolution of Emojis as a Universal Language in a Digital Culture: A Kenyan Perspective.- 19. Emojis as a Dynamic Visual Digital Language in a Cross-Cultural Context.