How has the language of this answerphone message been influenced by technology? TASK:

1. “Uh (.) it’s Sophie here, um (.) I was wondering about the lit homework (.) uh (.) do you (.) do we have to write it like her (.) um (.) because I think her sonnets are a bit (.) well (1.0) crap. Well, don’t worry (1.0) I mean (.) no, don’t worry (.) Ring me back when you get this please (.) • How has the language of this answerphone message been influenced by technology? • TASK: • Identify and annotate key language features • Write about how these are determined by the constraints / opportunities of the medium

2. Text Speak Why do people send texts? When and where do people send texts? How do people send texts? What influence does this have on the language of text?

3. Text / phone / face to face / other? • You are going to be late home from school and might miss tea. • You want to tell a friend what happened at a party she missed. • You just heard the funniest joke in the world and want to share it with a friend. • You are bored at work and want a distraction. • You want to find out how a friend’s work experience is going on. (it’s 2pm) • You want to break up with a girl-friend / boyfriend. • You want to arrange a time to meet up. Share your answers with your face partner and use this info to make a list of the top five reasons for choosing text. (ie. Feature of textspeak which make it suitable for particular contexts)

4. Find Five In what ways is text like a spoken conversation? In what ways is text like written communication? Permanent ‘written’record No face to face contact so no paralinguistic signals Can be a delay between message being sent and message being read. Input method is quite laborious – type in letters and words. No voice so no expression or prosodic features • Turn-taking • Use non-standard grammar • Transmission is almost immediate so response can be quick. • People have individual text style like idiolect

5. Lexical Features of Text-speak • Read the information on page 99 (handout) • Which of the lexical features in table 4 are involved in this lexical item: pls4givme

6. Key Terminology • Shortenings(uni, mon, sis, hon, def, goss) • Contractions(nxt, lv, txtin, bday, bt, msg) • Clippings(hav, wil, til, to (too), wher) • G Clippings(workin, darlin, feelin, tryin) • Acronyms (LOL (Laugh Out Loud), IMO (In My Opinion, AWOL (Absent WithOut Leave)) • Initialisms(TTFN, ASAP, BTW) • Letter/number homophones (b, u, r, 2, 2moro, m8) • Elision for speed and efficiency (urite)

7. Key Terminology • Misspellings and typos (rember, esay, finishs) • Non-conventional spellings (sumtime, gud, thanx) • Accent stylisation (wivout, dats, ya, aught, wotcha, av, anuva) • Vowel deletion (gd) • Phonetic spelling (afta, fone, nite) • Interjections and exclamations (aw)

8. Analytical Graffiti • There are a range of texts round the room. Walk round and have an initial read of all of them them. • Whichever one you are at, stop and annotate all the linguistic features you can. You have two minutes. • Move round again. • Whichever text you are at, stop and complete the annotations. You have one minute.

9. Indepth Analytical Graffiti – for the more intellectual and considered yob • Move round, looking at the annotations other students have made. • Wherever you are, focus on this text and pick one aspect of the annotations and analyse how this language use has been shaped by technology and context. • How is language shaped by the specific constraints and advantages of texting? • What does the language use show about the relationships involved? • How does it illustrate the conventions of texting? • Move round and read all the analysis paragraphs other groups have written. Decide which you think is the best and stick your group’s post-it there, with a message about why it is so good.

10. Frameworks – Specific to General • Use the knowledge you have acquired looking at these specific texts to formulate general rules for analysing text-speak texts. • Each pair is responsible for one framework. Make a list of key questions to ask about a text and key features to analyse within this framework. Eg. • Orthography (principles of spelling) • Vowel omission • Homophonic representation etc.

11. Homework • Complete your list of key features / questions relating to text-speak for four frameworks: • Lexis • Orthography / graphology • Grammar • Disourse

12. Learning Ladders • In your groups, collate a post-it ladder with ways that text messages influence language. • Who will be the first to complete a ladder?

13. Taz: Lvpwon 6-2 on aggwaz da concrtgd • Gibbo: ye she wregd she did evrifin live gtpics of it on mi fonetb. • Taz: siksend one fru 2 mi plztb

14. MANA:HeyGems,howru?How was last nite?Hope u had a gd time..;)I herd the party wasrelebad.ppl had an awful time!I guess I shud b glad I didn.t go aftaall.tbXx • REPLY:Heybabe I had a lovely time, i.l tell you about it another time.Yeah I don.t know how everyone managed to have such a shit time, thats the gorbeney girls way! Shall I call you tomorrow, and we can have a big us chat to makeup for the last two weeks? X • MANA:It.sa date.Speak 2 u 2moz, beast Xx

15. Hi have u gt footie 2nite coz Mandy want to meet me at bluewater & thought u could do cinema? Txt b quickly coz she’s waitin

16. Watdoz:-p mean? And loldwim really confused anyway now lol okay wuu2 this wknd cumin? Tb x

17. Yer I cn understand that but I am a lot busyer than I usd 2 b so its not I dnt want txt u its smetimes I cnt txt u x xx