ENGB1B Language and
Technology
By the end of this session you will be able to:
 modify your language to be suitable for a
variety of contexts
 identify how extracts vary according to
context
 match extracts to contexts and identify
significant linguistic characteristics


Today we are going to begin working on one of
the topics for the summer exam: Language and
Technology. We will work on this topic in this
session each week up until the exam on 18th
May.
This whole module is called Language and Social
Contexts and you will need to be able to
exemplify and explain how language varies based
on the context in which it is being used. This
basic question you will be answering is how does
the medium (the method of communication)
affect the message (the language choices made
by the participant(s)).
a) a text message to a boy/girlfriend
b) an answer phone message for a parent
c) a facebook post on a friend’s wall
d) an email to a teacher/boss
e) a letter to an adult
Grammar
Text
message
Answer
phone
Facebook
wall
Email
Letter
Lexis
Pragmatics
Text 1
Hey Gems,howru?How was last
nite?Hope u had a gd time..;)I herd
the party was rele bad...ppl had an
awful time!Iguess I shud b glad I
didn’t go afta all...tbXx
Text 2
Hi Miriam and Sam
That’s great to know (sarcasm!) :~)
Hope your all doing well, winter drawing in an all that!
Enjoy the dinner
Much Love
Mel
Text 3
Liverpool have a good recent record here in
their yellow shirts with their black shorts and
straightaway Scholes falls over from the kickoff so clearly the rain’s had a little bit of
impact here and and now Liverpool playing
towards the Stretford end away to our left.
Text 4
A: Good Morning, You’re through to XX
customer service and my name is Adam. How
may I help you?
B: Ah hello, its about a redirection request that
seems to be causing a few problems.
Text 5
A: wu biatch! Thx 4 ur help bt woz 2l8
B: Shit! Wanna invite Chloe in?
A: K bt don’t tok bout Kev lol!
Text 6
It’s Tony Adams (5) David Seaman says he
doesn’t really like the kit he has to play in
tonight (1) I can’t exactly blame him (6)
toiuch by Gascoigne this is McManaman (4)
Shearer far post Sheringham even wider (1)
for Pearce’s cross
Text 7
Hi Susan. It’s Jan. I was just letting you know
that I next week will be fine. I’ve spoken to
Tom and he says he can pick it up so that is
fine. Right well I’ll speak to you soon. See
you.
Text 8
A: Right hello Rachel
B: Hi Vince
A: So what can we help you with?
B: Well, I’m sitting my exams soon and I can’t sleep
but I don’t want to take pills so I was wondering
if there are any foods or herbal remedies which
could help?
On Moodle you will find a reading by David
Crystal called ‘The Effect of Technology’
taken from his 2002 book The English
Language.
Read the text and answer the questions on
Moodle.
Email your completed reponses to me at
a.kay@blackburn.ac.uk by the given deadline.
By the end of this lesson you will be able to:
 define text message
 list advantages and disadvantages of text
messages
 define and exemplify vowel deletion,
initialisms, letter homophone, number
homophone, phonetic spelling and key
binding

identify, define, exemplify and analyse
characteristic features of text messages
1. What does SMS stand for?
Short Messaging Service
2. In what year was the first text sent?
1992
3.What did it say?
Merry Christmas
4. In what year was text messaging
commercially launched in the UK?
1994
5. How many characters could be written in the
first text messages?
160
6. What is ‘Blackberry thumb’?
RSI from texting too much
7. To the nearest million, how many text
messages were sent on Christmas day 2009?
441,805,870
8. On average, how many texts messages are
sent worldwide every second (Oct 2010)?
200,000
9. Which political figure was the first to host a
text Q&A session?
Tony Blair
10. What was the first TV programme to use
text messaging in a storyline?
Eastenders
So are you an SMS-smarty or a text-tard?
 Method
of written communication
between two phones or a phone
and a computer
 Uses alphanumeric keypad
 Limited to screens of 160
characters although messages can
go over into multiple screens
Advantages
Disadvantages
Advantages
Quick
Cheap
Most people have a mobile
Global network
Easy
Can do whilst doing other things
Promotes literacy in children
Instant
Can ignore if desired
Creative language use
Disadvantages
Advantages
Quick
Cheap
Most people have a mobile
Global network
Easy
Can do whilst doing other things
Promotes literacy in children
Instant
Can ignore if desired
Creative language use
Disadvantages
Distracting
May harm literacy development
Cyber bullying
Surveillance/spying
Can be misinterpreted
Always contactable
Can pretend you didn’t get it
Throughout this unit it is important to keep
in mind that technology
(adds to),
restrains) and
(limits or
(acts as an
imitation or substitute) person-to-person
and face-to-face communication so you need
to be aware of how it is being used and why
at all times.
Vowel deletion
Vowels are omitted
e.g. bt, xlnt, txt
Initialism
Common phrases are compressed to only the
initials of the words
e.g. brb, omg, tb
Letter homophomes
Letters which can replace whole words
e.g. U, C, B, Y
Number homophones
Nmbers which can replace whole words
e.g. 1,2,4,8
Phonetic spelling
Spelling s the words are pronounced
e.g. luv, wot, bak
Key binding
Combination of letter and number homophones
e.g. cul8r, w84me, ne1, ilbl8
Linguistic Method
Characteristics
Phonology
Phonetic spelling
Details indicating intended
pronunciation/intonation
Grammar
Compressed grammar – many closed class words
omitted.
Ellipsis
Lexis
Abbreviations
Number/letter homophones
Key binding
Initialisms of common idiomatic phrases
Linguistic Methods
Characteristics
Orthography
Non-standard but not random spelling
Capitalisation
Emoticons
Rhetorical punctuation, not grammatical.
Pragmatics
Follows conversational patterns and maxims
Allows time to consider response
Often composed in the midst of other activities so
greater focus is placed on the message and there is
less evaluation of writer’s aptitude and ability to use
language
Covert prestige associated with features of UK youth
sociolect
Participants are prepared to use ore characters than
necessary to simulate prosodic effects of speech
Discourse
Dyadic
Restricted by space (160 characters per message)
Instant nature
The extract below is a selection of Valentine’s
Day that Guardian readers sent in by text
message for publication on the newspaper’s
website on 14th February 2005. Use the table
above to analyse the data for features
characteristic of text messages.
What can we immediately infer about the
context of these discourses from the
information we are given?
to wonderwoman from dadblog thx for sharing yr
teasmade with me! Love u more than ever xxx
to my amazing husband, on our 1st married
Valentine’s day! U make me happier than ever b4
and I love u so much. From yr snow puma xx
HOT STUFF, KEEPING THOSE COLD TOOTSIES WARM
FOR YO. LERV, BOYSEY.
chris cole thanx 4 10 great yrs luv always
ginaxxxxxxxxxxxx
TO THE FINEST BIRD IN THE LAND – FOREVER
BE MINE. YOURS4EVA. THE MOO FATHER
To Clare, this I slove 4 all time ;-) N xxx
LUSM.CWBWU2Nite.LU4E.KIR
dear lambie i love u n ur air geetar wiv all my
<3. u r my * 4eva xx
U keep of cycle all might. I love t more than able. x
xxx
Yo yo babeface.Kant wait 2 b wiv u.lol Kaz x
2 my sweet angel Sassie Q. Wil u marry me?
Pleeeeeeez? SWALK B x x
To Bob. I know this is all very sudden but would u
go out with me? Sarah
As with any usage of language, the form is
dependent on the context. Text messaging
practices differ widely according to age of
participants, function of message, relationship
etc. To test this use your phone and copy 3 text
messages into the spaces. They must be from
different senders.
Then enter the details of the senders in the table
below. Give as much contextual detail as possible
then analyse how the context affects the message
and state your findings.
Findings?
Read the articles on pages 12-16 and answer
the accompanying questions in full sentences
and in your own words.
Hand in in your book by the given deadline.
By the end of this lesson you will be able to:
 describe the effects of texting
 evaluate attitudes towards texting
 reference secondary sources using Harvard
Referencing
 plan and write an essay response to a given
question
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Break down the question
The Research
Taking notes from a text
Planning your essay
Writing your essay
Completing the task
By the end of this session you will be able to:
 identify and describe the linguistic
characteristics of telephone conversations
 extract relevant information from texts
 analyse a telephone conversation for salient
features





Can talk to people who are not in the same
place as you
Synchronous
Widespread usage
Low cost
Minimum effort



Cost – older generation; Talktalk; mobile
tariffs
Limitations - only one line, call waiting;
ringback; 1471 etc.
Recent developments – Answering services;
video calls; mobiles; texting; skype etc
In pairs, you have been given a card featuring a ‘role’.
With your partner you are to sit back to back
(pretending you are on the phone). In turn, one of
you should take a card and do as the card instructs.

When you were the caller, what problems did you
face?

When you were the callee, what problems did you
face?

What generalisations about telephone calls can you
make from this exercise?
Phonology
 Phone voice – converges to RP
 Compensates for lack of faceto-face
 Prosodic emphasis
Grammar
 Spoken grammar
 Deictic reference
Discourse
 Structures which must be
followed to ensure cooperative
principle
Pragmatics
 Compensate for lack of visual
aspect
 More descriptive
 Phatic or functional
Read the articles in the booklet,
Why is it so hard to get off the
phone? and Hello I’m on the
train. Read through these and
annotate and highlight any
relevant findings. Be prepared to
share these with the class.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Analyse how the participants compensate
for the lack of face-to-face communication
Comment on the relationships of the
participants in the transcripts. Is there any
linguistic evidence to prove how close they
are?
Do the participants follow the rules of
telephone conversation? If not, comment on
where and why.
Apply any findings from the readings above.
S
C
S
C
S
C
S
C
S
C
S
C
S
C
S
C
S
C
S
C
S
C
C
S
C
S
C
S
Oxford Library information desk
oh good morning I wonder if you could tell me if you have a particular book?
what’s the name?
it’s by S Levinson L-E-V-I-N-S-O-N and it’s called Pragmatics
right I’ll just check the files for you
thanks very much (pause while S checks file)
hello?
hello
no I’m sorry we haven’t got it here
oh (.) oh well, you see I’ve rung up the university library and they don’t have
it either
let me just check I’ve got the spelling right L-E-V-I-N-S-O-N
yes that’s right
well I can see if it’s in the Poly Library but you won’t be able to take it out
from there
no no I realise that (.) Yes, would you check for me?
okay hold on a moment (pause while checks file) hello?
hello
no I’m sorry it’s not there either (.) Have you tried the Bodleian?
no not yet
or there’s there’s a place called the Taylor’s Institute which has a small
linguistics section
oh where is that?
it’s in St Giles do you know the museum oh I’ve forgotten its name opposite
the Randolph Hotel(.) the Ashmolean?
yes it’s in there
okay I’ll try there
well the number is not listed here I’d have to try directory enquiries
oh well don’t worry I can do that (.) thanks for your help
okay
goodbye
bye
Ocean: Hello Ocean Finance, we’re the lender who will always lend, how
can we help today?
Hicks: Hi, my name is Tom Hicks and I’m looking to consolidate my debts
and raise extra finance.
Ocean: Well you’ve certainly come to the right place.
Hicks: That sounds great, well I’m looking for a loan in the region of 300
million pounds and need it quickly. I heard if you agree a loan then
it’s in your bank the next working day, is that right?
Ocean: Erm, yes Mr Hicks but that’s a very large amount. What is the loan
for?
Hicks: I have a business in Liverpool and need to pay off some bank debts.
It’s a soccer franchise, the world’s greatest soccer franchise.
Ocean: Ok and how does your business make money, what are your income
streams?
Hicks: We make money when our customers come to watch the games we
play. We sell them seats in our stadium and we’re the greatest
supported soccer franchise in the world. We have a waiting list of
people who want to come and watch the games.
Ocean: Fantastic, so you sell out your seats for every game you play?
Hicks: Erm, well we’ve been hit by the recession and games on Thursday
nights when there’s a lot on in Liverpool apparently. Our customer
base is very loyal to us, they wave banners with my name on at
every game and shout chants about me. I can’t work out what they
say because of these regional accents they have but it’s
encouraging.
Can you…
… identify and describe the linguistic
characteristics of telephone conversations?
… extract relevant information from texts?
… analyse a telephone conversation for salient
features?
By the end of this session you will be able to:
 describe your own linguistic behaviour in
response to answerphones
 analyse the salient features of answerphone
exchanges
 analyse the salient features of call centre
exchanges
 analyse the salient features of automated call
services
Are you comfortable/happy to leave messages on
answerphones? If not, why not?
Do your messages tend to follow a discourse pattern
or do they vary from message to message? Try to
describe the pattern if applicable.
How fluent are your messages? Consider pauses, fillers
etc.
If you get an answerphone message do you ever put
the phone down, prepare a message and then ring
back? If so, why and in which specific contexts?
 Synchronous
or Asynchronous?
Asynchronous
How does this affect language choices?
 Extra temporal/spatial detail needed
 May include plans for future contact
 Permanent
or Ephemeral?
Permanent
How does this affect language choices?
 May converge to RP (phone voice)
 Site for potential embarassment

Synthetic participant or interactional
monologue?
Interactional monologue
How does this affect language choices?
 No back channel support so speaker
compensates with filled pauses
 Pre-close has no-one to agree so may be
awkward.
Write down the message you use on your own
answerphone.
How would you describe your language use?
(Consider accent, formality, complexity, speed,
prosodic features etc.)
What sort of image does your message project?
Listen to the clip from Little Britain. What issues
does it raise regarding language usage?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwz-2udDZ9g
 Now
look at the data extracts
below ( A-F are transcripts, E
is the lyrics to a song called
Ansaphone by Pulp). What
linguistic comments can be
drawn from an analysis of the
data?
hello it’s just me (.) you in (3)
pick up the phone (2) ok well
I’m just ringing to say I’ll
definitely be there tonight but
I might be ten minutes late (.)
sorry (.) get the drinks in while
ya waitin (.) byeeee
hi Katie darling it’s just
Mum (.) em (.) it’s
nothing important but
give me a ring when
you get in (.) okay so
(.) bye love
hello Michele (.) it’s just Paul (.) from work (.) I was just
wondering if you have a copy of (.) em (.) that thing we were
using (.) [laughs] I’m just losing my marbles ignore me (.)
anyway (.) em yep the policy outline document (.) that’s what I
need (.) ok so if you have a copy could you give me a ring
please (.) obviously you need my number (.) ok (2) here we go
(.) its 07XXXXXXXXX so give me a ring if you have it (.) or if
you don’t (.) or whatever you want [laughs] (.) okay (.) bye
then (.) bye
Yo (.) I know you’re not
in but remember to
put that book in your
bag as SOON as you
get in (.) Later
Ansaphone
Oh, I know I don't own you but I don't even know if I should phone you. Someone
sending me letters saying you've been going with other fellers. And they bored you but I
don't wanna cry or talk for hours to a machine on the end of a telephone line. Oh, it just
kills me when all you've got to do is call Oh do it any time 'cause there's never no-one
home, never no-one home. Leave your message on the ansaphone. I'm not trying to be
clever but at least we're not still living together. All those calls in the evening, if I
answered they'd hang up without speaking. And they bored you but I don't want to cry
or talk for hours to a machine on the end of a telephone line. Oh, it just kills me when
all you've got to do is call Oh, do it any time 'cause there's never no-one home never
no-one home Leave your message on the ansaphone [Beep!] "Hello, its me. I just
wanted to call and say it doesn't matter what you get upto. I just want you to stay in
touch. That's all." Are you really not at home? Or are you there but not alone? Screening
calls you don't want to receive, meaning calls, calls that come from me. Oh, I need to see
you. It's not enough for me just to hear you. You said you'd be here by ten thirty but you
want to stay out and be dirty. Oh, it just kills me when all you've got to do is call. Oh, do
it any time 'cause there's never no-one home never no-one home.Leave your message
on the ansaphone.
Hello (.) just a quick call from Peterborough (.) er
really it was two queries (.) I – I didn’t know what
sort of coffee to buy for you for Christmas (.) and
I didn’t know what sort of cereals to buy (.) so: (.)
well perhaps you can have tha- you needn’t ring
me back to tell me but whenever we next speak
perhaps you can (.) tell me the answer to those
two (.) hope you’re ok (.) er I’ve had my new
carpet laid in the kitchen and the (.) bathroom(.)
um: (.) new roller blinds for the kitchen coming
(.) one day next week (laughs) right (.) o:k (.)
cheerio(.) bye
In your booklet is a reading
from emagazine all about the
language of answerphones. It
may even be inspiration for
your A2 coursework! Read it
carefully and see if their
findings supported the
features you analysed above.


The second topic we will look at is regarded by some
as the bane of our current culture. Most customer
service interactions now take place over the phone
and the majority of these are handled by call centre
workers.
Call centre employees often use scripts and are
trained to use certain phrases if they need to deviate
from the script. (Think of the episode with Phoebe in
Friends when she works for the toner company
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pnph3rzi-Wo)
They also need to use lots of placatory language as
recipients are rarely happy to ‘chat’!
Method
Grammar
Lexis and
Semantics
Pragmatics
Discourse
Features
Examples
Explanation
With developments in technology
answering services can now be used
to manage calls and direct callers to
the required information without the
need for an operator. These can
operate through touch-tone phone
key pads or voice recognition systems.
Their aim is to simulate an interaction
with a real person.



In order to investigate this topic, you will need to use
Moodle, as directed below.
On Moodle you will find an article about how these
systems deal with regional accents. Read this in your own
time as part of your independent learning and consider
how this medium affects the message.
Also on Moodle is the transcript from the Jan 2005 exam
paper. Print the paper off and make notes below on the
features which you would comment on. If you wish to
submit it as a practice paper it will be marked. Complete it
in one hour. Remember to relate your points to context by
emphasising how the interaction is affected by the
intervention of technology.
By the end of this session, you will be able to:
 describe the linguistic characteristics of
emails
 describe the linguistic characteristics of IM
and chatrooms
 describe the linguistic characteristics of blogs
 analyse emails, IM, chatrooms and blogs,
describing and exemplifying how the
language is affected by the technology
Today we are going to look at how language is
used on the internet to communicate. This
excludes websites and focuses on mediums
which are one-to-one or one-to-many.
Traditionally there are two modes of
communication: Speech and writing. Emails,
IM, chatrooms and blogs are specialised
forms of communication which exhibit
characteristics of both modes. They are what
we call mixed modes of communication. Fill
in the table below with how they are similar
to each mode.
Spoken Mode
Email
IM
Blog
Written Mode

Electronic mail, commonly called email or email, is a method of exchanging digital
messages from an author to one or more
recipients. Neither the users nor their
computers are required to be online
simultaneously; they need connect only
briefly, typically to an email server, for as
long as it takes to send or receive messages.
(Wikipedia, 31/03/11)
Form
To:
From:
Cc:
Bcc:
Subject:
Other symbols:
paper clip, etc.
Date and time
Function
Form
Function
To:
The email address(es), and optionally name(s) of the message's
recipient(s). Indicates primary recipients (multiple allowed)
From:
Cc:
Bcc:
Subject:
Other symbols:
paper clip, etc.
Date and time
Form
Function
To:
The email address(es), and optionally name(s) of the message's
recipient(s). Indicates primary recipients (multiple allowed)
From:
The email address, and optionally the name of the author(s). In many email
clients not changeable except through changing account settings.
Cc:
Bcc:
Subject:
Other symbols:
paper clip, etc.
Date and time
Form
Function
To:
The email address(es), and optionally name(s) of the message's
recipient(s). Indicates primary recipients (multiple allowed)
From:
The email address, and optionally the name of the author(s). In many email
clients not changeable except through changing account settings.
Cc:
Carbon copy. Means you are being included in the email but you are
not the primary recipient
Bcc:
Subject:
Other symbols:
paper clip, etc.
Date and time
Form
Function
To:
The email address(es), and optionally name(s) of the message's
recipient(s). Indicates primary recipients (multiple allowed)
From:
The email address, and optionally the name of the author(s). In many email
clients not changeable except through changing account settings.
Cc:
Carbon copy. Means you are being included in the email but you are
not the primary recipient
Bcc:
Blind Carbon Copy. Names added here will receive the email but will
be invisible to the other recipients
Subject:
Other symbols:
paper clip, etc.
Date and time
Form
Function
To:
The email address(es), and optionally name(s) of the message's
recipient(s). Indicates primary recipients (multiple allowed)
From:
The email address, and optionally the name of the author(s). In many email
clients not changeable except through changing account settings.
Cc:
Carbon copy. Means you are being included in the email but you are
not the primary recipient
Bcc:
Blind Carbon Copy. Names added here will receive the email but will
be invisible to the other recipients
Subject:
A brief summary of the topic of the message. Certain abbreviations
are commonly used in the subject, including "RE:" and "FW:".
Other symbols:
paper clip, etc.
Date and time
Form
Function
To:
The email address(es), and optionally name(s) of the message's
recipient(s). Indicates primary recipients (multiple allowed)
From:
The email address, and optionally the name of the author(s). In many email
clients not changeable except through changing account settings.
Cc:
Carbon copy. Means you are being included in the email but you are
not the primary recipient
Bcc:
Blind Carbon Copy. Names added here will receive the email but will
be invisible to the other recipients
Subject:
A brief summary of the topic of the message. Certain abbreviations
are commonly used in the subject, including "RE:" and "FW:".
Other symbols:
paper clip, etc.
Paper clip indicates attachments; exclamation mark indicates
urgency; red flag means needs to be followed up etc.
Date and time
Form
Function
To:
The email address(es), and optionally name(s) of the message's
recipient(s). Indicates primary recipients (multiple allowed)
From:
The email address, and optionally the name of the author(s). In many email
clients not changeable except through changing account settings.
Cc:
Carbon copy. Means you are being included in the email but you are
not the primary recipient
Bcc:
Blind Carbon Copy. Names added here will receive the email but will
be invisible to the other recipients
Subject:
A brief summary of the topic of the message. Certain abbreviations
are commonly used in the subject, including "RE:" and "FW:".
Other symbols:
paper clip, etc.
Paper clip indicates attachments; exclamation mark indicates
urgency; red flag means needs to be followed up etc.
Date and time
The local time and date when the message was written. Like the From: field,
many email clients fill this in automatically when sending. The recipient's client
may then display the time in the format and time zone local to him/her.
Low formality
High formality

Sincerely

HUGZZ

Take care

Thanks for listening

Have fun!

Live long and prosper

Love

Regards
Text A
An exchange of emails between two colleagues, Liz and Alan. They have arranged a
meeting for 18 October, where Liz is going to present some documents to Alan.
Dear Alan
Im humming and haaing abt Fri 18th. Im certainly aiming to have a piece to submit
but at present feels like Everest to climb haven’t even started redraft due to crazy
psycho witch at work (I have my own stalker!!! Calling me for an hour or more at
home in the evenings!!) Not making preemptive excuse but forewarning. Hope this
temporary glitch only – I swear on my life that if I thought I couldn’t deliver the
thing at all wld tell you up front so you cld get someone else! So am hoping not to
welsh on our deal but feel honour bound to tell you might HAVE to delay past 18th
Oct. V embarrassed as I know I suggested this date. Mortified. Don’t miss
deadlines ever – vv bad sign.
Hope you’re ok 
Liz
Hi Liz
No need to panic – not sure I can make it anyway. Would rather re-programme to
Nov 4. Any good?
Text B
An exchange of emails between two ex-colleagues, now friends
From: kate crook k.crook@XXXXXXX.com
To: Alex Kay <A.Kay@blackburn.ac.uk>
Sent: Wed, January 26, 2011 15:56:00 PM
Subject: Hi Kate
Hiya! hope that you are still having fun at college! I'll be away on the 5th-going cruising to the arctic,
hoping to see the Northern lights and go dog sledding so I will be thinking of you in your crochet
group.
I started to do a piece of Tunisian crochet which turns out to be a lot easier that it first seems so I'm
trying to make a small clutch bag in wool and then sew a few beads onto it-well that's all in theory of
course!
Are you still knitting students? Our knit and natter group seems to be going well, we usually get about 9
or 10 attending, 4 new people turned up last Tuesday so it looks like it will survive- you can never tell
after the holidays if people will come back-like students really.
There are all abilities-I spent last week's meeting undoing and reknitting someone else's work as she had
gone all to pot on her k2p2 rib. Hope she has got past it by next Tuesday!
Yesterday we had a girlie afternoon in a friend's house, watching Ab Fab videos and sampling home made
Damson gin but one brought her knitting as she had gone wrong so I spent and hour undoing that and
getting her on the right track again-why do beginners want to do complicated stuff straight away? she
is making a scarf in PomPom which can be tricky if you don't know what it should look like!
Visited Mike Comer on Monday- he lives about 500 metres from Black Sheep Barn! Obviously I had to call
in to see it. So if you intend going there he says to call in for a brew 73 Hob Hey
Lane, Culcheth 01925 XXXXXX
Anyway, life is busy and fun and I don't have people demanding stuff all the time so I can recommend
retirement!
Keep in touch
Kate xx
Best wishes to all
Text B cont.
From: Alex Kay <A.Kay@blackburn.ac.uk>
To: kate crook <k.crook@XXXXX.com>
Sent: Wed, January 26, 2011 3:34:00 PM
Subject: Hi Kate
Hi Kate
Happy new year! I have been trying to text you but it keeps
failing. Anyway, just to let you know, the next crochet
workshop is the 5th Feb, 1-4pm and we are making a
chunky hat and scarf combo. It is a bit more expensive at
£20 but that’s because there’s more wool!
Hope to see you there or hear from you soon
Alex


What is IM?
IM is a form of synchronous, text-based
communication between two or more people
using personal computers or other devices.
The user's text is conveyed over a network,
such as the Internet. More advanced instant
messaging software clients also allow
enhanced modes of communication, such as
live voice or video calling.







Myspace
MSN etc.
Facebook
Chatrooms
Online gaming
Online dating
Online gambling







Friends/strangers
Contacts
Friends
Anyone!
Anyone
Singles?
Gamblers!






Abbreviations
Letter and number homophones
Key binding
Phonetic spelling
Rhetorical punctuation
Similar to spoken conversations, Text
messages, phone calls and emails.
The cauliflower queen says: Heya!
Fly my pretties says: Hey
The cauliflower queen says: How r u?
I GOT A RECALL! says: Groovy thanx
I GOT A RECALL! says: and u?
The cauliflower queen says: K
The cauliflower queen says: What u bin up 2?
I GOT A RECALL! says: not a lot
the cauliflower queen says: sounds fun!
I GOT A RECALL! says: i am seriously tired!
I GOT A RECALL! says: !!
I GOT A RECALL! Says: lol
the cauliflower queen says: ugh i know
the cauliflower queen says: i’ve got a cold
I GOT A RECALL! says: noooooooo!
the cauliflower queen says: i’ve gtg now
I GOT A RECALL! says: k
the cauliflower queen says: cos my mum’s screaming at me!
I GOT A RECALL! says: See yaaa
I GOT A RECALL! says: lol
the cauliflower queen says: byeeeeeeeeeeeee
I GOT A RECALL! says: byeeeeeeee
I GOT A RECALL! says: moi x x x
the cauliflower queen says: x x x
The birth and popularity of the internet has
given everyday people a platform from which
to voice their opinions. Anyone can develop
their own web age, online profile or even a
blog.


A blog (a blend of the term web log) is a type of
website or part of a website. Blogs are usually
maintained by an individual with regular entries
of commentary, descriptions of events, or other
material such as graphics or video. Entries are
commonly displayed in reverse-chronological
order. Blog can also be used as a verb, meaning
to maintain or add content to a blog.
Most blogs are interactive, allowing visitors to
leave comments and even message each other
via widgets on the blogs and it is this interactivity
that distinguishes them from other static
websites.



Many blogs provide commentary or news on a
particular subject; others function as more
personal online diaries. A typical blog
combines text, images, and links to other
blogs, Web pages, and other media related to
its topic.
Microblogging is another type of blogging,
featuring very short posts. Sites such as
Twitter fall under this category.
As of 16 February 2011, there were over
156 million public blogs in existence.


“Technically, a blog is a series of posts arranged
in chronological order. Most agree, however,
they’re an important form of expression. Though
many modern blogs are personal observances
updated on a regular basis, the earliest blogs
weren’t rants or observances. They were lists of
links maintained by a handful of tech savvy
individuals. It wasn’t until the late 1990’s that
blogging evolved into what we see today.”
Taken from
http://www.masternewmedia.org/independent_p
ublishing/blogging-how-to-blog/guide-topublishing-first-blog-20071104.htm.htm
(24/03/09)




Posts have a subject or header – just as a newspaper
article, or email does
They then have a subject or body – the main part of the
post, again just like an email
They most usually have comments – a way that readers can
respond to what’s been said. This is an important part of
blogging, which is much more conversational than print
media. As soon as you write something, your readers have
a chance to respond to it
They quite often have a time and date stamp – so that
readers know how recent the post is. Commonly people
aren’t so interested in reading out of date posts. Blogging
is very much an “of the moment” phenomenon, and while
you might create “evergreen” content, it’s likely that at
least some of your posts will be time sensitive.
Carefully read the blog below and make notes
on the ways in which the medium affects the
communication and the ways in which it
borrows features from other genres.
How else are blogs used and by whom?
 Political figures
 Individuals
 Celebrities
 Institutions
 Businesses

Some blogs focus on a particular subject, such as
political blogs, travel blogs (also known as
travelogs), house blogs, fashion blogs, project
blogs, education blogs, niche blogs, classical
music blogs, quizzing blogs, legal blogs (often
referred to as a blawgs) and dreamlogs. Two
common types of genre blogs are art blogs and
music blogs. A blog featuring discussions
especially about home and family is not
uncommonly called a mom blog. While not a
legitimate type of blog, one used for the sole
purpose of spamming is known as a Splog.







http://www.mil-millington.com/
http://icanhascheezburger.com/
http://www.xtreme-knitting.com/blog/
http://1000awesomethings.com/
http://www.yummly.com/blog/
http://www.stephenfry.com/blog/
http://www.lgcplus.com/blogs/blackburncollege-what-a-wonderfulplace/5005777.blog

Find your own data! If you use MSN, facebook
chat or any other chatrooms, or even if you
don’t, find a suitable length of text, copy and
paste it into a word document and analyse it
for the conventions of the genre (Hint: the
readings will help you with terminology and
conventions) DO NOT USE ANY RUDE
CHATROOMS! If you like, you can even write
up your analysis in an hour and hand it in to
be marked as a past paper.
On Moodle you will find a variety of texts to read about
all of the topics we have covered today. Remember,
reading will dramatically improve your understanding
by consolidating your learning and expanding your
knowledge.
 Language and the Internet (David Crystal)
 Understanding Chat Jargon
 Blog on or log off (emag)
 Linguistic Ruin? LOL! Instant Messaging and Teen
language (Tagliamonte & Denis)
 Myspace Comments (Thelwall)
 Emoticons Evolve into the Practical Punctuation of the
Internet (Technology Today)
 A lesson in Hai culture: Lolcats (New Statesman)
By the end of this session students will be able
to:
 analyse the audience and purpose of a
website
 extract website features from an article
 apply subject specific lexis to website
analysis
 devise and apply framework for analysis
The internet was developed as a resilient
communications network for military
purposes. With the development of
computers from expensive bulky items
designed to increase business productivity to
portable, inexpensive devices designed for
personal and entertainment use, the Internet
has become an essential in everyday life for
many.

Each webpage is designed to cater to its
audience. List some of the websites which
you regularly visit and think about how they
accommodate you as a user.
Website
Characteristics
Websites can be designed to fulfil a range of
purposes and each will differ accordingly.
Using the example below as a guide,
complete the table with the purposes of the
websites and how they may achieve them.
Add one of your own.
Website
Purpose
www.google.com
To find things Search bar is in the centre of a fairly plain page to focus on
on the
what is important for user. Logo above search bar to reinforce
Internet
user ‘loyalty’. No adverts to distract. Simple colour scheme.
www.blackburn.ac.uk
www.thesun.co.uk
www.amazon.co.uk
www.facebook.com
How?
Websites are so diverse that it is difficult to
form a conclusive list of genre conventions
but there are some general features which
you can rely upon and should be prepared to
discuss.
Read the article on pages 53-56 and extract
information about some of the ingredients of
websites.
Compare the webpages on pages 57 and 58
using the prompts on page 56. If you hand in
your answers, they will be marked. (Full
colour versions available on Moodle under
‘websites for analysis’)
By the end of this session students will be able to:
 describe the contextual differences between
sports commentaries and face-to-face
interactions
 extract linguistic characteristics of commentaries
from an article
 identify and exemplify linguistic characteristics
form a commentary recording
 sort linguistic characteristics systematically using
the frameworks
 plan an exam response and present your findings
to the class
Sports commentaries are a unique form of
communication with a specific set of
characteristics. Read the example on the next
slide. It is a short passage of commentary
(from a TV broadcast on Sky Sports) of a
match between England and Belgium in
October 1999. Figures in brackets indicate
pauses in seconds. T is the commentator,
Martin Tyler, and G is the expert summariser,
Andy Gray.
T: ...The delivery through comes from Dyer or he shaped for
it (4) cleared by Van Meir (5) Belgium were slow to push
out that time (3) free-kick given against Shearer, twentyeight international goals now, as I say only five England
players have ever reached the thirty mark or more. Bobby
Charlton leading the way forty-nine, Gary Lineker fortyeight, Jimmy Greaves forty-four and two on thirty, Tom
Finney and Nat Lofthouse so er
G: Thirty goals is definitely gettable, whether he’ll ever get
into the top trio (3)
T: ...well he was asked that this week and of course it is
rightly an ambition, but he’s got to maintain his position
what for four or five years one would have thought,
Shearer. It’s Phillips.

Read the two articles on pages 59-63 and
extract the features of sports commentaries.
Place them in the framework grid.
Audience
characteristics
Functions of
commentator
Grammar
Lexis
Semantics
Phonology
Pragmatics
Discourse
structure
Unseen, unknown audience who do not respond
Audience
characteristics Expected to be fans of the sport and have some previous knowledge
Functions of
commentator
Grammar
Lexis
Semantics
Phonology
Pragmatics
Discourse
structure
Audience
characteristics
Functions of
commentator
Grammar
Lexis
Semantics
Phonology
Pragmatics
Discourse
structure
Unseen, unknown audience who do not respond
Expected to be fans of the sport and have some previous knowledge
Report event details, give background information, convey atmosphere
by creating vicarious excitement.
Audience
characteristics
Functions of
commentator
Grammar
Lexis
Semantics
Phonology
Pragmatics
Discourse
structure
Unseen, unknown audience who do not respond
Expected to be fans of the sport and have some previous knowledge
Report event details, give background information, convey atmosphere
by creating vicarious excitement.
Lots of adverbial items and phrases. Elliptical, ‘compressed’ structures
for efficiency. Tense shifts to cover different contexts.
Audience
characteristics
Functions of
commentator
Grammar
Lexis
Semantics
Phonology
Pragmatics
Discourse
structure
Unseen, unknown audience who do not respond
Expected to be fans of the sport and have some previous knowledge
Report event details, give background information, convey atmosphere
by creating vicarious excitement.
Lots of adverbial items and phrases. Elliptical, ‘compressed’ structures
for efficiency. Tense shifts to cover different contexts.
Neologisms, anachronisms, subject specific lexemes,
naming/identification conventions.
Audience
characteristics
Functions of
commentator
Grammar
Lexis
Semantics
Phonology
Pragmatics
Discourse
structure
Unseen, unknown audience who do not respond
Expected to be fans of the sport and have some previous knowledge
Report event details, give background information, convey atmosphere
by creating vicarious excitement.
Lots of adverbial items and phrases. Elliptical, ‘compressed’ structures
for efficiency. Tense shifts to cover different contexts.
Neologisms, anachronisms, subject specific lexemes,
naming/identification conventions.
Clichés, militaristic imagery, metaphors, mixed metaphors, often
semantically illogical, hyperbole, euphemism, tautologies, mangling.
Audience
characteristics
Functions of
commentator
Grammar
Lexis
Semantics
Phonology
Pragmatics
Discourse
structure
Unseen, unknown audience who do not respond
Expected to be fans of the sport and have some previous knowledge
Report event details, give background information, convey atmosphere
by creating vicarious excitement.
Lots of adverbial items and phrases. Elliptical, ‘compressed’ structures
for efficiency. Tense shifts to cover different contexts.
Neologisms, anachronisms, subject specific lexemes,
naming/identification conventions.
Clichés, militaristic imagery, metaphors, mixed metaphors, often
semantically illogical, hyperbole, euphemism, tautologies, mangling.
Prosodic features vital for creating vicarious excitement: pitch, tempo,
volume, stress etc. Limited pauses (especially on the radio).
Audience
characteristics
Functions of
commentator
Grammar
Lexis
Semantics
Phonology
Pragmatics
Discourse
structure
Unseen, unknown audience who do not respond
Expected to be fans of the sport and have some previous knowledge
Report event details, give background information, convey atmosphere
by creating vicarious excitement.
Lots of adverbial items and phrases. Elliptical, ‘compressed’ structures
for efficiency. Tense shifts to cover different contexts.
Neologisms, anachronisms, subject specific lexemes,
naming/identification conventions.
Clichés, militaristic imagery, metaphors, mixed metaphors, often
semantically illogical, hyperbole, euphemism, tautologies, mangling.
Prosodic features vital for creating vicarious excitement: pitch, tempo,
volume, stress etc. Limited pauses (especially on the radio).
Need to convey atmosphere, possibly present some bias. May include
national stereotypes.
Audience
characteristics
Functions of
commentator
Grammar
Lexis
Semantics
Phonology
Pragmatics
Discourse
structure
Unseen, unknown audience who do not respond
Expected to be fans of the sport and have some previous knowledge
Report event details, give background information, convey atmosphere
by creating vicarious excitement.
Lots of adverbial items and phrases. Elliptical, ‘compressed’ structures
for efficiency. Tense shifts to cover different contexts.
Neologisms, anachronisms, subject specific lexemes,
naming/identification conventions.
Clichés, militaristic imagery, metaphors, mixed metaphors, often
semantically illogical, hyperbole, euphemism, tautologies, mangling.
Prosodic features vital for creating vicarious excitement: pitch, tempo,
volume, stress etc. Limited pauses (especially on the radio).
Need to convey atmosphere, possibly present some bias. May include
national stereotypes.
Instant response though spontaneous and unscripted. Unplanned
nature often results in a lack of elegant coherence.

Now watch the clip taken from Halifax vs.
Altrincham FA Cup 2nd Round in 1988 and
follow the transcript below. Add any extra
features you spot to your framework grid.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ysL5OrMiQ
And (.) fails (3) well (1) Gary Stewart (.) puts the penalty wide (3) to
the delight of the Halifax fans behind the goal (.) one of whom
virtually caught it I think (6) it remains one nil to the fourth
division team (4) so great excitement here in the space of two or
three minutes (2) just coming up to half time and he’s onside (.)
what a chance here for Allison it could be two (.) for Halifax (.)
and it’s going to be (3) what drama we have got in this sec(h)ond
round cup tie at Moss Lane (.) big (.) Wayne Allison makes it two
nil to Halifax (.) straight from the penalty miss (.) they’ve
increased their lead (1) the linesman’s flag stayed down (1) and
Allison took on the keeper (.) and although two defenders were
chasing back (.) he put enough weight on the ball to send it into
the net (4) and I don’t think you could ask (.) for any more
incident in a five minute spell of football (.) or perhaps a bit less
(1) we’ve seen two goals for Billy Eyre’s team (.) he’s pointing
there (.) and is in between Altrincham missed a penalty

Sports commentators often come under fire
for saying ridiculously obvious, contradictory
or nonsensical things, many of which are
recorded on fan sites and in sports writing,
but this is mostly due to the contextual
factors of the discourse. Read the extracts
below and comment on what you think their
original meaning was, what the actual
meaning is and how the context could
account for the discrepancy
MW:
..And you can see visually that er Hill is inching up on the Ferrari...“
JA:
Well Murray the atmosphere down here for the team is one of
resigned...(struggling for the right word)...resignation really, yes..
MW:
YES lovely stop, now where are the Mclarens that's the important thing,
where is Coulthard, Michael ac.. has still got to exit the pit lane, and
LOOK BACK LOOK BACK, WHERE ARE THE MCLARENS, THE'RE BEHIND
'IM THE'RE BEHIND 'IM Michael Schumacher, retains the lead...
JM:
Nearly all the Brazilian supporters are wearing yellow shirts (.) it’s a
fabulous kaleidoscope of colour
JM:
England under siege now, perhaps for the first time in a length of time
On pages 65-66 you will find the past paper question
from January 2007. Follow the steps below and don’t
cheat!
1. Read the question and the transcript and make notes
on the features you would discuss.
2. Now get into a group of three and compare and
contrast the features you each highlighted.
3. In your group, use the frameworks to sort the
features systematically
4. You will now be allocated a framework for your
group to present to the class. Collect your finding
and structure your group response using the PEE
model. Remember to always consider the context!


Beard, A. (1998) The Language of Sport
London: Routledge. pg 57-83 (numerous
copies are available in the library)
Crystal, D. (1997) The Cambridge
Encyclopedia of the English Language.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
(available on Moodle on the ENGB1b:
Language and Social Contexts page under
Language and Technology)
By the end of this session students will be able
to:
 identify, describe and exemplify the linguistic
characteristics of live phone-ins
 describe the contextual considerations of live
phone-ins
 analyse live phone-ins using a framework
 compare your response to a sample answer
provided by the examiners


Phone-ins allow members of the public to air
their opinions on TV or radio. The topics are
at the discretion of the programme producer
and can range from gardening tips to advice
about relationships. The programmes are
hosted by a presenter who is responsible for
managing the conversation and providing the
final word.
A live phone-in happens in real time and can
create an impression of spontaneity and risk
– you never know what the caller is going to
say! It also uses familiar technology for the
caller and so they may feel more confident.


The BBC employs an unseen selection process for
most programmes. Callers contact a producer
ahead of the feature and a list of contributors is
formed for use later. Programmes on TV or radio
may utilise the phone-in in order to promote
interaction with the viewer/listener but
sometimes it can go awry! (See
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgH048XJRU
M&feature=PlayList&p=E44A13828217A0FE&play
next=1&playnext_from=PL&index=19 and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyI0CA2hp9
Y&feature=related )
As a result of calls like the above, the BBC has
developed some guidelines for conducting
phone-ins.


The transcript on the next slide is from You and
Yours which is a programme broadcast on Radio
4. The discussion relates to the caller’s
experience of his own Asperger’s syndrome, and
his son’s autism. Read the transcript carefully
and consider the questions above. What points
would you make if this was given to you in your
exam?
P is presenter, C is caller and E is expert guest.
Underlined text marks overlapping speech
P: I er I may come back to Jane to talk about that in a minute but I
just want to ask you what difference does has has having a
diagnosis made to to you
C:(0.5) Not a great deal in practical terms but it at least I I know
that um that I have it and I’m not and I haven’t been deluding
myself for the past five years (.) and it it’s useful in terms of selfdefinition just in terms of understanding oneself (.)
E: I (.) I’d be very interested to know Russell if I could just interrupt
for a second how has it affected your relationship with your son
(.) he presumably knows that he is autistic
C:He does
E: And how does he feel now that he knows that you have a
condition on the same spectrum
C:He doesn’t know that
P:
Yeah (.) er
C: no he doesn’t know that
E: D’you think you will tell him or is it easier for you not to confuse
him
C:
I think I’ll I’ll tell him that later on
The transcript on the next slide is take from a
live phone-in focusing on claims that A level
exams are easier compared to previous years.
The presenter (P) has just introduced a
speaker, Dennis (D) who is a teacher. How
does technology influence the linguistic
choices?
P: Dennis morning to you
D: good morning
P: you are a teacher are (.) do you agree with the comments made this morning
D: not at all (.) I’m very angry it’s like every year you know we’re told that
examinations are becoming easier and that students aren’t being challenged
but the bottom line is that both students and teachers are working very hard
and (.) and I never understand why we automatically dismiss their work (.) it’s
like we’re trying to find excuses for what students are now achieving (.) er we
should
be praising instead of |constantly crit |
P:
|Dennis (.) let’s| look at what those critics are saying
then (1) questions that aren’t testing enough (.) coursework that sometimes isn’t
the students own |and|
D:
|but| that’s a different issue (.)
P: ok but in your years of teaching (.) how long have you been teaching
D: twenty years
P: you must have seen a change in the way that exams are being set and
administered
D: well I’m not convinced that the questions are easier (.) for example in my subject
(.) English (.) students are now having to deal with more mod (.) modern
ways of
reading and accessing texts (1) if anything the questions are more
demanding (.) I just feel very angry about it all (.) teachers (.) like the police and
nurses seem to
get the blame for all this and at the same time you know
employing more and
more unqualified teachers and not paying the qualified
ones enough
P: well ok then (.) let’s return to the issue of coursework


You have been given a transcript of a radio
phone-in. Read the question and the data and
write a sample answer in one hour. When you
have completed your response, compare it to the
sample answer on moodle. You will find it under
the heading Phone-in exam question and sample
answer taken from Giovanelli, M & Pearce, A
(2008) AQA English Language B AS Cheltenham:
Nelson Thornes Ltd. p.114-115. The sample was
graded as a B. How do you think you did?
Note: This is not the only way to answer the
question and there is never only one definitive
response to some data.
That’s it
folks!