Transcript The Language of Electronic Communication Its

The Language of
Electronic
Communication
Its Implications for
TEFL
EUROCALL 2010
Averianova Irina
Nagoya University of Business, Japan
Electronically-Mediated
Communication (EMC)
 Electronic Mail (e-mail)
 Internet Relay Chat (IRC)
 Multiple Users Domains (MUDs)
 Newsgroups
 Blogs
 Other interactive platforms (Twitter,
Second Life; FaceBook, etc)
 SMS
Electronically-Mediated
Communication (EMC)
540 million people use the Net
Every 6th person on earth
English is the dominant language
of electronic communication
In 2010, non-native speakers
using the Internet have
outnumbered native speakers
Significant expansion of EMC in
TEFL
EMC in EFL Classroom
ENHANCED MOTIVATION AND
AUTONOMY OF LEARNERS
 Authenticity
 Interactivity
 Security:
a) psychological
b) linguistic
EMC in EFL Classroom
Email communication
Blog exchange
 Chat room participation
 FaceBook interaction
Joint projects
Academic partnerships
SMS exchange and texting as
learning activities
Electronic Discourse:
Written Speech
Spoken Writing
(Hybrid, A new computer style, Internet Slang,
Internet language, Net speak, Chat Room
Shorthand, Tech-talk, Nu English)
DISCURSIVE DRIVES
 Economy of writing
 Maintenance of orality in the absence
of direct auditory interaction
 Linguistic relaxation
Electronic Discourse
ABBREVIATION
 Initialisms: ASAP, TTYT, ISTM, KISS,
PICNIC, HAND, POS, TUL
 Clippings: Pic, Peeps, Attn
 Homophonic coinages, or
logograms: 2dA, 2u2, UC, Qt, Y
Electronic Discourse
SIMPLIFIED SYNTAX
 Incomplete sentences: Need 2 go;
been watching ya
 “Contracted” contractions: dont,
whats, thats
Electronic Discourse
IRREGULAR CAPITALIZATION
 Lower case letters only whispering: can you remember what
we sposed to be doing today???
 Upper case letters only - shouting:
WHYS NOBODY DO NOTHING!!!!!!!
 Mixed case - emphasis: did I just
see GOD???
Electronic Discourse
EMOTICONS
(SMILEGLYPHS, SMILEYS)
:-) “smile”
:-O “surprise, shock”
:-D “laughing”
>:-O “angry/yelling
>:-( “angry/grumpy”
:’-( “crying”
:-* “kiss”
:-@ “screaming”
EMC in EFL Classroom
MAJOR PROBLEM:
Excessive use/abuse of peculiarities
of electronic discourse
 Initial enthusiasm
 Emulation
 Limited language aptitude
(appeased by economy of writing
and linguistic relaxation)
Insufficient code-switching skills
EMC in EFL Classroom
Excessive use/abuse of peculiarities
of electronic discourse results in:
 Exclusion
 Flaming
 Hostile & insulting reaction
General lack of comprehensibility
Non-standard language in the
academic context
Lack of comprehensibility in
Email
“… I
really consider the Japanese
2B very different from us but
hope U tell me more about it
l8R. I/m looking forward to ur
reply!! TCOY!!! :-) KIT!!:-)
LTTA!!!”
Texting in academic writing)
My smmr hols wr CWOT. B4, we used
2go2 NY 2C my bro, his GF & thr 3 :kids FTF. ILNY, it's a gr8 plc
(In translation: "My summer holidays were a
complete waste of time. Before, we used to
go to New York to see my brother, his
girlfriend and their three screaming kids
face to face. I love New York. It's a great
place.") (BBC News, 4 March, 2003)
Texting in academic writing
xs cmpnstn fnds wl b nvstd 4
srvvng fmly mmbrs
(In translation: “Excess
compensation funds will be
invested for surviving family
members.”) (I. Berman, 2006)
Texting in academic writing
Common disclaimer phrases (called
“parantheticals”) ofn contract in2
ACRONYMS – they tend to occur @
certain points in a sentence which
can facilitate decoding. Some e.g.s.:
IMHO – In my humble/honest
opinion…
Lol, btw, b/c (N. Baron 2009)
@, $, &
Texting – Other problems
 Cheating
 2002 - University of Maryland, College Park, 12
students
 2002 - Hitotsubashi University, 26 students
 2004 - England, 287 school and college students
Multitasking
Disruption
Attitude – What teachers
teach about EMC
Cultural awareness
 Mutual courtesy
 Technical conventions of writing
in the Net
BUT
 Linguistic conventions of
electronic discourse are generally
either not acknowledged or
intentionally neglected
EMC in EFL Classroom
ROLE OF THE TEACHER
 Introduce the fundamentals of
netiquette
 Ensure the appropriate way of
writing in the Net
 Provide the netiquette
troubleshooting:
a) Proactive
b) Reactive
EMC – Implications for TEFL
 Code-switching
 Knowledge of traditional writing
conventions
 Communicative awareness
 Texting etiquette
 Differentiation between creativity
and normative language use
Electronic Communication and
TEFL
ROLE OF THE TEACHER
 Facilitate adequate understanding
between the participants of EMC
Ensure acquisition of
comprehensive language
competence within any
communicational framework
Thank you!