Language and Technology

How does technology augment, constrain and simulate person to person communication?

How does technology affect the way you communicate?

• Draw a series of symbols to represent all the different means of communication you have used in the last two days.

• Now annotate each symbol with thoughts about why you chose this means of communication. What advantages did it offer over other means of communication?

• What drawbacks are there to each choice of medium?• What was distinctive about the way you used language?

– Lexis - pragmatics– Grammar - graphology– Discourse - phonology

Language and Technology

1. Telephone conversations inc answer-phones2. Text-speak3. Radio / television phone ins4. Television / radio commentaries5. Email language6. Message boards / chat rooms7. Web pages8. Blogs

Exam Data could be…

Transcript of interaction via landline or mobileExamples of text messagesTranscript of a radio or television phone inTranscript of a radio or television commentary

on a live eventExamples of emails, message boards, web-

pages, web logs.

8 topics – 3 weeks = lots of learning

For each new sub-topic there will be an information hand-out which you will get at the end of the previous lesson.

You need to read through this info prior to the lesson, learning as much of it as you can and identifying any areas of confusion.

This way in lessons we can focus on reinforcing knowledge, applying new info to data and developing the skills you need for the exam.

In pairs role-play these conversation openings

• Phoning a friend to discuss the English Language coursework deadline.

• Phoning the personnel manager of a company to ask about the possibility of work experience

• Phoning an older family member to thank them for the kind present they sent you for your birthday.

The third person in each group should note down the similarities and differences between each conversation

Same / Different

As a group make a list of the key similarities and differences in the three conversations. As always, think in terms of key frameworks

Discourse – structure, order, patterns.Register – levels of formality, how are these

createdLexisGrammar

Schegloff The sequence or pattern of the openings of telephone conversations

1. Summons / answer

2.Identification / recognition

3. A greeting sequence

4.How are you sequence Using the three conversations you have had, write

down an example of each of Scheglof’s stages.

Scheglof – What do you think?

• Scheglof’s work was 26 years ago.

• Going by your own knowledge of phone conversations, does his pattern hold true?

• Is there anything you think doesn’t apply to phone conversations you have?

John: helloSteve: John, it’s SteveJohn: oh hi, hi, how are you doingSteve: good thanks, you?John: yeah not bad just recovering from this cold

think you knowSteve: it’s all aroundJohn: yeah we’re all sniffing at the moSteve: (laughs) yeahJohn: so what’s happening next week?

To what extent does Schegloff’s model apply to this conversation? Annotate the stages that fit and any elements which appear not to.

The Long Goodbye

• Have you ever been stuck on the end of a phone desperately trying to end the conversation? – What strategies did you use?– Why didn’t they work?

• What face issues are involved in wrapping up a phone conversation?

• Why are these more pronounced than in a face to face conversation?

• How do participants collaborate to eliminate loss of face?

Pre-closing and ClosingsRemember it’s collaborative – both parties know the signals and respond to them

• Pre-closing sequences – indicate that one speakers wishes to discontinue conversation

• Meta-talk – talking about talk, we’ve been talking for ages

• Phatic speech acts – well, it’s been great talking to you

• Discourse markers – well, anyway, on that note• Positive or negative politeness – it’s been great talking

to you, I mustn’t keep you..• Valedictions - goodbyes

Exam Practice – 10 minute written taskBack to John and Steve – analyse the language features used and what they show.

SchegloffPhatic talkInformal constructionsElliptical constructionsShared knowledgeCollaborative enterprise

Answerphones

• What features do answerphone messages share with face to face conversation?

(how is it like talking to someone)• What features do they share with written

communication (how is it like writing a letter)

Leave a message after the beep…

• Work in pairs – take it in turns to dictate and transcribe the answer phone message you would leave me to tell me:– the three most interesting

things you’ve learnt this lesson?

– Which point have you found hardest to get to grips with?

At the sound of the tone please leave a message.. Unless you’re trying to sell me something