Title: The Multi-Modal Merge

Create questions to analyse attitudes to digital communication

S4L: Reflection

The aim of this study...

Understand variations in spoken language, explaining why language changes in relation to contexts.

Evaluate the impact of spoken language choices in their own and others’ use.

Explore different social attitudes to the ways digital communications are affecting language.

Mind-Map the debates that we’ve looked at so far

Explore different social attitudes to the ways digital communications are affecting language.

How can you find out what people think?

Design a questionnaire/ interview to explore attitudes

Skilled will... Have clear questions that will probe some attitudes to how digital communication may be affecting language

Identify some people to ask that may have different attitudes

Excellentwill...

Have precise questions that explore a range of key issues arising from the use of digital communication

Identify and full range of interview candidates that will have alternative views

Peer assess

Can they improve their questions?

Title: How to do it well.

Evaluate responses and incorporate this success into our own writing

S4L: Independence

Explore different social attitudes to the ways digital communications are affecting language.

Spoken Language StudyControlled Assessment CriteriaUnderstand variations in spoken language, explaining why language changes in

relation to contexts.Evaluate the impact of spoken language choices in their own and others’ use.

Band 5 17–20 marks Candidates demonstrate‘Sophisticated, perceptive analysis and evaluation of aspects of how they and others use

and adapt spoken language for specific purposesImpressive’ sustained and sophisticated interpretations of key features found in spoken

language datasophisticated analysis and evaluation of key issues arising from public attitudes to spoken

language varieties.

Band 4 13–16 marks Candidates demonstrate‘Confident explanation and analysis of how they and others use and adapt spoken language

for specific purposes confident analysis and reflection on features found in some spoken language dataconfident analysis of some issues arising from public attitudes to spoken language varieties.

Band 3 9–12 marks Candidates demonstrate‘Clear, Consistent’ explanation of how they and others use and adapt spoken language for

specific purposesexploration of features found in some spoken language dataexploration of some issues arising from public attitudes to spoken language varieties.

Band 2 5–8 marks Candidates demonstrate‘Some’ some awareness of how they and others use and adapt spoken language for specific

purposessome understanding of significant features found in some spoken language datasome awareness of public attitudes to spoken language varieties.

Read these essays

Which one is better?Why?

Where does this do well? Where can it improve?

Over the internet, people try to save time typing, so words are abbreviated. E.g. Ex 3 ‘Sat. Night’ (Saturday night) and longer phrases are made into initialisms e.g FB (Facebook). If said aloud, many acronyms used in messaging are just as long as the actual words, so this usually only occurs on the web or occasionally in written words. The need to shorten one’s typing time has lead to the need for other ways to shorten words, like with letter of number homophones such as ‘gr8’ or ‘L8r’, ‘c u 2moro’. Although, again, this is informal English so one wouldn’t use it in an important email to your boss, or possibly to someone who is older as this technique is used more frequently by young people.

Your essay should have...

Skilled will...

• Confident explanation and analysis of how they and others use and adapt spoken language for specific purposes

• confident analysis and reflection on features found in some spoken language data

• confident analysis of some issues arising from public attitudes to spoken language varieties.

Excellentwill...

• Sophisticated, perceptive analysis and evaluation of aspects of how they and others use and adapt spoken language for specific purposes

• Impressive’ sustained and sophisticated interpretations of key features found in spoken language data

• Sophisticated analysis and evaluation of key issues arising from public attitudes to spoken language varieties

Now go back to the paragraph you wrote for HW

Use the same skills to evaluate your own writing.

Write a wwwEbi

Now re-write it.

Formative title

Explore different social attitudes to the ways text messages are affecting language.

Example analysisThere are many arguments surrounding the use of abbreviated and non-standard English

and spelling used in the multi-modal communication. In Data set 2 B replies to A’s question “hows u?” with the response “gud thanx, u?” Firstly, B uses a non-standard feature, not using a capital letter. This is slightly quicker and easier than using a capital letter as she doesn’t need to press the shift key. It is also very informal. Whilst internet communication is often less formal than other forms of writing, this is so informal that it suggests A and B are good friends with each other. Secondly, both “gud” and “thanx” are spelt phonetically, which could be seen as something done for brevity, as both words have one less letter than usual and again, it suggests informality. However, this kind of phonetic representation is fashionable among teenagers and this may be an example of B adapting her language because of her age and fashion, probably unconsciously. Additionally, phonetic features such as this can be interpreted as an attempt to represent the sounds of natural speech in order to make the conversation seem more like a real conversation. As a multi modal text, the conversation shares features with both written and spoken texts, and this phonological feature may be an attempt, probably unconscious again, to make the conversation seem closer to speech. Furthermore, the non Standard spelling is mildly subversive: this type of language may be used so heavily by teenagers because it is almost a form of rebellion against the conformity of adults. It rejects Standard English. A and B and many teenagers might see the use of such features as fun and a way of expressing themselves. However, other people see it as a threat to the language and literacy. They believe a generation is growing up unable to spell correctly because of SMS messages and the internet. Alternatively they may think that as with speech, Non Standard forms suggest that a person is uneducated or of a low class. In fact, there are other people, such as David Crystal, who believe that...