Lingua Inglese e Comunicazione Multimediale, prof Silvia Masi

Clipping (shortenings)

ROM, FAQ, CD, URL, WWW

Backformation

A word loses part of itself to generate a related word in a different word class

Babysitter (n) > to babysit

Word processor (n) > to word process

Semantic shift

Well-established words which have been given a new sense in the virtual domain

net, network, menu, bookmark, gadget, post, preview, template, chat, forum, portal, desktop, virus, firewall, spam, spamming, spammer

28.03: Collocations

➢verb + participle print to file

➢ hack into computer

➢verb + noun enter URL in the address box

➢ track changes

➢ undo typing

➢ hit return

➢ transmit data

➢ install the software

➢ access the Web

➢ send and receive emails

➢ burn CDs

➢verb + adj go viral

➢adj + noun outgoing and incoming email

➢ instant messaging

➢ wireless hotspots

➢ virtual environment

➢adv + adj highly sensitive information

➢noun + noun print preview

➢phrases drag and drop

➢ plug and

play➢ 404 file not found

Borrowings- Program and disk > semantic widening in AE > borrowings in BE (cf.programme and disc)- Wiki > borrowings from Hawaian- From technological domain in general E > user-friendly download (n. full report),offline (unavailable)

Only a few thousand items have come into English as a result of Internet activity

The Internet is as yet playing a relatively minor role within the English lexicon

29.03: Orthography

■ Nonstandard spelling

■ capitalisation

■ punctuation

Variation depends on output and individual (age, gender, level of education…)

It also depends on content:

➢ when emotional > the number if punctuation marks can increase (!!!!)

➢ messages entirely in capitals > ‘shouting’

➢ some innovations > bicapitalization (esp. in proper names, e.g. EarthLink)

Spelling variants may be due to geographical dialects es:building - bilding guardian- gardian handsome -hansome autumn - autumrhubarb - rubarbmnemonic - nemonic

Grammar -s > -z for pirated version of software (tunez, gamez, downloadz, filez) - Sentence length, type and complexity depend on output: - Short sentences + avoidance of subordination in texting, tweeting, instant messaging, chatroom interaction - Blogs > some are thousand of words lng, with paragraphs (uncommon in forums) - In blogging > freely written prose with no editorial interference > syntax reflects the way writers think and speak

Pragmatics Choices available to people and contextual factors governing them, such as text producers’ intentions and effects conveyed In the Internet communication we may have different intentions and effects… - messages intended to cause irritation in a chatgroup (trolls); - unwanted information (spam), inactive participation in a chatroom (lurking) - aggressive or threatening messages (flaming) - advertisements (persuading) on a site

What are the intentions of text producers across outputs? - Webpage (or different sections within it) = a

Purposes, styles, etc.) > high degree of diversification within, say, a newspaper or a web page

Simple online replications of print format at first

Then, texts incorporated many more features (graphs with movement, speeches that can be listened to, mp3 files with music, etc.)

Now we have texts with no counterpart in the offline world! e.g. blogs > structural elements such as posts, links, comments…

Expressive limits of texts (160 characters)

Tweets (140 characters, now 280)

Hypertextuality and graphic richness of web pages

Email functions

• Interpersonal (e.g. btw friends)
• Organisational (workplace or educational establishment)
• Social/leisure (hobbies, special interest groups)
• Service sector (bookings, online orders)
• Advertising
• Cybercrime (phishing)

Wide range of stylistic choices

In general, the wider the audience, the more formal and careful the style

Advertisements may have informal style to simulate friendship

Typical features

• Date and time stamps, account details,

automatic signature (optional), subjective line, opening and closing routines

- Dear Sir/Madam,

- Dear Sir or Madam,

- To whom it may concern:

- Dear Dr Jones,/Professor Jones,/Mr/Mrs/Ms Smith,

- VS - Dear Mike/Sarah,

- Hello Mike/Sarah,

- Hi/Hey Mike/Sarah,

- I look forward to hearing from you

- Hope to hear from you soon

- Yours faithfully, (when you start with Dear Sir/Madam,)

- Yours sincerely, (when you start with the name e.g. Dear Ms Smith)

- Kind regards

- Regards

- Best regards (semi-formal)

- Best wishes (slightly more informal)

- All the best (informal)

- Take care

- Love

- Cheers

to put email in context

- With regard to…

- I am writing with regard to…

- With reference to our telephone conversation…

- Following my call to you this morning, I’m putting in my bid for an interview with… in writing, as requested

- Thank you for email of...concerning…

- This is to tell you that…

- I wanted to let you know that…

- Thanks for your e-mail, it was great to

Hear from you…

Various speech acts:

• Could you please let me know if…
• Could you possibly arrange a meeting with…
• I would also like to know if…
• Can you…
• We regret to inform you that…
• I'm sorry, but…
• Please do let me know if I can be of further assistance
• Do you need…
• Please find attached the file you requested
• I am attaching my CV for your consideration

Relationship:

• Informal terms of address and salutation forms (hi, first names; exception of 'regards')
• Gradual disappearance of openings and closing (the final three emails occur within a couple of hours) > messages like dialogue, 'interactive feel' similar to spoken interaction (away from the genre of formal letters)
• Irregular capitalization, omitted punctuation, spelling mistake (with for would), omission of articles, verbs ('ve) and subjects, contracted forms (I'm) (style close to that of note-making)
• Common ground (that reference)
Il post finanziario...)- Scherzi (tentativo di provocare in modo giocoso) e umorismoTaggVarianti ortografiche o testismi...- si verificano meno frequentemente di quanto si pensi- seguono principi ortografici- sono una risorsa importante per la creazione di significatoRisultati della ricerca sperimentale (SMS, piattaforme IM, ecc.- che incoraggiano conversazioni sincrone) > correlazione tra comunicazione digitale (uso di testi digitali) e buone competenze di lettura➢ Le parole che tendono ad essere riscritte sono corte e comuni➢ I modi in cui le parole possono essere riscritte sono limitatiAlcune forme riscritte in CorTxt1. you A. u, ya, yer, ye, uu2. to B. 23. the C. d, da, th4. and D. n, an5. for E. 4, fer6. have F. av, hve, hav7. be G. b8. are H. r, ar9. good I. gd10. see J. c11. just K. jus, jst, just12. I'm L. im13. tomorrow M. tomoAlcune categorie di riscrittura in CorTxt n, av, yer, wiv, goin, nope, yepForme colloquiali sumfing, wid, disRegionali 2, 4, u, b, c, gud, woz, coz, thanx, wot, nite,Fonetico/omofoni (accattivante cum, luv,
1. Abbreviations: fone, cud, wudeffect, tomo, cause, bout
2. Abbreviations: gd, jst, thks/thnx/thx, bk (back), frm, wk
3. Consonant writing: wk (week), lv (love), pls/plz, cld, wld, nxt, txt, wknd
4. Omission of apostrophes: x (kiss), o (hug)
5. Visual morphemes: adn, jurt
6. Typos
7. Some determinants of spelling (and style) variation across forms of digital communication:
   • Medium constraints
   • Sender's preferences
   • Purpose of message
   • How quickly it is sent
   • What the sender is doing at the time (standing at crowded bar or watching TV)
   • Whom you are writing to (less variation in a corpus of Tweets than in another of SMS, possibly due to users' different perception of audience - Tweets tend to be targeted at a wide, largely unknown audience not sharing specific background of sender)
8. The register of Twitter
9. Pressure to convey info within the length constraint > variety of shortening techniques such as:
   • Nonstandard spelling (n for and, u/ur for you/r, dat, ppl, wen, wat, dnt, thx, dropped final -g, as in doin)

contrations- abbreviations (lol)- emoticons- logograms (&, +, 3)- elliptical sentences (subject omission), sentential fragments, minor sentences (cf.interjections, e.g. wow, hey, haha…)- ‘avoidance principles’ (leave out unnecessary words, omit unnecessarypunctuation marks) ↓Cumulative effect of informality

Change in prompt > more dialogic quality with markers of grammatical cohesion:- conjunctions, and, but, cos- connectives, so, well, also- responsive utterances, lol, yeah, ok, thx- clarifying utterances, I mean, really?- anaphors, that is a shame, it’s one of my favs- direct address forms, hey girl, you, your- commands, cheer up, mind your language- questions, is that some kinda different language?

Multiple pragmatic functions➢ What are you doing?I am delivering my thesis presentation tomorrow➢ News announcementAncient language discovered in Mexico➢ Observations or opinions (including aphorisms and quotations)Election language is making less

& less sense to me

Advertising, Ad + emoticon conveying attitude

Free webinar! Buy this product :-D

Phatic communication/Rapport

I’m sorry if I just offended you in a different way

Combination of Phatic + opinion + What happening