FACEBOOK

Here is a screenshot of a group chat between friends. This is actually the mobile version of Facebook, which means you can message people when on the go. Another affordance of Facebook messaging is, as you can see from the lovely whale, the ability to send photos to the other people in the group chat. If you are using it on your mobile you are able to take a photo instantly from your phone, which could come in handy if you want to send pictures quickly. However there are many constraints when using an online messaging service, for example; you don't actually know the tone of voice of the person who is speaking. This can become difficult if you have mis-read a message and perhaps continue to irritate the person you are messaging. For example, here Lucy has said "Awww, so cute!". Now, obviously her friends know her well enough to be sending her pictures of whales, but you could (if in a rather 'whale hating' mood) think she is being sarcastic. You don't know if she thinks this whale is cute. That is a slightly ridiculous example but perhaps in a more serious context, say if the 'boss' is messaging you, mis-reading their messages would be rather un-fortunate.

Transcription of a communication exercise:

Sam (S)

Ruby (R)

The task was to describe, using only words, an abstract drawing to your partner who could not see the drawing. Making it very difficult for you to explain, which somehow led to you using slightly peculiar instructions.

S: Okaayy, aand go!

R: Okay. Start in the top right corner.

S: Yep

R: And draw a small triangle that’s like facing diagonally. (0.2) to (0.1) to the left. (Pause) Yeah (?)/

S: /Oh yeah

R: Like, yeah

S: The points at like the top/yeah

R: yeah (0.1) Okay then down from there (0.1) continuing diagonally. There’s another one. (0.1) like medium

S: Yerp

This is just an extract from the entire transcript; it is the first few lines where you can see instantly how we accommodate our language to fit with each other. For example, several words are used as fillers but also as forms of backchanneling in order to keep the ‘instructor’ going. When I am describing one of the triangles to Sam my speech is full of pauses as I am unsure of my instructions, and I start to slow down “…diagonally. (0.2) to (0.1) to the left.(0.1)…” , Sam keeps me going by saying “yeah” underneath my speech to help me recognise that what I am saying makes sense. These ‘filler’ words are very important because they are a way of communicating a mutual understanding of what is happening and keeps each person going, if someone were to be given this transcript along with a pen and paper I highly doubt they would be able to replicate the drawing as well as Sam did because a lot of the communication was in the tone of voice etc… Another word which is used out of context is “like”, for example “…like medium” when explaining the size of the triangle. Now, medium is not a very informative/descriptive word but adding the word ‘like’ in with it helps in no way what so ever. But as you can see from the extract we both understood each other and managed to develop my instructions. ‘Like’ is used as we were both unsure of what we were saying, we did not want to be definite. I (being the instructor) would use ‘like’ as I wanted Sam to be careful and not draw instantly, which she understood. However, if I were explaining this drawing to someone else perhaps a teacher, I would use a higher register and use more words in order to describe what was happening much better. As you can see from this extract we both ended up using as little words as possible, which were very hesitant: “…diagonally. There’s another one. (0.1) like medium”, being under pressure where every word is important seemed to result in a lack of sophistication.

 

My Mini Saga

50 word short stories!- Very difficult to write.

Nans Neighbours 

I’d visit Nan every Tuesday after school; we'd sit and eat crumpets. 
'How was school?’ she’d say. I would nod.
Nan would get her broom and whack the ceiling with it.
'Blimmin neighbours’ she’d say, ‘always having parties, KEEP IT DOWN’ She’d shout. 
Nan lives in a bungalow, I’d think.  

Gods Among Us #1 CUMBERBATCH

The one and only, Mr.Benedict Cumberbatch. Many of us could have seen him the street, in a supermarket, unaware of his astonishing skills in the world of “show business”. He has managed to achieve “stardom” in many people’s eyes, very quickly, due to the outstanding acting in the BBCs take on the traditional “Sherlock Holmes”. I’m sure we can all agree that he had some big shoes to fill when taking on this intriguing character. Don’t take my word for it; he received a well-deserved award for his work on the show, a “Primetime emy award for outstanding lead actor in a miniseries…”

When Sherlock, A.K.A Cumberbatch, plummeted to his “death” in series 3, the show did the opposite… 9.2 million, yes million, returned with him to find out how he pulled of “faking his own death”. Let’s be honest, the face of the series is Sherlock, and Sherlock is Benedict. And he makes the show!

Let’s step away for a moment and look at his other achievements. Don’t tell me “Sherlock” is his only achievement! For this just isn't the case. Take your eyes of his fame and fortune for a moment. What is left? A man with sharp cheekbones? Well, yes. But, let’s not forget his golden heart. With over a million views, his ALS icebuket challenge furthered the cause and helped raise awareness for the charity in need. In fact, in his gap year, Benedict taught English as a foreign language in a developing country. You must, therefore, agree with me when I say, Benedict is a well-rounded thoughtful individual. This, in my opinion, is hard to find in the now-famous pre-teens which we so easily look at with awe and passion. 

Booker style article extract

Need to save money? Don’t get rid of your car as a solution…

“If we sold the car, and perhaps took the bus, we would save a lot of money” My wife innocently stated at dinner. And I ignorantly agreed...

After trial and error, we rose from the mist of confusion with bus passes and no car… Firstly, I will tell you that this was not in any way a quick or easy decision. But, as my wife and I rarely use the car, except for work, we thought it would be a ‘great’ idea to jump back into our university days and once more rely on public transport to ferry us around the place. Big mistake.

When your sat on chewing-gum, with your foot in a ‘sticky’ substance, and you’re sure the guy next to you is either ridiculously drunk or is genuinely about to die. The fact that, “Public transport is at least twice as energy efficient as private cars as a full bus produces 377 times less carbon monoxide than a full car” means nothing to you. And the white glowing memory of you fresh, crisp, air conditioned mini cooper seeps into your mind and creates a humorous contrast to the hot prison carriage which you have found yourself in at the present.  

Arriving at my destination, having just pressed the “stop” button, I realised I had to get past the oaf of a man to my right in order to escape the grasp of this odour-ridden joke of a bus. The quotes on the bus walls explaining that their busses are; “quick and easy” and are “always there for you!” bring a smile to my face. I turn politely to my fellow passenger, and gently inform him that I have to get off the bus. With intense annoyance he swings his legs round and sits sideways on the seat, creating a tiny passage,if you like, for me to squeeze through. I for one don’t enjoy body contact with repulsive strangers, especially on a Tuesday morning, but this crossed the line. Whatever odd transport-connected line I’m on about I don’t know. But as I sat there on this man’s lap, having just fallen down, I thought to myself “Never again”. And thus began the continuous argument between me and my wife as to why we should consider, once again, buying a car.  

Monologue Extract: The Wardrobe and The Whiskey

(Welsh woman sat in bed, duvet pulled close to body. Facing a wardrobe, staring intently inside.)

Every time I sit up and turn the light on at night, I feel a pang of guilt. I’ve failed me self. Staring into that bloody dark corner, imagining someone watching me, maybe walk over to me and then I can’t take it. I turn on me lamp and sit in the quiet thinking about how tired I am. Then our Paul, from next door, starts playing his music, his so called revolution, and it's 11pm at night, and I’m sitting in my bed, sleep deprived, listing to a mid-life crisis in the form of music because I'm afraid of the dark!

Last week our Paul went, not only to buy a new guitar, but leather jackets. This afternoon he came round for a cuppa, and he says “Margret, I heard you can sew…” and the next thing I know I’m sat at my sewing machine, attaching the words “Paul rocks” onto a dusty old jacket which smells like stale tobacco. I do love our Paul though. Mike can’t stand him. They used to be drinking buddies, down the kings arms, and one night Paul had had a few too many and a game of darts got a bit out of hand, and Mike got one in the shoulder. He wasn’t half mad…

You know I don’t understand men. Mike still lives here but won’t tell his mates he lives with his mam! He didn’t tell his mates when his dad left us. We didn’t really tell anyone. (Pause) Are men easily ashamed? (Pause). He blames me for Johnathon disappearing. His living here feels anonymous, like we don't know each other (pause). You know most people don’t actually know I’m Mike’s mam…

I think about that, when I get scared of that bloody corner in my room, seeing it in the light now, it’s perfectly fine. There’s nothing hiding there, nothing which shouldn’t be there. Some of me clothes are in that wardrobe, and Mike’s dads gun. He bought it down the market when he turned 18. He came to me house and I was sat reading one of me mams house wives magazines, when I hear taps at me window. And it’s Jonathon, throwing rocks. (Laughs) He did love old movies, a classic romantic. I open the window and he’s standing there with his pipe hanging out his mouth, and a great big bloody gun, like one farmers have, with long double barrels. And he just says “Margret, I love you, marry me?” I run outside in me nightie and say, "yes". I don’t know why, that gun made Jonathon rather attractive, rather dangerous. I couldn’t help me self! All of Johnathon’s stuff stayed in this house when he went away, that’s why his gun is there. Mike refuses to acknowledge anything which belongs to John. To painful I guess, seeing as Mike always argued with our John.

(Puts ear to wall)

 I think Pauls music stopped. I dread to think what will happen if he gets a gig, oh the agony! He’ll probably invite me. Better think of an excuse. Well I do need a go down the shops. I need a buy some meat for Mike, bacon probably. I’ll tell Paul that, if he invites me. And see if he needs anything. Although the last time I asked Paul if he needed anything, John got a bit angry. (Laughs) Although he’s not around anymore. (Pause) There was really no need! I was just having a cuppa at his house.(sighs)  I’ve had my time sitting in pubs, listening to those local bands, who because you’ve had a couple of drinks you think are brilliant and at the end you love em so much, you climb on stage and ask for an autograph. Security guards were pretty rough back then…

Jonathon was one of them, a security guard I mean, after he left the navy. No one else would have him. Oh the Navy! So many stories, it feels as if I was there.

(Pause) All the men in Johnathon’s family were in the navy. (Pause) He wasn’t so happy when our Michael said he wanted to be an English teacher. Oh gosh, that was a long night. I didn’t really see Jonathon after that, nobody did. He had enough of this family. (Pause) We should have been better for him. Should have stopped Michael locking himself in the bathroom with John’s expensive whiskey that night. Johnathon wasn’t one for sharing.  He loved whiskey, Johnathon. First time I met him he was drinking one. Come to think of it, most of my memories of John are accompanied with a glass of whiskey. Couldn’t get enough of it! Like Michael and his nights out. Oh, but I do wish he’d tell me where he goes, getting back at 2 in the morning is a little late for my liking. But I wouldn’t dare upset him. He’s got Johns temper…

“An introduction to me” By Ruby McAuslan-Crine

Once upon a time, there as a little girl called Ruby! Every day she hopped on her bike and rode all the way out of Somerset village to the neighbouring town of “St.Brendans”. St.Brendans was a scary place at first, especially in the dark! In the beginning she recognised hardly any faces, she would look around her and see a sea of legs surround her and she would have to push out of the crowd, crumpled and confused.

Ruby enjoyed to read and play guitar and piano. She would spend hours crafting melodies and filling up on books. This could sometimes put Ruby in a difficult situation as she would lose time to do important things…

In the town of St.Brendans, where she studied Spanish, psychology and English, she lost her time to play her melodies and gave up the music for essays and case studies.

One day, when she was sat underneath the cherry tree on memory hill, she looked back to the times where she held no responsibilities, and looked forward to the time where the true meaning of responsibilities would become apparent to her. She used to love playing with her friends. At her primary school “Hillcrest”, she remembered all the games her and her friends would play. They would all play Victorian games or sometimes just games called the “olden days”. In her final year at Hillcrest School, she remembered the play which her year put on. “The Twelfth Night”, Shakespeare. She remembered how excited she was, waiting behind the certain, costume on, thick stage makeup and ready to read her lines. She played “Maria”, the maid. She laughed to herself as she looked back and remembered how formal and grown-up she felt, when in reality the play was for parents to admire there “golden children”.

Before she found herself at “St.Brendans” she had ridden the train all the way to bath a beautiful city, where she wore a black blazer with purple trim and attended “Hayesfield Girls School” for five years. The first time she went to Hayesfield, she knew on one. No one from Hillcrest and the olden day game had come with her. This reminded her of the present and that St.Brendans isn’t a scary place after all! And she lay down on memory hill, underneath the pink cherry tree and from then on she lived happily ever after… 

My Idiolect

When has one ever had to step away from oneself and take a good look? Well, almost every day! But, to study one’s idiolect is quite a difficult concept to grasp. After thinking about the way I talk for a few moments I realised there are many a thing which make me, me!

For one, I pause a lot during conversation, when I can’t quite figure out what I’m going to say next. Which sounds perfectly harmless. But, when I feel the need to fill theses silences with words such as “like” or even mere sounds like, “uhh…” It can come across a rather idiotic or foolish.

Secondly, to add to this so called “vibe”, an adjective which I use, completely out of context in comparison to its definition is, insane. I may say, after seeing a particularly good film with my friends, “that movie was insane! Did you guys see Robert Downey Jr.?” (With slight emphasis on the “see”). Now, to take the actual English definition of that word and to use it instead. I would be saying something along the lines of this: “Hey guys! That movie was so good. I now feel like I’m in a state of mind which prevents normal perception, behaviour AND social interaction! How great?”. When in retrospect, I had seen iron man, that statement is somewhat embarrassing, to say the least.

I think that when people answer the phone, the types of words they use create an instant impression. There are certain types of “phone answers” which many people use.  So, in my circumstances where I would answer the phone with a teenager-tainted “Hello?”, where I obviously sound “joyous” to be put through the hardship of actually finding and picking up the phone. Someone would see me as the stereotypical teenager, which I would like to try and avoid.

My conversational habits, in my opinion are subtle. I will nod along, without realising, and ask questions- a fabulous listener! However, I do have a mind which thinks non-stop, so I have been one to occasionally come out with comments which have nothing to do with the matter being discussed. For example if my friends and I are discussing say, homework, I could come up with an elaborate scheme in my head as to why a homework had not been completed. Hence my friends confused faces when in reply to, “How did you find the history essay?” I say, “Its funny cause if I did have a pig it would have been easy. But ide need more space for it to roam free, you know?” Now, this I believe could become very irritating. But, I’ve learnt that habits are difficult to crush. And so I believe that at least a small part of my idiolect has been, and will be, with me for my entire life…