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.