Rhetoric
Rhetoric
This article points out that rhetoric is not only limited to politicians, but is used in our everyday lives whether we think about it or not. We use rhetoric in the workplace, parents use it to persuade their children to brush their teeth and we use it to try and persuade our peers. However, rhetoric has come to be seen as an almost 'dirty' word, associated with politicians and law courts and the mass persuasion of the population. It is true that politicians are most explicit in their rhetoric, as a democracy dictates that you govern the country by "having an argument rather than a fight." and therefore words are a politicians best weapon against his or her opposition.
Thursday, 22 January 2015
Wednesday, 21 January 2015
EMM
Children's Language
Child Language Acquisition - early language development over 18 months
Makes interesting points about context from the holophrastic stage all the way up to telegraphic. During the holophrastic stage the context is important in understanding what the child wants to convey in their one-word utterance. The example given is "goggie" when looking at a dog and this could have a number of meanings: for example "oh look there is a dog" or "look at what that dog is doing". The context of the situation is important in understanding the meaning of the utterance.
An example given of the telegraphic stage is "Where man gone" which is the correct formulation of a question but with the removal of so-called 'non-essential' parts (auxiliary verb: has and determiner: the). The context of this is that a fisherman that has been within sight for the past few days has moved. This is an example of children asking questions to gain more information about the world around them; once children have grasped the question structure they are able to find out a lot more about their surroundings.
The article also illustrates over-generalisation of verbs, such as "fall". The child (Stan) says "my head falled off". As fall is an irregular verb with the simple past tense being "fell", Stan has over-generalised that all past tense words end with -ed. This isn't a bad thing, as it shows Stan has a grasp of the tenses and the verbs place within a clause.
Language Change
Prescriptivism in language
"To boldly go where no man has gone before"
Prescriptivists consider this a heinous crime as the infinitive "to go" has been split. To those who subscribe to prescriptivist theories, this is grammatically incorrect, as the space between "to" and "go" is in fact an illusion. As Latin was once the model language, and prescriptivists still perceive it to be the height of linguistic excellence, and infinitive verbs in Latin came as one unit, for example "amare" which means 'to love'. Prescriptivists would say that as Latin didn't allow words to be placed int he middle of an infinitive, English shouldn't either. They would prefer the phrase "to go boldly".
Descriptivists however, would say that "to boldly go" conveys a much clearer meaning to the reader/listener.
Child Language Acquisition - early language development over 18 months
Makes interesting points about context from the holophrastic stage all the way up to telegraphic. During the holophrastic stage the context is important in understanding what the child wants to convey in their one-word utterance. The example given is "goggie" when looking at a dog and this could have a number of meanings: for example "oh look there is a dog" or "look at what that dog is doing". The context of the situation is important in understanding the meaning of the utterance.
An example given of the telegraphic stage is "Where man gone" which is the correct formulation of a question but with the removal of so-called 'non-essential' parts (auxiliary verb: has and determiner: the). The context of this is that a fisherman that has been within sight for the past few days has moved. This is an example of children asking questions to gain more information about the world around them; once children have grasped the question structure they are able to find out a lot more about their surroundings.
The article also illustrates over-generalisation of verbs, such as "fall". The child (Stan) says "my head falled off". As fall is an irregular verb with the simple past tense being "fell", Stan has over-generalised that all past tense words end with -ed. This isn't a bad thing, as it shows Stan has a grasp of the tenses and the verbs place within a clause.
Language Change
Prescriptivism in language
"To boldly go where no man has gone before"
Prescriptivists consider this a heinous crime as the infinitive "to go" has been split. To those who subscribe to prescriptivist theories, this is grammatically incorrect, as the space between "to" and "go" is in fact an illusion. As Latin was once the model language, and prescriptivists still perceive it to be the height of linguistic excellence, and infinitive verbs in Latin came as one unit, for example "amare" which means 'to love'. Prescriptivists would say that as Latin didn't allow words to be placed int he middle of an infinitive, English shouldn't either. They would prefer the phrase "to go boldly".
Descriptivists however, would say that "to boldly go" conveys a much clearer meaning to the reader/listener.
Thursday, 19 June 2014
Star Wars according to a three year old
There is lots of vague language used such as "kinda", which could perhaps suggest that the child is not completely sure of what she is saying but also perhaps that she is worried about what she is expected to say and is worried about saying the wrong thing. There is also lots of repetition, such as the repetition of "well" at the start as the little girl thinks about how she is going to start what she is saying. It takes children a bit longer to gather their thoughts, which could be shown by the number of long pauses in the speech. It could also show distraction, like the little girl is paying a lot of attention to the person (presumably a parent) holding the camera. Informal language is used, because she is a child such as "guy". She also uses ellipses such as "ya" replacing the "-ou" of "you". This is also a suggestion of her accent as she is American.
There are some made up/mis-pronounced words used, such as "blowded" and "blowed" instead of "blown". This is typically of children that are developing their use of language and haven't quite grasped the correct pronunciation of words.
There are some made up/mis-pronounced words used, such as "blowded" and "blowed" instead of "blown". This is typically of children that are developing their use of language and haven't quite grasped the correct pronunciation of words.
Thursday, 12 June 2014
Game Of Thrones text
Our group chose this text because the majority of us like the series.
There is a clear struggle for power between the two males, as they both want control of the conversation and the situation. Both believe that they have the right to the other's respect and obedience. Deborah Tannen suggested that men engage in 'report talk'- talk that establishes status and power and that is clear in this text. Stannis (the 'king') interrupts Jon (the Commander) with a sarcastic comment: "The boy commander agrees. How fortunate." which shows his disdain for Jon. The use of the word "boy" also tried to establish power, with the fact that Stannis is older than Jon and implicitly wiser. It sis also used as a derogatory term- Jon being a "boy" means that he is not capable of holding the position he has (Commander of the Night's Watch) and implies that he is a child who should do what he is told.
At the beginning of the text, Stannis speaks in terms of what he can do for Jon: "I offered you a name." which implies that Stannis is doing Jon a favour and that Jon should have the respect to accept the 'King's' kindness. This puts Stannis in a position of power over Jon, as it makes it seem like Jon is being unreasonable and stubborn and that Stannis is the 'good guy'.
Both men are represented as powerful, as they are in positions of power. However, Stannis believes that he has influence over Jon, whereas Jon believes that the position he holds is irrelevant and separate from Stannis' quest for the throne. Stannis uses the personal pronoun "my" when referring to his soldiers, he wants it known that his men are his, and that he will not be 'donating' any to the Night's Watch.
Jon refers to Stannis as "Sire" throughout, out of respect. However, Stannis does not offer the same politeness to Jon. This could show that Jon is actually the more powerful participant in the conversation, as he is so sure of himself and his stance that he does not feel the need to disrespect Stannis to garner his grudging respect.
Wednesday, 19 March 2014
Pantene Advert
The advert is suggesting that men and women can use the same language and do the same thing, yet be seen completely differently for it. For example, as shown in the advert, a man and a woman could be making the same speech, about the same issue yet men would be seen as pursuading the audience but a female speaker would be 'pushing' her views onto the audience. I also think that this relates into the wider roles in society and the roles women are expected traditionally to play- mother and carer, always there for her family whereas a man is expected to be the provider, to work hard but is also not expected to be as hands on with his family. I think these expectations are outdated, but even when the times change is takes a while for society, and the language it uses, to catch up.
Robin Lakoff's research
Robin Lakoff's research
Robin Lakoff suggested that in conversation, women are much more afraid of imposing than men. For example, women often used super polite forms such as "If you don't mind", which rather than purely just acting as a politeness feature suggests that women are almost afraid of using the imperative. This is also shown through the female use of implications; "it's cold in here, isn't it?" instead of "shut the window" and the use of indirect speech such as "I'm really thirsty" rather than "I need a drink". Women also tend to apologise before making a statement as if they feel that their opinion is less valid. However, this could also suggest that women are more aware of the fact that what they are saying could offend someone than men are. Women use tag questions more than men- they want feedback on their utterances; again this stops them feeling like they're imposing- if they say "I'm coming with you, all right?" rather than "I'm coming with you." it allows the person they're speaking to to respond and give feedback to the female. Women have also been observed raising the pitch of their voice at the end of a sentence (much like an Australian accent) to turn statements into questions, and this is much for the same reason as tag questions. Lakoff also argued that women joke less and are less likely to understand jokes that males make and perhaps the fact that males do use a different kind of language (especially younger males) than women adds to this. It could also explain the fact that women seem to contribute less in mixed-group conversations, although Lakoff explained this as women being less sure of themselves. In relation to male/female language use, Lakoff showed that men are less likely to use 'empty adjectives' such as "adorable" or "lovely" than women are, as men feel emasculated by the fact they are seen as typically female words.Women have also been shown to want complete control over minute aspects of language. For example, rather than saying "blue-purple" they would say "violet".
Robin Lakoff suggested that in conversation, women are much more afraid of imposing than men. For example, women often used super polite forms such as "If you don't mind", which rather than purely just acting as a politeness feature suggests that women are almost afraid of using the imperative. This is also shown through the female use of implications; "it's cold in here, isn't it?" instead of "shut the window" and the use of indirect speech such as "I'm really thirsty" rather than "I need a drink". Women also tend to apologise before making a statement as if they feel that their opinion is less valid. However, this could also suggest that women are more aware of the fact that what they are saying could offend someone than men are. Women use tag questions more than men- they want feedback on their utterances; again this stops them feeling like they're imposing- if they say "I'm coming with you, all right?" rather than "I'm coming with you." it allows the person they're speaking to to respond and give feedback to the female. Women have also been observed raising the pitch of their voice at the end of a sentence (much like an Australian accent) to turn statements into questions, and this is much for the same reason as tag questions. Lakoff also argued that women joke less and are less likely to understand jokes that males make and perhaps the fact that males do use a different kind of language (especially younger males) than women adds to this. It could also explain the fact that women seem to contribute less in mixed-group conversations, although Lakoff explained this as women being less sure of themselves. In relation to male/female language use, Lakoff showed that men are less likely to use 'empty adjectives' such as "adorable" or "lovely" than women are, as men feel emasculated by the fact they are seen as typically female words.Women have also been shown to want complete control over minute aspects of language. For example, rather than saying "blue-purple" they would say "violet".
Peter Trudgill's Norwich Research
Peter Trudgill's Norwich Research
Peter Trudgill's research focused on separating people by sex and also by social class. He asked people to speak in a variety of different situations and to read a section of text out loud. This section contained words where the speaker would make a choice about how they pronounced them, for example '-ing' words. Trudgill noted that women were more careful in their pronunciation, trying to pronounce the 'g' at the end of '-ing' whereas men were more likely to drop the 'g' and pronounce the ending '-in'. He also noted that women of all classes tended to do this, whereas mainly men of lower classes dropped the 'g' sound. He said that this showed that women aimed to use forms of 'standard' or 'prestigious' speech, whereas men were likely to do the opposite of this in order to appear more down-to-earth.
Trudgill also noted that, when asked, women overestimated the amount of times they used the 'high prestige' form, whereas men did the opposite- claiming to use the low prestige form more often.
This illustrates that women tended towards higher social aspirations- ignoring their proposed social class. They also tended to hyper-pronounce words- over pronouncing that parts of a word that they thought would make them seem like they were of a higher social class. This was less evident in men.
This research took place in the 1970's and it has been suggested that women were more likely to aim higher socially by using speech than men because men had other ways to gain prestige- such as work. At the time it was suggested that over the years this would change as it became more socially acceptable to have 'career women' and that women would find other ways of gaining prestige.
Peter Trudgill's research focused on separating people by sex and also by social class. He asked people to speak in a variety of different situations and to read a section of text out loud. This section contained words where the speaker would make a choice about how they pronounced them, for example '-ing' words. Trudgill noted that women were more careful in their pronunciation, trying to pronounce the 'g' at the end of '-ing' whereas men were more likely to drop the 'g' and pronounce the ending '-in'. He also noted that women of all classes tended to do this, whereas mainly men of lower classes dropped the 'g' sound. He said that this showed that women aimed to use forms of 'standard' or 'prestigious' speech, whereas men were likely to do the opposite of this in order to appear more down-to-earth.
Trudgill also noted that, when asked, women overestimated the amount of times they used the 'high prestige' form, whereas men did the opposite- claiming to use the low prestige form more often.
This illustrates that women tended towards higher social aspirations- ignoring their proposed social class. They also tended to hyper-pronounce words- over pronouncing that parts of a word that they thought would make them seem like they were of a higher social class. This was less evident in men.
This research took place in the 1970's and it has been suggested that women were more likely to aim higher socially by using speech than men because men had other ways to gain prestige- such as work. At the time it was suggested that over the years this would change as it became more socially acceptable to have 'career women' and that women would find other ways of gaining prestige.
Wednesday, 5 March 2014
Language and Gender
I've always found that it is less acceptable in society for women to swear than men, even though swearing has become much more common. Women are often told that "swearing isn't attractive". Is it just a woman's job to be attractive? Does everything that she does have to involve her creating an attractive image? I've never heard anyone tell a man that him swearing makes him unattractive. Also, in the workplace if there is a male boss and a female boss, if they both said the same thing, the man would come across as powerful and in charge, whereas the woman would be seen as bossy. I also think that if a woman complains, it is seen as whiny and obstructive; as if she is only complinign for the sake of it. Whereas if a man complains, he is much more respected for it. For example, if there was a man and a woman at a train station and they both complain or make a comment that the train is late, the woman is much more likely to be met with a response such as "well, it's not the trains fault" whereas a man will be met with a response such as "I know, it's terrible". People are more likely to agree with the man and belittle the woman.
I also find that in texts, mainly books, men are portrayed as more powerful. For example, in a book I read a while ago, there was a very successful FEMALE journalist. She had a great career, was moving from print to screen and was also the face of a clothes range. Then she was told, by MALE managers, to lose weight. She does, she starts taking drugs and finally collapses weighing six and a half stone and is saved by a MAN. I do not believe the book was trying to make a statement about women in industry, but rather believed that this is what women want to read. A weak-willed woman being rescued by a big, strong man. This only helps build the image of sterotypical 'weak women'.
http://www.salon.com/2011/10/16/why_do_men_and_women_talk_differently/
Women are often thought to be rude and interruptive, although research shown in this ^ article shows that what were previously thought of as interruptions are actually overlaps where women are helping each other tell a story. Women are more likely to be supportive of each other, by asking questions and involving themself in conversation, and make similar remarks about a subject than men, who are less likely to agree with each other (even if, secretly, they actually do). Women are also more likely to be verbally emotive with a stranger.
There is also the concept of 'duelling', where men make jovial remarks which are actually quite offensive. This could be in the form of mentioning someones "beer belly" or greeting them with an offensive name. This has been shown as an innate tactic to impress women, however over time the way women want a man to speak has changed. Women are much mroe impressed now by intelligence and upon first meeting someone, intelligence is shown through the way you speak and the way you use words.
http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2011/10/19/why-do-men-and-women-talk-differently/
This article ^ says that the cooperation between women is called "duetting", women form bonds through the sharing of stories, and these bonds are the basis of long lasting friendships. This is why, as children, girls are more likely to whisper secrets to each other- already they know that the sharing of information will lead to trusting friendships.
I also find that in texts, mainly books, men are portrayed as more powerful. For example, in a book I read a while ago, there was a very successful FEMALE journalist. She had a great career, was moving from print to screen and was also the face of a clothes range. Then she was told, by MALE managers, to lose weight. She does, she starts taking drugs and finally collapses weighing six and a half stone and is saved by a MAN. I do not believe the book was trying to make a statement about women in industry, but rather believed that this is what women want to read. A weak-willed woman being rescued by a big, strong man. This only helps build the image of sterotypical 'weak women'.
http://www.salon.com/2011/10/16/why_do_men_and_women_talk_differently/
Women are often thought to be rude and interruptive, although research shown in this ^ article shows that what were previously thought of as interruptions are actually overlaps where women are helping each other tell a story. Women are more likely to be supportive of each other, by asking questions and involving themself in conversation, and make similar remarks about a subject than men, who are less likely to agree with each other (even if, secretly, they actually do). Women are also more likely to be verbally emotive with a stranger.
There is also the concept of 'duelling', where men make jovial remarks which are actually quite offensive. This could be in the form of mentioning someones "beer belly" or greeting them with an offensive name. This has been shown as an innate tactic to impress women, however over time the way women want a man to speak has changed. Women are much mroe impressed now by intelligence and upon first meeting someone, intelligence is shown through the way you speak and the way you use words.
http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2011/10/19/why-do-men-and-women-talk-differently/
This article ^ says that the cooperation between women is called "duetting", women form bonds through the sharing of stories, and these bonds are the basis of long lasting friendships. This is why, as children, girls are more likely to whisper secrets to each other- already they know that the sharing of information will lead to trusting friendships.
Monday, 17 February 2014
Language and Power analysis.
The text is a speech made by Obama in 2002 opposing the Iraq
war, the aim is to persuade the public that America should not be involved in a
war in Iraq. The text is largely formal but also has a smattering of informal
language that is used to relate to the audience. The audience is likely to be
adults who are either supporters of Obama or who are interested in the
situation regarding the war in Iraq. The text is spoken but has features of
written text, which I will discuss later on.
As previously noted, the language used in the text is
largely formal which is a technique frequently utilised in power pieces. The
formality of the language, the use of words such as “principle” and “illusions”,
means that the speaker is more powerful as they appear to have the intellectual
‘upper hand’. Formal lexis causes the speaker to seem more educated which could
perhaps cause members of the audience to feel like the speaker is worth listening
to. The use of formal language is also expected from politicians, this being a
politically motivated speech, and the audience is going to expect that the
speaker sounds like they know what they are talking about. This is political
power, power that is asserted through the law and those who uphold or create
it. If politicians did not speak formally then they would not command the
respect of the audience. However, in this case Obama also uses informal language
such as “dumb” in order to connect with the
audience and make himself more relatable. This increases the power of the
speaker as the audience are more likely to respect him as it shows he has a
background possibly similar to theirs.
Several features of persuasive writing have been used
throughout the text. Obama uses repetition several times to reinforce his
point. By repeating “undetermined” he is implying that the war has not been
thought out or planned thoroughly which may cause the audience to come to his side
of the argument. This shows that the speaker is asserting his power and also taking
away his opponents (president Bush) power. Obama also goes further and uses the
adjective “petty”, again taking his opponents power. The speaker also repeats “You want a fight, President
Bush?” four times, which gives the impression that Obama believes that Bush
only want to go to war for the sake of having a war. In the context of America-
a nation who are hugely proud of their army- this will likely anger the
audience. The combination of these two repeated words and phrases builds an
image of a war that is not well organised and is only being fought because the
president wants a war.
There are several uses of modal verbs in the text. The speaker
uses “ought” which acts as an epistemic modal verb, followed by the deotonic
modal verb “will” which makes him seem certain. This certainty will appeal to
an audience as they will want a leader to is certain. This certainty in the
situation also makes the speaker seem sure of himself, and the audience is more
likely to respect someone who knows what they want and how they will get it.
The speaker also uses personal pronouns such as “our” which is inclusive of
everyone. This inclusion gives the speaker power as again it makes him seem
more relatable to the audience.
There are several features of written text used in this
speech such as synthetic personalisation. The speaker tells a story about his
life experiences in order to connect to the audience. This gives him power as
they are likely to feel that the speaker is just like them, that if he has a
past similar to theirs then he must be relatable to. This relatability means
that the audience are more likely to listen and have positive thoughts towards
his argument.
Sunday, 12 January 2014
http://www.theguardian.com/guardian-masterclasses/how-to-use-twitter-effectively-david-schneider-david-levin-social-media-course
This isn't actually an articled about twitter, but an article about a masterclass you can pay for and go to that teaches you how to use twitter effectively. I think that this shows how vital social networking sites, especially twitter, have become for businesses and for society.
This isn't actually an articled about twitter, but an article about a masterclass you can pay for and go to that teaches you how to use twitter effectively. I think that this shows how vital social networking sites, especially twitter, have become for businesses and for society.
Sunday, 5 January 2014
Recipe For A Perfect Website
So, you want to start a website, but you're not sure where to begin.
FIRST
You must choose a topic. There's no point starting to write a website if there's no actual topic that you are covering- you will simply fall into the trap of writing absolute nonsense that no one cares about. Stuck for ideas? Pick something that interests or intrigues you, or something you know a lot about. It might be cheese, it might be wine, it might be films; whatever you want to write about.
SECOND
Pick an audience. This could be an age group, a gender or a group of people who have similar interests/beliefs. Audience is a very important part of what and how you will write. There's no point writing like a human thesaurus if you're aiming at primary school age children, or writing for children if you're writing for the educated over 60s. Getting your audience right is key for a successful website as without an intended audience you will just be floundering around in a sea of people who don't care about, or don't understand, your website.
THIRD
Layout is important! This involves the graphology of your website- the font, the colours, whether or not you use pictures. If you're writing for women, you may want to use stereo-typically female colours such as light pinks and pale blues. If you're writing about cars, you're intended audience is likely to be men, so think blues, blacks and greys. Generally, the use of pictures is expected, even if you're not giving over your blog to them entirely. A clean, crisp image adds a lot of interest to your blogs and breaks up the text.
FINALLY
The text you upload must be relevant, grammatically correct with no spelling errors and not too long. Texts full of errors strike readers as unprofessional and irritating and they are unlikely to return to your webpage. Also, long chunks of texts are boring so try to break them up with
FIRST
You must choose a topic. There's no point starting to write a website if there's no actual topic that you are covering- you will simply fall into the trap of writing absolute nonsense that no one cares about. Stuck for ideas? Pick something that interests or intrigues you, or something you know a lot about. It might be cheese, it might be wine, it might be films; whatever you want to write about.
SECOND
Pick an audience. This could be an age group, a gender or a group of people who have similar interests/beliefs. Audience is a very important part of what and how you will write. There's no point writing like a human thesaurus if you're aiming at primary school age children, or writing for children if you're writing for the educated over 60s. Getting your audience right is key for a successful website as without an intended audience you will just be floundering around in a sea of people who don't care about, or don't understand, your website.
THIRD
Layout is important! This involves the graphology of your website- the font, the colours, whether or not you use pictures. If you're writing for women, you may want to use stereo-typically female colours such as light pinks and pale blues. If you're writing about cars, you're intended audience is likely to be men, so think blues, blacks and greys. Generally, the use of pictures is expected, even if you're not giving over your blog to them entirely. A clean, crisp image adds a lot of interest to your blogs and breaks up the text.
FINALLY
The text you upload must be relevant, grammatically correct with no spelling errors and not too long. Texts full of errors strike readers as unprofessional and irritating and they are unlikely to return to your webpage. Also, long chunks of texts are boring so try to break them up with
- Bullet points (see?)
- Pictures
- Headings
- Hyperlinks
Monday, 18 November 2013
Blogs- What Makes Them Bloggy?
Blogs have a specific target audience and this is then reflected in the content that is posted and the formatting. Take hellogiggles.com, a blog targeted specifically at women with the aim to make them smile (note: they specifically say that men are welcome as well). This means that the content is very much aimed at women, who are in their twenties onwards. Common features include beauty, fashion, crafts and news stories that specifically relate to women. The graphology is also very feminine, with pale pinks and blues used and purple text. The language is also fairly relaxed and occasionally there is a bout of text-speak, such as "OMG". This gives the blog and informal vibe and encourages readers that this is a friendly place where people can be themselves. The adverts featured are also aimed at women- adverts for underwear and room spray that smells of flowers. The blog is also very interactive- taking comments from readers and also encouraging them to submit their own articles, pictures and videos.
The purpose of blogs is usually to entertain, however there are a smattering of blogs that aim to educate. For example, I came across a very serious blog about what sort of cheese went with what sort of wine. It may have been an ironic array of white, yellow and oranges cheeses matched with various wines with obscure labelling, but you couldn't help but get the impression that the author was extremely preoccupied with the importance of a good cheese/wine combo. The language used in this blog was very formal, with limited contractions. The background of the blog was black, with white and grey text. The only colour came from the high-quality pictures of cheese and wine.
The purpose of blogs is usually to entertain, however there are a smattering of blogs that aim to educate. For example, I came across a very serious blog about what sort of cheese went with what sort of wine. It may have been an ironic array of white, yellow and oranges cheeses matched with various wines with obscure labelling, but you couldn't help but get the impression that the author was extremely preoccupied with the importance of a good cheese/wine combo. The language used in this blog was very formal, with limited contractions. The background of the blog was black, with white and grey text. The only colour came from the high-quality pictures of cheese and wine.
Is texting killing the English language?
Short answer, no. Texting is not the only form of communication that uses abbreviations- we do this when we speak- I don't know anyone that says "I am taking my Budgerigar to the veterinarians today." We say "I'm taking my Budgie to the vet's today." Text speak, as long as it is confined to digital communications is fine. It's only a problem when it infiltrates our written language- I can't imagine some of the most famous pieces of literature filled with 2s and RUs. In modern literature- let's take the Harry Potter books- were they filled with abbreviations only relatable to the most seasoned texter? No, they weren't. They were properly written with, you know, real words and sentence structures.
The removal of the hyphen really isn't the end of the world. It is not the end of the English language as we know it. The purpose of a hyphen is to link two words together to create a new word, but surely the - between two words shows that they are not one word at all. Simply linking the two words together, for example potbelly over pot-belly, shows that the two words are now one word and also adds to the overall cohesion of a text. And, anyway, hyphens make sentences ugly.
It's also not fair to blame the younger generation- in my experience the older generation has embraced shorthand in texts more than my generation. An example text conversation with my mum:
Mum: "wen will U B home"
Me: "About half 7 I think."
Mum: "hve U had T"
Me: Yeah, I have thanks."
Anyway, who's to say that text speak isn't the next stage in the evolution of our communication? We don't use hieroglyphics anymore, or paint images on cave walls, or carve delicate images on clay pots showing the sacrifice of a sheep to a god. As technology develops, we are finding quicker and easier means to communicate with each other. Re-working the English language to suit a range of diverse needs only becomes a problem when the English language is unrecognisable. But even then, the way we speak now isn't the way Shakespeare spoke, so could these new developments in spoken, written and technological language simply be the Next Stage? With advancing technology, who knows, maybe there will be a holographic message service, so we can beam images of ourselves to each other. And with all this new technology, aren't there bigger things we should be worrying about, say... nuclear weapons?
The removal of the hyphen really isn't the end of the world. It is not the end of the English language as we know it. The purpose of a hyphen is to link two words together to create a new word, but surely the - between two words shows that they are not one word at all. Simply linking the two words together, for example potbelly over pot-belly, shows that the two words are now one word and also adds to the overall cohesion of a text. And, anyway, hyphens make sentences ugly.
It's also not fair to blame the younger generation- in my experience the older generation has embraced shorthand in texts more than my generation. An example text conversation with my mum:
Mum: "wen will U B home"
Me: "About half 7 I think."
Mum: "hve U had T"
Me: Yeah, I have thanks."
Anyway, who's to say that text speak isn't the next stage in the evolution of our communication? We don't use hieroglyphics anymore, or paint images on cave walls, or carve delicate images on clay pots showing the sacrifice of a sheep to a god. As technology develops, we are finding quicker and easier means to communicate with each other. Re-working the English language to suit a range of diverse needs only becomes a problem when the English language is unrecognisable. But even then, the way we speak now isn't the way Shakespeare spoke, so could these new developments in spoken, written and technological language simply be the Next Stage? With advancing technology, who knows, maybe there will be a holographic message service, so we can beam images of ourselves to each other. And with all this new technology, aren't there bigger things we should be worrying about, say... nuclear weapons?
Thursday, 17 October 2013
Twitter Blog Post
Are you following me?
"Just made a sandwich #yummy" announces @MickBurns23 with glee. His fifty online followers can now relax, knowing that he is no longer hungry.
Twitter users, and there are 100 million active users at this current time, spend hours of their lives posting personal updates up to the amount of 140 characters. 50% of these users log in everyday, both to post and to read about each others thoughts and feelings. And the best thing? You don't even need to know who's feelings they are. This is the supposed beauty of microblogging, that the users are connected to the whole world, not just people they know. There are users in Australia, Russia, Brazil, parts of Africa, Span, the UK and both North and South American to name but a few destinations that your followers could be living.
If you're still confused about what twitter actually is, K Bevan explains "Twitter, for those not in the know, is a collection of microblogs where people post their minute-by-minute thoughts and actions." This means that on Twitter you can post whatever you want and people will be able to see it and more people seem to be finding their way into the birdhouse and creating accounts, with eleven accounts created each minute. 750 tweets are tweeted each second and on a busy day, twitter can see over 175 million tweets. That's a lot of chirping.
Bibliography
Beevolve. (10/10/12). An Exhaustive Study of Twitter Users Across the World. Available: http://www.beevolve.com/twitter-statistics/#a3. Last accessed 17/10/13.
Bevan, K (06/03/08) article for The Guardian, Why are there no spam or trolls on twitter? Available: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/mar/06/socialnetworking.spam Last Accessed 11/07/13
Collier, s (16/07/12) 20 illuminating facts about Twitter: 2012 edition article on PR Daily http://www.prdaily.com'Main/Articles/20_illuminating_facts_about_twitter_2012_edition_12138.aspx# Last accessed 11/07/13 [relaible source?]
Enlow, B. (10/04/13). 15 awesome facts about twitter by @ShiftDM.Available: http://www.slideshare.net/KennethBradleyEnlow/20-awesome-facts-about-twitter. Last accessed 17/10/13.
Handley, A. (01.20.09). Why Do People Use Twitter?. Available: http://www.mpdailyfix.com/why-do-people-use-twitter/. Last accessed 17/10/13.
Sunday, 6 October 2013
Travel Writing 2
Whether you want to relax on a beautiful beach, or dance the night away, Ibiza is the isle for you.Fancy a trip into the extraordinary? Then Sunbeam Ibiza Holidays are for you! With holidays that will draw you deeper into a world where you can forget the mundane and learn how to live again, SIH will provide you with the perfect package, tailored expertly to your wants and needs.
Whether you want rock your socks off in Ibiza Town, simply sip cocktails in Cala Tarida or chill out in Es Caná, we can make it happen. Forget everything you thought you knew about holiday companies because we work for you, to bring you the best experiences possible.
This is your journey, so make sure it's out of this world with Sunbeam Ibiza Holidays.
Thursday, 3 October 2013
Travel Writing 1
Trapped. I was trapped under a blazing sun, with nowhere to turn, nowhere to hide. All thoughts of running, of fleeing, soon perished as I realised that I was surrounded. I tried to ignore the growing buzz around me, like bees swarming around a hive. I tried to ignore the pitying glances shot my way through the steam rising off plates of steaming food. I looked out over the sparkling, sapphire sea, wishing it would flow inland and swallow me up; to whisk me far away from here, so I could swim with the fish and the sharks. If a shark ate me, never mind, at least I would have met a happy ending, away from the horror that was enveloping me like a cocoon.
When I'd sat down in the (very Spanish sounding) Green Panda Cafe, I'd had high hopes for the day. I ordered the traditional Spanish dish of a Goffrey from very nice waiter and proceeded to wait for the sweet waffle covered in ice cream and sauce to be delivered. By the time it arrived my stomach was rumbling and grumbling and hopping up and down, so with my spoon at the ready, I dived in. Suddenly, a hideous twanging sound erupted behind me and all thoughts of a perfect day were lost. I froze, heaped ice cream halfway to my mouth. The Curse Of Spain was behind me, playing their guitars, their banjos, their ukuleles, singing their disgustingly happy songs, moustaches twitching like dancing caterpillars on top of sweaty upper lips. A Mariachi Band.
When I'd sat down in the (very Spanish sounding) Green Panda Cafe, I'd had high hopes for the day. I ordered the traditional Spanish dish of a Goffrey from very nice waiter and proceeded to wait for the sweet waffle covered in ice cream and sauce to be delivered. By the time it arrived my stomach was rumbling and grumbling and hopping up and down, so with my spoon at the ready, I dived in. Suddenly, a hideous twanging sound erupted behind me and all thoughts of a perfect day were lost. I froze, heaped ice cream halfway to my mouth. The Curse Of Spain was behind me, playing their guitars, their banjos, their ukuleles, singing their disgustingly happy songs, moustaches twitching like dancing caterpillars on top of sweaty upper lips. A Mariachi Band.
Geoffrey Monologue
Geoffrey is sat in a wicker rocking chair in front of an open fire. It is late evening. An open Bible sits on his lap, an expression of contemplation on his face.
Victorious. I was victorious as I had gazed over my adoring congregation. My flock, my followers; all watching, listening dutifully as a herded them into the light. If only my home was as welcoming as my church. Reflection is the key to perfection I think, as I gaze into the fire.
My wife, my Susan, the joy of my life, the sweetest of all the flowers, what to do about her? Upstairs awaits my stale marital bed, a bed no longer filled with the joys of love, instead filled with turned backs and angry sighs. I don't know what went wrong. My congregation adores me, relishes in the messages that I bring from the Lord to them, so why does my wife gaze on with glassy eyes. Why is she so unwilling to share in the Lord's gift with me? I may as well live as a monk, for all the good my marriage gives me. Darn and blast it! I have needs. But no, my needs are not met. Anyway, I need to refocus, for I am not the one that needs to be led back into the light. Aye, that is Susan. Perhaps I should take her on a romantic getaway? The Christian Camp on the coast is renowned for it's simple way of life. Delightful, that will bring me and Susan closer together again. Yes, yes, I will book our places tomorrow. The vicar from Bromley will cover my servvices. Yes, yes, perfect. Absolutely wonderful.
Geoffrey is reading.
I hear the stairs creak. I- Crashing from the kitchen. Is that smashing glass? How odd. The creaking resumes as my beloved makes her way back up to the torture of our icy bed, but I hesitate to join her. After our break I know that Susan will be right as rain again and as captivated with me as the lovely ladies at my church are.
Victorious. I was victorious as I had gazed over my adoring congregation. My flock, my followers; all watching, listening dutifully as a herded them into the light. If only my home was as welcoming as my church. Reflection is the key to perfection I think, as I gaze into the fire.
My wife, my Susan, the joy of my life, the sweetest of all the flowers, what to do about her? Upstairs awaits my stale marital bed, a bed no longer filled with the joys of love, instead filled with turned backs and angry sighs. I don't know what went wrong. My congregation adores me, relishes in the messages that I bring from the Lord to them, so why does my wife gaze on with glassy eyes. Why is she so unwilling to share in the Lord's gift with me? I may as well live as a monk, for all the good my marriage gives me. Darn and blast it! I have needs. But no, my needs are not met. Anyway, I need to refocus, for I am not the one that needs to be led back into the light. Aye, that is Susan. Perhaps I should take her on a romantic getaway? The Christian Camp on the coast is renowned for it's simple way of life. Delightful, that will bring me and Susan closer together again. Yes, yes, I will book our places tomorrow. The vicar from Bromley will cover my servvices. Yes, yes, perfect. Absolutely wonderful.
Geoffrey is reading.
I hear the stairs creak. I- Crashing from the kitchen. Is that smashing glass? How odd. The creaking resumes as my beloved makes her way back up to the torture of our icy bed, but I hesitate to join her. After our break I know that Susan will be right as rain again and as captivated with me as the lovely ladies at my church are.
Sunday, 15 September 2013
Overview 2
Phrase
Noun phrases and verb phrases; part of a sentence.
Clause
Subject, verb, object, complement, adverbial.
Lexis
Words.
Semantics/DenotationMeaning in context (connotations etc)/exact meaning of words.
Synonyms/AntonymsWords that are similar in meaning/words with opposite meanings.
Noun phrases and verb phrases; part of a sentence.
Clause
Subject, verb, object, complement, adverbial.
Lexis
Words.
Semantics/DenotationMeaning in context (connotations etc)/exact meaning of words.
Synonyms/AntonymsWords that are similar in meaning/words with opposite meanings.
Overview
Grammar:
Noun
There are three main types of noun- concrete (tangible words), abstract (words referring to a state of being or idea) and collective (group).
Adjective
Adjectives describe but there are comparatives (-er or more) and superlatives (-est, most).
Verb
The main verb gives the meaning, the modal verb shows obligation, ability etc and the auxiliary allows you to understand the main verb.
Active Voice
Emphasises the subject.
Passive Voice
Emphasises the object.
Adverbs
Give more information about the verb ie "ran quickly" "spoke slowly".
Pronoun
Replace the noun.
Proposition
Explains relationships (position, direction and time).
Determiners
Go before nouns ie a/an, my etc.
Conjunctions
There are co-coordinating and sub-subordinating conjunctions.
Noun
There are three main types of noun- concrete (tangible words), abstract (words referring to a state of being or idea) and collective (group).
Adjective
Adjectives describe but there are comparatives (-er or more) and superlatives (-est, most).
Verb
The main verb gives the meaning, the modal verb shows obligation, ability etc and the auxiliary allows you to understand the main verb.
Active Voice
Emphasises the subject.
Passive Voice
Emphasises the object.
Adverbs
Give more information about the verb ie "ran quickly" "spoke slowly".
Pronoun
Replace the noun.
Proposition
Explains relationships (position, direction and time).
Determiners
Go before nouns ie a/an, my etc.
Conjunctions
There are co-coordinating and sub-subordinating conjunctions.
Thursday, 5 September 2013
Final Task: interview about being at different ages.
Q: What's the earliest age you can remember?
A:Probably about four or five clearly.
Q:What were you like at those ages?
A:Chubby, tall for my age and horrendously shy.
Q: Did that change at all at age six?
A: No, not really. I was like that until about the age of eight, when I seemed to find my feet and make a stable set of friends.
Q:Tell me about your last year of primary.
A: I was still tall for my age, no longer chubby and still with the same set of friends I made at age eight. Slightly less shy but still extremely awkward around new people.
Q: How about when you officially became a teenager?
A: Short for my age (having not grown since age eleven) and not knowing where I stood with my 'friends'. It was an extrememly awkward time for everyone and I became very introverted and didn't want to share my feelings with anyone. I now realise that loads of young teenagers go through such a strange phase.
Q: Did this improve at 14 and 15?
A: Yeah, I made a new set of friends who appreciated me for who I am, bad bits and good bits and now I wouldn't be without them. I was much more confident with a group of friends around me and came out of my shell.
Q: Age 16?
A: Now I'm awkward, grumpy and I try to be friendly, sometimes succeeding, sometimes not. But I have great friends and I'm working hard to get out of Yate and out into the big wide world.
Q: What's the earliest age you can remember?
A:Probably about four or five clearly.
Q:What were you like at those ages?
A:Chubby, tall for my age and horrendously shy.
Q: Did that change at all at age six?
A: No, not really. I was like that until about the age of eight, when I seemed to find my feet and make a stable set of friends.
Q:Tell me about your last year of primary.
A: I was still tall for my age, no longer chubby and still with the same set of friends I made at age eight. Slightly less shy but still extremely awkward around new people.
Q: How about when you officially became a teenager?
A: Short for my age (having not grown since age eleven) and not knowing where I stood with my 'friends'. It was an extrememly awkward time for everyone and I became very introverted and didn't want to share my feelings with anyone. I now realise that loads of young teenagers go through such a strange phase.
Q: Did this improve at 14 and 15?
A: Yeah, I made a new set of friends who appreciated me for who I am, bad bits and good bits and now I wouldn't be without them. I was much more confident with a group of friends around me and came out of my shell.
Q: Age 16?
A: Now I'm awkward, grumpy and I try to be friendly, sometimes succeeding, sometimes not. But I have great friends and I'm working hard to get out of Yate and out into the big wide world.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)