English used exclusively in Internet by people with Different Socio-Economic Background

Our group chose two blog extracts to analyse. The word blog is the shortened form of a web log, i.e. a personal online journal of its writer.

Both our sample texts illustrate English as it is used exclusively by people of different socio-economic backgrounds in a web-based environment. There is a notable language variation in both the texts, i.e. characteristics of the language user and features of the situation in which the language is used and what it is being used for.

The first blog extract (Blog A) is by Singapore’s Health Minister, Mr. Khaw Boon Wan, 56, posted on 18 September 2009 and the second one (Blog B) is by a local female student, Hui Ling, 11, posted on 28 May 2009.

In Blog A, the demographics of the blogger are revealed with the phrase “at age 56”. His social status and profession is noted with “I announced our contract” indicating his Ministerial authority and power and “it is tough to be a health minister!” which also corroborate he is Singaporean.

In Blog B, the age and the occupation of the blogger is revealed in ‘I still want 2 go 2 Secondary…Work.’ This indicates she is a Primary school student. It can also be inferred that the blogger is a Singaporean as she stated the number of H1N1 cases in Singapore before she wrote, ‘I dun wan 2 b the next victim.’

Blog B’s informal setting is reflected with the use of Netspeak features primarily because the blogger’s target audience are her friends.

Netspeak originated from Short Message Services (SMS) to allow users to have voiceless communication. Its initial usage to overcome the problem of word limit subsequently led to its worldwide appeal for convenience purposes.

One feature of Netspeak, word creation, occurs when blending, clipping and initialism/acronym are present in the online text as evidenced in Blog B. Clipping, or the frequent shortening of words to mirror their pronunciation, can be seen in terms like ‘ noe’, ‘r’, ‘u’, ‘c’ and ‘2’. The words ‘Oh’ ‘My’ and ‘God’ in the post have been reduced to their initial letters to form the acronym ‘OMG’.

Distinct spelling for the SMS-lingo, i.e. letter omission and phonetic substitutions, of which Blog B depicts are shown below.

Another feature of Netspeak is visual cues which Blog B uses in the form of the ‘emoticon’ (emotion icon), :). Capital letters are used in ‘OMG’ followed by exclamation marks to depict strong emotions like anger and disbelief.

Blog A does not have the usual conventions of a blog as portrayed in Blog B partly due to the social status of the writer.
In Blog A, the writer interchanges the use of the pronouns ‘we’, ‘you’ and ‘I’. ‘We’ is used to refer to the Ministry of Health (MOH) indicating their ability and influence to make right decisions. When ‘I’ and ‘you’ are used, the writer attempts to reduce the social distance between the readers and him.

The writer writes in Standard English to maintain his reputation amongst the public. The blog functions mainly as a communication medium between MOH and the public and as a platform for the writer to share his personal views.

The use of medical jargon such as ‘Influenza A/H1N1 vaccine’ and ‘dose’ indicates that the topic of the posting is related to the medical register.

In retrospect, both blogs display varied conventions due to different social settings, socio-economic backgrounds and demographics of its writers.

As teachers, knowledge of language change and variation enables us to be aware that the phonology, morphology and syntax of English have changed. Depending on the social context and writers’ background, the language’s written form differs. In terms of language used in blogs as illustrated by our examples, it enables us to inform our students how to differentiate the Standard English used in classroom writing as compared to Netspeak on blogs.
In reviewing the social context perspective, we can teach our students the uses of authentic language as it is used by real people for real reasons in diverse social contexts, e.g. blogging to inform the public about H1N1.

To put it succinctly, blogs are useful tools to teach language variation to students and demonstrate the different social settings in which language change occurs.

Word Count: 707

APPENDIX




Blog A Extract
http://mohsingapore.blogspot.com/2009/09/h1n1-jab-anyone.html

H1N1 jab, anyone?

18 September 2009

by Khaw Boon Wan

Yesterday, I announced our contract to buy 1 million doses of Influenza A/H1N1 vaccine from GSK. It will be delivered in batches before year end. GSK will try to let us have the initial batch as soon as possible. (Berita Harian reporter was particularly keen that our Muslim friends would be able to get vaccinated soon, before they leave for Haj in November as the Saudi Authority would require evidence of vaccination.)
….
Cost should therefore not be an issue. But will Singaporeans join the queue to be jabbed?UK estimated that only half of the GPs would agree to be vaccinated. I remember reading a similar reaction from HK health workers some time back.What about Singaporeans?
When I meet my counterparts, many often lament that "it is tough to be a health minister!” We have to make very difficult judgement calls, often in a hurry and without much clarity about the future.
….
This is how we have arrived at this GSK arrangement. In fact, the situation has turned out better than our earlier plan. We had assumed the need for 2 doses per person and we thought an initial order for 500,000 people should be significant enough. Now that it looks like a single dose of GSK vaccine may be adequate to achieve protection, we will have an immediate supply for 1 million Singaporeans, almost one-third of our population. I can now sleep a bit better.
….
I will go for my jab. But if the first lot is over subscribed, then at age 56 (older people seem to have some natural protection), I will give priority to younger Singaporeans. But if the supply is sufficient to cover demand, I will be there in the queue. Will you be next in line?


Blog B Extract
http://huilingrainbow.wordpress.com/2009/05/28/singapore-has-got-4-h1n1-cases/
Singapore has got 4 H1N1 cases!!

Posted May 28, 2009

Do u noe tat there is 4 H1N1 cases in Singapore already? Yesterday, there is 1 case which was a 22 year old woman who just came back from New York for studies. She has been identified 2 have the H1N1 virus. N the 2day, there r 3 people been identified 2 have the virus. OMG!! 4 ppl got it! I dun wan 2 b the next victim. I still want 2 go 2 Secondary, Polytechnic, University n 2 Work. I hope that the doctors or scientists can find the cure 2 the virus. If not, wat r the doctors n scientists 4? To lag? Well i hope all my frens n me wont get it. Got 2 go, i’ll c u in a moments of time. Bye Bye:)

Disscussion Compiled by:

Sham

Devi

Yanny

Terrenz

AAE 101 Assignment 2 - Singlish is A Necessary Evil

(Taken from youtube)


Introduction

Our commentary focuses on the use of spoken Singapore Colloquial English (Singlish). We are using Phua Chu Kang’s music video on SARS prevention titled PCK Sar-vivor Rap which was released after the height of the pandemic in 2003. This video was targeted at the everyday Singaporean, regardless of age, gender and occupation. The intended message was put across in a light-hearted manner as part of a public awareness effort.

Singlish as a necessary variation

According to William Labov, the nature of language is such that it is neither stagnant nor homogeneous. When speakers from two different language groups interact, it is natural for them to accommodate to each other and form a language that has features from both languages. In Singapore, where there are four main language groups, it is thus inevitable that a common language such as Singlish arise.
As much as the government disapproves of Singlish, they recognize its influence and effectiveness as a communication resource for the masses. In an effort to educate the public on the SARS virus, Phua Chu Kang (PCK), a known ‘ambassador’ of Singlish, had been chosen amongst other artistes to star in a music video.

Some language features of Singlish

Let us examine the language features present in said text to understand why the PCK Sar-vivor Rap has such an appeal to the masses. Some of these features include lexical borrowing, the use of discourse particles, the absence of copular verbs, reduplication, as well as direct translation from other languages.
1. Borrowing: Words such as “kena” (Malay) and “kiasu” (Hokkien) are interlaced within a single sentence where English is still retained as the base language.
2. Use of discourse particles: Terms like “leh” and “lah” are used to emphasize a point, as a replacement for word stress.
3. Absence of copular verbs: “Why (are) you rush(ing) to catch that plane?”
4. Reduplication: “Don’t play play!”
5. Direct translation from Mandarin: “Wait the whole company ‘kena’ quarantine” and “Think no one see so you don’t stop?”
Though Singaporeans are able to understand the message in the video even without explicit explanation, foreigners however may find it difficult to decipher the inferences of these features as they are exclusive to Singlish and can only be understood by its speakers.

Singlish as an evil to society

Although Singlish is deemed as an effective communication tool on many social situations, it is also seen as a prevailing evil that has the potential to perpetuate the loss of language competency amongst us. What this suggests is that, the prolongation of Singlish as a lingua franca rather than the presumably Standard English would cause our speakers to be unintelligible and incomprehensible by English speakers in other parts of the world; this is as the language features and implications are unique to only local speakers. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had once stressed on the need to develop ourselves into an attractive global hub via the mastery of Standard English.
There is another rising concern: the lack of awareness in our young of the importance in speaking Standard English. Youngsters nowadays are vulnerably exposed to informative and communicative media which allow for Singlish to be widespread, suggesting the acceptance of the language, and resulting in the lack of ability to speak Standard English even when the situation warrants it. Therefore, there is a need to educate our young on the importance of being able to call for the appropriate variety of English in relation to social settings.

Conclusion

In conclusion, despite the negative remarks surrounding it, Singlish still plays an important role in the society. Teachers should realise that no matter how much the use of Singlish is discouraged, the language is still being acquired by our students as a result of media and societal influences. The key here is for teachers to educate students to understand the roles of Singlish and Standard English in our daily lives. In our opinion, while the use of Singlish is acceptable in non-formal situations, Standard English is crucial in education as it creates a competitive edge in communicating with the global community.

Word Count: 691

Done by: Ho Shi Yin

Khairiani Bte Yahya

Nurul Ain Bte Mohamad Ibrahim

Pang Xiao Ting

English used in Different Social Settings in SMS and E-mail

Language is constantly evolving and the impact of new communications technology is undeniable. For the purpose of this assignment, our group will study how English is used in different social settings and identify some of the features of written Singapore Colloquial English (Singlish). We will be looking at two sample texts from each of the following forms- e-mails and Short Message Service (SMS), and discuss the impact of technology on language use as well.

E-mail- Formal

The following is an e-mail sent by a trainee teacher to the principal of a primary school. Standard English is observed to be used and the tone of the e-mail is polite and professional. The format of the email resembles that of a formal letter, with the subject, greeting and complimentary closing clearly indicated. The relationship between the sender and recipient is distant, with the latter being of a higher authority. This can be seen by the phrase ‘if I can be considered for a teaching position in your school’. Additionally, phrases like ‘express my keen interest’ and ‘looking forward to your favourable reply’ are used to express formality and interest.

E-mail- Informal

Contrary to the formal e-mail, this e-mail shows closeness in the relationship between the sender and recipient. It was sent by a cousin of one of our group members.

Singlish was observed to be used. The sender began with “hey! =)”.The word ‘hey’ was not capitalized and the emoticon “=)” was used to express joy in receiving the email. Other features of Singlish include:

This email shows an informal solidarity use as Singlish is used together with Standard English. For instance, in “hopefully i have a long week end”, the word “hopefully” and the first person pronoun are not capitalised. The phrase “week end” is also not conjoined. Although this phrase is grammatical, the punctuation and spelling do not conform to Standard English.

The two e-mails discussed are examples of diglossia of English Language in Singapore (Deterding,1998). The first e-mail displays the high variety of English used in Singapore in settings of high formality (Standard English) whilst the second e-mail displays the low variety of English used in Singapore as an everyday interaction between locals (Singlish). As speakers move from one variety to another, depending on the context, purpose and audience, it is therefore important to understand how the features differ in these two varieties in order to be able to switch between varieties.

SMS- Informal

Though an SMS is usually short, language use can still differ according to the social settings. The following SMS was sent by an ex-schoolmate of one of our group members. As they have known each other for many years, the social setting is thus informal.

With the social setting in mind, it was observed that Singlish was used. The tone of the SMS was also informal and friendly. Features of Singlish identified include:

This SMS reflects the impact of technology on English. 3 characteristics of a typical SMS are identified. Firstly, as a SMS usually allows only a maximum of 160 letters, people begin to shorten their sentences. Instead of saying ‘I am super tired n have no freedom’, ‘super tired n no freedom’ is preferred. Secondly, individual words are shortened as well. The word ‘never’ and ‘baby’ are shortened to ‘nvr’ and ‘bb’ respectively. Words like ‘and’, ‘see’ and ‘you’ are shortened to a single letter ‘n’, ‘c’ and ‘u’, according to their pronunciations. Thirdly, as an SMS is deemed as almost instantaneous communication, people tend to include emoticons like ‘Hee’ or ‘Ü’ to convey their feelings as well. These characteristics are true for a typical informal e-mail as well.

SMS- Formal

The way English is used differs in this next example. As the purpose of this SMS is to extend an invitation for an important event, the style of the text is formal and relatively professional, with Standard English being used. The typical characteristics of an SMS identified earlier are not present here, due to the need for a certain amount of formality in the extension of an invitation.

SMS and e-mails highlight one benefit of communications technology to our lives- convenience. It is now possible for us to obtain information or perform professional duties at the click of a button. While convenience is no doubt appreciated, some may argue that this form of communication endangers the quality of the communication process in the long run (Urmann, 2008).

Word Count: 735

Done by: Chua Kar Yan (U0960020F)

Ng Eileen (U0960099J)

Nitthiya D/O Rengasamy (U0960103C)

Norsafrina Bte Sapari (U0960110K)

Assignment (2) E-learning task: Language Change and Variation

Song of Solomon 1 (King James Version)
Song of Solomon 1

1 The song of songs, which is Solomon's.

2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine.

3 Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee.

4 Draw me, we will run after thee: the king hath brought me into his chambers: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will remember thy love more than wine: the upright love thee.

5 I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon.

6 Look not upon me, because I am black, because the sun hath looked upon me: my mother's children were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept.

7 Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon: for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions?

8 If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids beside the shepherds' tents.

9 I have compared thee, O my love, to a company of horses in Pharaoh's chariots.

10 Thy cheeks are comely with rows of jewels, thy neck with chains of gold.

11 We will make thee borders of gold with studs of silver.

12 While the king sitteth at his table, my spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof.

13 A bundle of myrrh is my well-beloved unto me; he shall lie all night betwixt my breasts.

14 My beloved is unto me as a cluster of camphire in the vineyards of Engedi.

15 Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves' eyes.

16 Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant: also our bed is green.

17 The beams of our house are cedar, and our rafters of fir.

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Song%20of%20Solomon%201&version=KJV

Group Write Up

Chosen Text: Song of Solomon 1 (As cited from the King James Version Bible)

Origin, Translated Variety and Audience

This text illustrates English used during the Early Modern English Period between Year 1500 to 1800.

The lyrical poem ‘Song of Solomon 1’ was written by King Solomon in the Hebrew language to extol the virtues of love between a husband and wife.
However, due to Reformation and Counter-Reformation events, religious scholars from the Church of England translated the original Hebrew language used in the bible to English in the King James Version. This benefitted various groups like the Puritans, who had difficulties with the earlier translations.

In modern day era, our text caters to all readers of the bible although it used to serve a powerful group of people who were aristocrats, bishops and church-goers.

Variation of Language

Using a Diachronic Approach, the following illustrates how language varies from Early Modern English period to Present-day Modern English.

- Phonetics Spelling
[Verse 5] Words like ‘O’ and ‘Ye’ used in the text have been modified phonetically to ‘Oh’ and ‘You’ respectively in present-day English.

- Lexical Change
[Verse 8] The word ‘fairest’ is used to denote beauty. In present-day English, we have a larger variety of words which we could use to describe things. Words such as pretty, sexy, hot, stunning are used to denote the different degrees of beauty.

- Grammatical Change
Throughout the text, words like ‘thou’ and ‘thee’ are used to indicate singular second-person pronoun whereas ‘ye’ is used to indicate the plural form. However in present-day English, we have standardised the use of the pronoun ‘you’.

2nd Person Pronoun

Singular (King James Version): Thou, Thee
Singular (Modern English): You

Plural (King James Version): Ye
Plural (Modern English): You

Additionally, the suffix ‘eth’ in ‘loveth’ and ‘turneth’ represents the archaic third-person singular present tense. In present-day English, they have been replaced by ‘loves’ and ‘turns’ respectively.

Main Factors causing Change/Variation

The lack of uniformity in spelling and the hassle of using multiple pronouns have led to the need for a more standardised form of language. As such, dictionaries such as Samuel Johnson's, published in 1755, has been influential in establishing a standard form of spelling for the masses.

As language develops with globalisation, we have a wider vocabulary that enables us to use words to demonstrate different degrees of similar meaning. For instance, the word ‘behold’ (verse 15) is synonymous to present-day words like perceive, look upon, observe, consider etc.

There is also liberation from old-fashioned concepts, filtering out discriminatory terms. Words like ‘Thou’ that was first used when addressing superior individuals is now used to refer to strangers and eventually all equals.

As the masses adapt to the affordances and constraints of new communications technology, there is a language preference for us to be more precise and practical. For example, instead of saying ‘thy cheeks are comely with rows of jewels’ (verse 10), we use the expression ‘your cheeks glow’ to convey the same intended meaning.

Features of Text (Social Setting, Background & Relationship between Language users)

Originating from a Jewish background, the features of text depict the culture, from the lifestyles of the commoners to that of the king. The choice of words relate to the way of life and practices in Israel:

- Origin: (daughters of) Jerusalem

- Nature: Cedar, Fir, horses (used as a source of transport)

- Upper class terms: King, chamber, wine, Pharaoh, Chariots, Borders of Gold, chains of gold, studs of silver, Spikenard (Fragrant), Myrrh ( expensive perfume), rows of jewels, ointments, Curtains, fairest (Sophisticated Beauty), company of horses

- Lower-class terms: Keeper of the Vineyards, Shepherds, Tents of Kedar, Black, flock, shepherd’s tents

The text uses metaphorical expressions where objects/animals are used to convey an idea.
For example, the expression ‘the sun hath looked upon me’ is used to describe someone as weather-beaten or tanned.

In another instance, the phrase ‘doves’ eyes’ is used as an expression of beauty for women.

Pedagogical Purpose

Learning from the metaphorical expressions used in this text, we can educate students to appropriately use prevalent objects/animals to describe things/ideas. Examples would be: Phoenix eyes, Almond-shaped eyes, Doe-eyed etc.

We can encourage our students to use similes like ‘as cunning as a fox’ and ‘as proud as a peacock’ in descriptive writing.

Finally, students can be taught to derive and associate connotations to words. This is crucial especially for understanding comprehension passages. In the example of ‘A bundle of myrrh is my well-beloved unto me’, they can identify the connotation of the sweet fragrance of one’s lover upon him.

Word Count: 722

Done By:

Nur Farzlinda Remie Iskander
U0960115F

Clara Khoo Jie Hui
U0960059F

Mazeedah Binte Mohamed Azmi
U0960086J

Ferdusbee Binte Jainul Hussain
U0960030D

AAE 101 Assignment (2) E-learning task: Language Change and Variation

Text 1

1. Where eur shopping district begins
   
2. F-Cup Cookies & Puera Panic SOS are highly demanded!
   
3. Effect guaranteed :D
   
4. Cheapest among most blogshop too :D
   
5. Getting direct supply from Japan, therefore NO SCAMMING of fake cookies from China.
   
6. It’ll NOT scam definitely, don forget, I still have this blogshop to run (:
   
7. I don wan my reputation to go bcos of cheating customer’s $ (:
   
8. So please, send in eur order forms now! :D
   
9. *If eu find my stuffs is more expensive dhn other blogshops, don forget, I’m capping at 10 only! :D
   
10. So eu guys can receive eur stuffs arnd 2 wks aft ordering! :D
    
11. My F-Cup Series takes only one week to cap:)
    
12. Hehe, if nt my enquires board will be spam long time ago alrd D:
    
13. Reason why I opened my enquires box is b’cos just incase some of eu have doubts in me:)
    
14. Why save chat $1 - $2 but waiting for more than one month or two for eur items? (:
    
15. So be brilliant! :D
    

Text 2

1. Shoppers, kindly take 1min t read dhis be4 submitting eur order form(s):D Thanks!
   
2. Evrything in SGD only!(:
   
3. No MIA / backing out aft orders are confirmed! Only 75% of eur $ will be refunded(: & Eu will be blacklisted;)
   
4. Handphone no. will only be provided for Meetups only (:
   
5. Pls be punctal for meetups, else $$$$$; 6 – 10 mins 50 cents; 11 – 15 mins $1; subsequently…..
   
6. Goods sold are not exchangeable nor refundable (:
   
7. I’ll not be responsible if the supplier took dhe $ n MIA
   
8. I’m done w my part aft dhe good (s) leave my hands (:
   
9. At least drop a mail if you don’t want dhe item (s) anymore (:
   Basic Courtesy :D
   
10. I entertain first payment first serve
    
11. Reservation up to 3days only, payments by then please (:, else it’ll be open agn!:D
    
12. Send Order form= Confirming eur orders:), no order form= no order:D
    
13. Pls check eur emails evry 2days for updates :)
    
14. We’ll not be responsible if eur items are lost during postage (:
    
15. Don expect us to be friendly whn eu showed no respect at all :)
    
16. Payments are to be in by 72hrs aft eu’ve confirmed eur orders
    
17. Will be blacklisted if payment are nt in w/o being informed for extension of deadline
    
18. shopping-freak reserves dhe rights to amend dhese T&Cs w/o prior notice
    
19. Aft eu submitted orders, I assume eu’ve read & agreed w our tncs (:
    
20. Thank you! :D
    
    
    
    

Group Commentary

i. English used exclusively in blog & Singapore Colloquial English (Singlish)

ii. Blog: Shopping-Freak (Tuesday, September 22, 2009)
http://spprrreeees.blogspot.com/search/label/fcup%20cookies%201

Blogger is likely a female student (upper secondary to polytechnic level). She uses this site to sell F-cup cookies containing breast-enhancing ingredients, imported from Japan. Her target audiences are mainly females, aged 17-30.

iii. In our authentic text, the blogger has used the linguistic communication which is known as “Netspeak” that has the lexicon which belongs exclusively to the internet (David Crystal). She has mainly used features of spoken language which are hybrid in nature.

The features identified are word creation, distinctive spellings and use of visual symbols. For word creation, compounding words like ‘deadline’ (Text 2, line 17) comprise two words like ‘dead’ and ‘line’. For conversion, the word ‘mail’ (Text 2, line 9) has changed from one word class to another (verb to noun and vice versa). For clipping, in ‘aft’ (Text 2, line 10), the word is being shortened to mean ‘after’. For acronyms, ‘missing in action’ is reduced to ‘MIA’. For distinctive spelling, we have phonetic spellings where ‘n’ (Text 2, line 7) reflects the pronunciation of the word. For spellings that incorporate numerals, ‘be4’ (Text 2, line 1) produces similar sound or meaning as ‘before’. For spellings which omit vowels, we have ‘wks’ (Text 1, line 10) meaning ‘weeks’. For non-conventional spellings, we have ‘evrything’(Text 2, line 2) meaning ‘everything’. These features of Netspeak are user-friendly to users of Netspeak.

Blogger has used visual cues such as the emoticons ‘:)’ to express feelings; capitalization of words such as ‘Basic Courtesy’ to indicate stress; symbol ($), exclamation mark (!) and synthesized sound (He he) to indicate her feelings. It is noticed that ‘T&Cs’ consists of a combination of capitalization, acronym and symbols. While for ‘tncs’, it consists of a combination of acronyms and phonetic spelling features.

The rules of media text are fluid and do not require blogger to be proficient in Standard English. In text 1, there is a be-deletion in line 3 where the linking verb ‘is’ is omitted. In line 3-4, there are two features of Singlish where there is a subjectless clause and be-deletion. She has made mistakes in her writing like using incorrect form of ‘incase’ and ‘meetups’ in texts 1 and 2, omitting punctuation mark like ‘full-stop’ at the end of sentences and non subject-verb agreement in ‘stuffs is’. While these mistakes do not conform to the correct use of Standard English, they are not criterial features of Singlish.

iv. By using Netspeak and spoken text, she has created a closer relationship with the readers to boost her sales as social distance between them is reduced. Furthermore, the use of Standard English and minimal Singlish allow her to reach to all readers so that her products are marketable to everyone.

Hence, blogger saves time in her writing and is able to create text that is straightforward, enabling readers to read quickly from the website as the text has been shortened.

Netspeak has made the blogger and readers influence each other’s styles of communication. Blogger has used this feature to meet the expectations of the young generation who are proficient in the new way of writing. It has affected the reader as well as it forces the user to accommodate to the blogger by using the same features resulting in faster communication. Hence, the language use has affected every one’s style of writing. As a result, there is a marker of collective identity for such users. However, it is not readily readable for those who are non-users of it.

v. By understanding different features of Netspeak, teachers will be able to identify pupils’ mistakes in their writing when they use features like clipping, phonetic spelling etc. Therefore, teachers can explain to pupils that the objectives of using features of Netspeak are mainly for people to communicate quickly and easily in a multi-user environment where information is transmitted rapidly. Teachers need to teach pupils when and where they are allowed to use the new linguistic form (mainly when using IT-msn, chat).

In line 9 of text 2, blogger has written ‘I entertain first payment first serve’ which is a direct translation of text spoken in Mandarin.

Teachers can also teach pupils the difference between a spoken text and written text. For example, in the spoken form, ‘I entertain first payment first serve’ should be changed to ‘I will first serve whoever makes payment first’ in the written form.

In conclusion, the use of media text language facilitates social networking process by increasing opportunities for interaction on internet. The emergence of this new linguistic form is meaningful in the history of language evolution due to its hybrid nature. Though such language use may be fluid over time, it is purposeful and meaningful in human communication as long as there is human understanding in the meaning-making process.


(769 words excluding the references within bracket, question numbers, headings and data tables)

Done by: Darleana Binte Daut
Karen Chu Yeok Lai
Lim Yin Xin
Mohd Faizal B Osman