Final Video Project Posted on YouTube
Annotated Bibliography
Baron, N. (2005). Instant Messaging and the Future of Language. Communications of the ACM, 48(7), 29-31. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database.
In collaboration with her students, Baron (2005) conducted exploratory research at the American University in Washington D.C on the use of Instant Messages (IM) by students which spans over three years. The purpose of the research is to explore the question whether computer-mediated-communication (CMC) degrades the language. Baron states that viewing CMC as either good or bad is twofold. Online communication reflects on gender, age, educational level, cultural background, personality and experience with CMC platforms or the purpose of use. Furthermore, Baron writes that adolescents have long been a source of linguistic and behavioral novelty. They often use language to express group identity. However, Baron’s research concludes that the use of IMs is unlike to play a role in altering writing standards unless parents and educators allow it to happen.
Derk, D., Bos, A., & von Grumbkow, J. (2008). Emoticons in Computer-Mediated Communication: Social Motives and Social Context. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 11(1), 99-101. doi:10.1089/cpb.2007.9926.
The study examined the social motives for emoticon use and other aspects that might influence emoticon use in computer-mediated-communication (CMC). The participants were subscribers of Psychology Magazine Web site in the Netherlands. This group consisted of 789 women and 136 men for a total 925 participants who filled out the questions handling the background variables. The questionnaire focused on motives for emoticon use. The emoticons used were big smile, smile, sad, wink, confused, and cry. Through statistical analyses, the study demonstrates that people use more emoticons in communicating with friends than in communicating with strangers. Furthermore, more emoticons are used in positive contexts than in negative contexts. Emoticons are mostly used for the expression of emotion, for strengthening the verbal part of a message, and for expressing humor. These purposes correlate with the functions of nonverbal emotional expression in face-to-face communication. The study only concentrated on the senders’ perspective and not the receiver.
Fox, A., Rosen, J., & Crawford, M. (2009). Distractions, Distractions: Does Instant Messaging Affect College Students' Performance on a Concurrent Reading Comprehension Task? CyberPsychology & Behavior, 12(1), 51-53. doi:10.1089/cpb.2008.0107.
The research purpose is to investigate whether the use of Instant Messages (IM) affects cognition in student’s performances when used simultaneously while studying. The study sprouts from other qualitative studies which investigated the effects of media on cognition during study and work time. Sixty-nine undergraduate students participated for course credit in an introductory psychology course using AOL Instant Messenger (AIM). Researchers tested their reading comprehension in order to test recognition memory and a survey of computer and web use and attitudes were also evaluated. Overall, the authors concluded that their results were inconsistent with prior research indicating: “that interaction negatively affects task performance;” however IM usage did affect negatively performances on reading comprehension.
Lee, C. (2007). Affordances and Text-Making Practices in Online Instant Messaging. Written Communication, 24(3), 223-249. doi:10.1177/0741088307303215.
The purpose of the qualitative study conducted by Lee (2007) is to examine the factors that influence “text-making practices” in IM within a social theory of literacy. In addition, the study seeks to understand the changing nature of practices through analyzing IM texts and people’s perceptions associated with these texts. The data was collected over a 2-year period and is based on a study that examines the everyday uses of IM by conducting qualitative and semi-structured interviews, including observations, logbook keeping, face-to-face and online interviews. The sample group consisted of 19 participants, all located in Hong Kong, who shared similar linguistic backgrounds and were aged 20-28 years. Lee’s (2007) study concluded that the participants’ familiarity with their linguistic resources and typing speed justified their choice of language use in IM (English or Cantonese). Moreover, Lee (2007) states that environmental factors impact people’s decision what to do and how to act within an IM.
Lo, S. (2008). The Nonverbal Communication Functions of Emoticons in Computer-Mediated Communication. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 11(5), 595-597. doi:10.1089/cpb.2007.0132.
Lo’s (2008) research examined the use of emoticons as a communication tool in computer-mediated communication (CMC) where nonverbal cues are lacking. The purpose of the study was to verify whether emoticons possess nonverbal cue functions based on the definitions of nonverbal communication (emotion, attitude, and attention). The methodology used simulated three scenarios and evaluated 137 instant message service (IMS) users who were randomly assigned into one of three scenarios. The experiment adopted a widely uses IMS software as a background. Lo’s (2008) research concludes that without emoticons, most people cannot recognize correct emotions, attitude, or intent as they are lacking the visual cues in CMC. These results prove that emoticons perform nonverbal communication functions.
Maness, J. (2008). A Linguistic Analysis of Chat Reference Conversations with 18-24 Year-Old College Students. Journal of Academic Librarianship, 34(1), 31-38. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database.
Maness’ (2008) research analyzed and compared Instant Messaging (IM) conversations held among students and among students talking to librarians using IM. The data was collected from two sources. The first source relied on the research done by Baron in 2004 that reported the findings of a study of 23 undergraduate students’ IM conversations at American University. The second source was chat reference conversations provided by AskColorado, a state-wide multi-type library collaborative service administered through the Colorado State Library using a survey and by a study. It analyzed 31 chat reference conversations by tabulating the number of words written by patron and librarians. Maness (2008) concluded that the chat reference conversation is more formal than the student-to student IM conversation. It appears that the librarians were writing, but the patrons were “speaking.” However, Maness (2008) concludes that the use of emoticons, abbreviations, acronyms, and other nonverbal compensations was infrequent when used with librarians and that student’s linguistic style changes according to the social setting.
References
Baron, N. (2005). Instant Messaging and the Future of Language. Communications of the ACM, 48(7), 29-31.
Crystal, D. (2001). Language and the Internet. Cambridge: Cambridge U P.
Derk, D., Bos, A., & von Grumbkow, J. (2008). Emoticons in Computer-Mediated Communication: Social Motives and Social Context. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 11(1), 99-101. doi:10.1089/cpb.2007.9926.
Fox, A., Rosen, J., & Crawford, M. (2009). Distractions, Distractions: Does Instant Messaging Affect College Students' Performance on a Concurrent Reading Comprehension Task?. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 12(1), 51-53. doi:10.1089/cpb.2008.0107.
Lee, C. (2007). Affordances and Text-Making Practices in Online Instant Messaging. Written Communication, 24(3), 223-249. doi:10.1177/0741088307303215.
Lo, S. (2008). The Nonverbal Communication Functions of Emoticons in Computer-Mediated Communication. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 11(5), 595-597. doi:10.1089/cpb.2007.0132.
Maness, J. (2008). A Linguistic Analysis of Chat Reference Conversations with 18-24 Year-Old College Students. Journal of Academic Librarianship, 34(1), 31-38. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database.
Orit, super presentation! Now, I have to get that song out of my head. I liked how you illustrated the examples of text-speech and I agree that texting is an evolution of speech, just as the use of slang. Your use of graphics and visuals was appropriate and did not take anything away from your message.
ReplyDeleteThe older generations may complain about how teens and twenty-somethings are polluting the language, but the language of the 1950's is a far cry from that of the 1500's. Part of being on the front lines of education and technology allows us to quickly adapt to trends and hopefully discriminate the good from the passing fads. Thank you
Shane,
ReplyDeleteThanks for kind words! Living languages have always evolved, as there are social, political, historical, and technological factors that constantly influence and shape their development. It will be interesting to see the further effects of the “Netspeak” on language.
What a great presentation!
ReplyDeleteIn consideration of how our language evolves, it's interesting that our youngest generation has minimalized some of the common everyday expressions down to just letters. It makes one wonder what our language might be like in future decades.
Of course, smiley faces have been around forever. :-)
Ginger Harper
Orit, the music is awesome, very catchy. Your video is quite informative. I was concerned that there would be a loss of the use of language, as we know it, due to the over-abundance of texting and use of acronyms, a short cut to communicating.
ReplyDeleteYour research has eased that concern with evidence that an ability to transition to more conventional language may occur once students are out of the high school venue. I do believe, however, that the transition period may be extended over time.
I was very interested in the content you presented. I found the concepts stimulating. The emergence and growth of computer enabled communication is changing the way people communicate. I think that it is very important that we set standards to ensure that the informal elements do not negatively effect scholarship and academic practice.
ReplyDeleteHi Clarice,
ReplyDeleteAs noted by many of the other comments, great starting song and your topic is fascinating. I am not sure that I would call the changes in language that we are currently seeing as evolution, so much as devolution.
While I may use the slang short cuts that are common like brb, LOL, and omg, I believe that there is a time and a place for everything. Academic language, for example, should be more professional and avoid the use of acronyms and such.
Kimberly