Computer-mediated Communication

Writing System Home
 
Vivian Cook

E-mails:
– are closer to spoken than written language in many respects
– are closer to involved production than informational production on Biber's scale of involved versus informational production
– use some punctuation marks as emoticons :-/, others to separate elements and show quotation >
Chat-room messages:
– have many similar characteristics to e-mails
– use letter-name and number names for syllables and function words: B4, GR8
– use abbreviations: LOL, PLS
– have some grammatical innovations: laughslaughs, nodsnodsnods
– have interweaving conversations
Text messages:
– use letter-name and number-name syllabic spelling: 4got10, c u 2moro
– use many abbreviations: brsl, asap
– exploit traditional novel spellings: nite, nu

E-mails

Chat-rooms

Text messages