The Language And Multi Modal Communication - 1196 Words

When we communicate online, we use language features that are closer to spoken language despite the fact we are actually writing. The language features we use can be referred to as multi-modal communication. Multi-modal communication is non face to face communication and has features of both spoken and written language, for example emojis to show emotion and capitals to denote tone. There are opposing attitudes to this type of communication; many think it is damaging intelligence whereas others argue it is a sign of increased intelligence. I will be using a transcript from Facebook Messenger between me and my friend to analyse how online communication is closer to speech than written language. Spoken language is very different to written†¦show more content†¦This communication involves prosodic features – reduplication of letters and replication of non-verbal features, tone and pitch – as well as paralinguistic features which are centred around body language – the use of emoticons to express emotion and tone, and ‘like’-ing, which could be linked to giving someone a high-five as congratulations, and serves as instant gratification which is normally associated with being face to face. In the Facebook Messenger transcript between me and my friend, we commonly use emojis, for example â€Å":-)† and â€Å";)†. Emojis are used to show the emotion of the speaker, as it is difficult to show tone of voice and emotion through writing. When we talk to other people we naturally use facial expressions and body language to convey our meaning, as words by themselves are sometimes not clear enough, or we may want to emphasise a point we are making. In the case of sarcasm, the winking emoji may be used to make the comment seem joking and playful and to avoid causing offence. Without the emoji, the recipient may misunderstand. When my friend and I were talking about a piece of homework we had been set, she asked â€Å"do it 4 me ;)†. I knew she was joking because of the use of the winking emoji. Emotion is more of a visual aspect so the use of emojis is typical of multi-modal communication. We rely on facial expression and body language to ensure the message is clear in real life, so we use emojis in digital