EMOJI

The article highlights the way in which tiny faces and symbols can represent our feelings and emotions in the new and modern language of the emoji. Emoticons have taken over online language and communication, especially mine, which is something which interested me towards this article.

The article expresses the humorous ways which emoticons can tell a story and how they are used and misused by many people. I found it very amusing when the article listed scenarios of how the emoji would be portrayed in language, using short comedy anecdotes. The article uses first person pronouns within the anecdotes such as 'I' and 'I'm' as a reader you automatically imagine yourself in the scenario's which increases the amusement.

Throughout the English Language course, it has helped me to understand the purpose of a text. Using this article for example, it is used to persuade a reader into buying/watching a movie based around emoji's. This is evident through the use of humour to gain a personal rapport with the reader. Also the use of synthetic personalisation using terms such as 'you' as this reduces the social distance between the context producer and the context receiver i.e. the reader/potential consumer. Anecdotes also contributes to the persuasive effect on the reader, as you are more likely to believe someone if they are talking from experience, which is something featured in this article, and is used to get a reader into purchasing or watching the movie.

The issue of not wanting to use an emoji for the wrong reason should not be an issue at all. Emoji's are used on a personal opinion most of the time. We all have our favourites (eye roll) and some we would never see on our most frequently used (moon face). So why should we abide by the rules of the emoji's which have been enforced by the software developers and limit yourself to the standard language of emoticon jargon. I would like to find out how many people have invented knew and creative ways of adding aliens, dartboards, and the statue of liberty into their everyday online vocabulary.

Source: http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/27/emoji-true-meanings-explained?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other 

I came across this article on the East Norfolk English Twitter feed. It was originally published on the guardian online, on 27th of July 2015.

Gender in Language

Reacting to an article http://www.breakingnews.ie/discover/if-we-gave-fathers-the-same-nonsensical-advice-we-give-working-mothers-700862.html I will be reacting to the article 'If we gave fathers the same nonsensical advice we give working mothers'. I came across this article link on the East Norfolk English Twitter page, it was originally published on 'Breaking News.ie' and was written by Ciara Flaherty. The main issues in the articles are the inequality of gender in our language. Within the article, a 'male account' has used the cliches usually placed on women, who have multiple responsibilities e.g. looking after children and going to work, however shifted the stereotype onto men who do the same. This included questioning their ability to perform at work, the housework needs doing before 'wife and children' wake up, and telling the men its their responsibility to take care of their appearance. 

The article interests me as it highlighted the gender codes of language within our speech. The issue of inequality in this article made me a laugh as it highlighted our patriarchal society and the irony behind the language in which we use. Would we question a man's performance at work based on if he has a child or not? I a man was feeling tired would we simply advise him to dress in his WOW clothing? Yet this is somehow acceptable if the genders are reversed. Personally the issue of gender inequality angers me. Stereotyping women in the work force is very unfair. Just because she has a child and other responsibilities should not limit her ability. This is shown in this article as it switches the stereotype onto men. This perceives the message as it is unusual for a man to be described using the words usually connoting to women. This includes being tired, having to do housework, keeping up an appearance, etc. Throughout English Language, we have learned many things through lexis, semantics, phonology, discourse, grammar. But the main aspect of English language which I have taken is the fact that language is power. And if power is determined by the way in which we speech or how others use English Language to describe you. Then it is clear that men are still superior within language. As it is unusual to use phrases shifted on to men. 

This article could also be seen as a form of upwards convergence, as the language being used it creating a larger social distance within the tweeter and the 'men' as the men do not resonate with the stereotypical behaviour, or thoughts and feelings of a 'woman'. A way forward from this article is to stop the stereotypical assumptions of a person and only judge them, within a workplace on their ability to work. No one should be judged on how many children they have, or if they should be doing housework. At employment your job is to work. And if that is possible why should anyone have the right to limit your possibilities? Regardless of your gender. I would like to find out about how language influences gender inequality within today's society and a society of the 1950's were men were predominately superior. I would like to see if how we use language to describe genders has became more equal over the years and how these changes have been made in regards to English Language.