Uncertainty is more easily shown in spoken language than text.

Uncertainty is shown more easily in spoken conversation than text. This is because in verbal conversation you can see the person’s facial expressions and emotions and hear their tones and hesitations.

In verbal conversation you are witnessing someone’s raw thoughts from straight their head, so their uncertainty is “written across their face”. When I had my conversation with Callum for class study my uncertainty is easily shown at multiple points. “Callum: Like the DNA – Billy: Like, Like – Callum: DNA. Twisted ladders.” My hesitated repetition “Like, Like” shows I am uncertain about what I am saying and that I am still figuring out what I am saying as I say it. This is seen everyday when someone does not fully understand what they are talking about or are questioning what they are saying. They have hesitant tones of voice or hesitant repetition. Uncertainty can also be shown through somebody’s facial expressions, you can visually see when unsure. In verbal, face to face conversation, there is no delay or time to censor your emotion as there is in text. Therefore uncertainty is so easily seen in somebody’s demeanour as they can’t restrict what they are thinking; their thoughts just fly into reality.

In text conversation uncertainty can be masked by lies. When you are texting your friend you think it’s instant communication, but there is a slight delay. This delay is significant because during it, the person you’re having a conversation with will be refining their next message to exactly the right thing to send. They are looking for the words that will cause the least confusion or please the reader the most. These words may not be what they are actually thinking or doing. Take LoL as an example. It used to mean ‘laugh out loud,’ but did the person who sent it to you really laugh? People can also be manipulating their words to get a certain response from the receiver. They may make something up to make somebody feel happiness or any emotion. Lies are also used to hide uncertainty, “Gerald: Did your parents let you come to town? – Dug: Yeah.” Dug hadn’t asked his parents if he could go to town yet, so he hid his uncertainty under false words. Since Dug has time to censor his thoughts, Gerald cannot see his facial expression or hear his tones, Dug is easily able to hide his uncertainty.

Uncertainty is easily shown in verbal conversation. Since there is no time to censor thoughts, uncertainty is portrayed easily on your body and in your voice. Where as in text conversation uncertainty can be hidden through false words.

One Reply to “Uncertainty is more easily shown in spoken language than text.”

  1. This piece is a very strong, reasoned exploration of modern spoken and online language. It is precise in its analysis and provides extensive and illuminating evidence to support this analysis.

    To develop it further, the next stage is to develop more of an authorial voice. Currently the analysis is strong in logic and fact, now it’s time to develop a tone. This can be done initially by working on the introduction. Use the introduction to address some of the views that people hold about young people’s use of contemporary language, perhaps even quote some of these views, and then point to how wrong you believe these perceptions are. Then you will be able to make minor alterations to your analysis paragraphs in order that they support this initial position.

    Ideally, in the end, you’ll have written a piece that could be published as a feature article in a literary magazine that explores language in the contemporary context. Think in terms of having a reader to appeal to. I think your hypothesis is brilliant – and it lends itself to being a very interesting journalistic ‘angle’ about people not being honest: and how to see through this.

    You have all the building blocks in place – now it’s just a matter of style.

    (Consider using a catchy title to focus your argument too)

    CW

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