Communicating and Learning with Smartphones

1
Communicating and Learning with Smartphones

• Susana M. Sotillo, Montclair State University
• Tuesday, May 22, 2007
• ESL in Higher Education 1115 am 1215 pm
• Double Tree, Bedminster Room
• sotillos_at_mail.montclair.edu

2
What can you do with a cell phone/Smartphone?

• How many of you own
• cell phones? Smartphones?
• What do you do with them?
• What can students and faculty do with their cell
  phones?
• What can students, especially ELLs, learn with a
  cell phone?

3
What can we really do or learn with cell
phones/Smartphones?

• According to Marc Prensky (20051), Anything, if
  we educators design it right.
• Using cell phones as learning devices, whether
  in or out of school, requires a good deal of
  rethinking and flexibility on the part of
  educators. (Prensky, 20052.)
• Modern cell phones have many capabilities
• Voice
• Short messaging service (SMS)
• Graphics
• User-controlled operating systems
• Downloadables
• Browsers
• Camera functions
• Geopositioning
• Beaming (this allows us to beam memos or short
  articles to colleagues and students close by)

4
In terms of language learning

• What can one do with voice?
• Short English lessons from ALC Presss Pocket
  Eijiro (McNicol 2004)
• Japanese lessons from Enfours Tango Town
• BBCs English-language training via cell phones
  in China
• Dictionary and phrase book software for foreign
  language pronunciation.
• English-language testing software.
• Guided tours of Minute Man National Historical
  Park (Concord, MA)

5
Cell Phones and Graphic Displays

• Many institutions are using handhelds and
  computers for animations in subjects such as
  anatomy and forensics (Prensky 2005).
• Specific software and products include
• Flash Lite applications can be used to learn sign
  language
• Bryan Edwards Publishing provides PDA-compatible
  animations
• Chemical Abstracts Service has a database of
  molecule images that can be accessed via a cell
  phone
• Japanese software designers offer innovations
  such as Manga graphic novels

6
Useful Downloadable Programs

• T-observe allows one to visit school districts
  and observe teachers-in-training.
• One can also use T-Observe software installed in
  one handheld or Smart Phone to observe several
  full-time and adjunct faculty.
• Synchronization with laptop or desktop allows one
  to download data, display charts, and notes.

7
Internet Browsers, Cameras and Video Clips

• Third-generation protocol Internet Browsers allow
  Smart phones instant access to Google, other text
  search engines, encyclopedias, dictionaries, and
  so on.
• What can you do with cameras
• Snap pictures and document news on the fly
  (download it for one of the local news outlets)
• Encourage creative writing among students
• Record important events such as Governor
  Corzines visit to MSU to discuss his proposed
  budget cuts
• Record lectures by invited speakers
• Create electronic diaries.

8
Global Positioning Systems (GPS)

• Sophisticated GPS satellite receivers can now
  pinpoint a phones location within a few feet.
  Some possible applications
• Orienteering
• Archeology
• Science (biology, zoology)
• Geography
• Environmental conservation
• Math

9
Your Cell Phone/Smart Phone while Traveling

• If you travel extensively or need to be in touch
  with colleagues and superiors, you might benefit
  from disposable cell phones that are currently
  being manufactured.
• When you travel you can
• Read or listen to E-books at your leisure
  anywhere, anytime.
• Schedule meetings in advance, and send documents
  and charts via E-mail from your Smart Phone.
• Minimize stress, maximize personal time and
  learning productivity.

10
Short Messaging Service (SMS) or Text Messages

• Some popular uses of SMS, an important mode of
  communication in Europe, Asia (the Philippines,
  China, Thailand), and Latin America, include
• Pop quizzes or math tests in schools
• Rapid connectivity among students and between
  students and instructors
• Reminders of upcoming exams
• Daily mini-lessons in foreign languages
• Test preparation questions (e.g., The Princeton
  Review)

11
Words, Signs, Symbols in SMS

• Researchers such as Fairon, Klein Paumier
  (2006), Manfredini (n.d.), Prensky (2005),
  Thurlow Brown (2003), Ukriktiwiriya (2003),
  Wright (2006, April 18), Zarantonello (2001),
  have shown that SMS or text messaging is
• a global phenomenon
• primarily popular among teenagers and young
  adults, but
• also increasingly employed by older adults
• often incorporated into social interaction
• done within the spatial constraints of 160
  characters
• Used for pragmatic purposes where words, signs,
  and symbols must codify both meaning and intention

12
How Do I Use SMS?

• Sample of text messages downloaded using the
  TreoDesktop
• 07/09/2005 093454 JC. I'll be in my office at
  200 will call u.?
• 21/11/2005 180953 Hi Gary. Please don't forget
  the case. I'll pay for it if it's necessary.
• 21/11/2005 194108 Hi Susanna! I just checked
  and your case is in. I am picking it up
  tomorrow. Call or text me when you get home
  tomorrow. Bye for now.
• 21/11/2005 195537 thanks so much Gary. You are
  the best-D). I'll be in tomorrow after 700pm
  I'll call U when I get in-)
• 21/11/2005 195832 I forgot to tell U, I'm at
  our Council ? meeting.
• 21/11/2005 203913 Is anything interesting
  going on at the council mtg? Did RT bring up the
  Twp. Engineer position? If so, what exactly did
  he say?
• 21/11/2005 230106 The sound was off so I didn't
  hear your message coming through. T was nowhere
  to be seen. I was..
• 25/02/2006 074646 (Re Michael, the Limousine
  is again) I called again on that truck with no
  plate. He is parked almost in our driveway.
  Maybe you can call as well?
• 27/02/2006 055423 (The bathroom remodel) Starts
  this week so you'll see the contractor ---Sent
  from my BlackBerry Handheld.

13

SMS and Language Use

• In order to investigate SMS, I downloaded 971
  text messages with the Treodesktop developed by
  Bruno Naglieri, and analyzed 909 of them using
  MonoConc.
• The study was motivated by findings reported in
  Europe and Asia.
• It addressed three major questions.
• The SMS corpus I compiled consisted of 12,295
  tokens and 2,366 types.
• The following represent preliminary findings
• SMSs by type of Network
• Family (609), Former Students (172) ,
• Neighbors (54), Political Contacts (43),
• Colleagues (31)
• Participants under 35 (46)
• Participants over 35 (54)
• SMS used as a means of
• Enhancing close relationships with family
  members, friends, and neighbors
• Strengthening bonds with colleagues and former
  students

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Preliminary Findings (Cont.)

• Emoticons used primarily by researcher and family
  members
• Most commonly used emoticons Kiss, smile, and
  grin laugh
• Homophones, contractions, and initialisms used by
  99 of participants
• Older participants (35-63 years old) used
  homophones more frequently than younger
  participants (under 35 years of age)
• Vocatives and other reduced forms used by younger
  participants (former students ranging in age from
  19 to 28)
• Hey Dr. im not sure if you said that you al
  ...
• Hey i was just wondering if you were gonna
• Hey its cy i just took the fallacy test n g
  ...
• Hey professor, i think that the numbers tha
  .

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Preliminary Findings (Cont.)

• As in face-to-face (F2F) and informal written
  communication, function words and common
  orthographic signs occurred more frequently
• i 433 3.5200 u 375 3.0485
• the 305 2.4795 to 200 1.6259
• - 193 1.5690 a 186 1.5121
• 2 174 1.4145 -x 164 1.3332
• besos 138 1.1219 ok 135 1.0975
• Number of words in text messages ranged from 1 to
  85. Examples
• OK
• Ill help U
• As for Gorp, he is a great find! If we can bring
  him on as a credited intern or volunteer (his
  advisor indicated to him that he probably
  wouldnt be able to earn any credits), he will do
  a yeomans job. Please do what you can to convince
  Gorp to join us as a non-credited volunteer until
  such time as he meets the criteria to earn
  credit. I hope he can get credits 4 the work. But
  even as a volunteer, he would be great
• Wh-, Yes-No, and two-three word questions were
  used frequently where? Ok?
• Punctuation was chaotic or non-existent
• Misspellings and typos occurred frequently
• Text messages consisted of clauses and syntactic
  non-clausal units

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Summary of Findings

• Text messages in the corpus analyzed are used to
  request information, express feelings, send
  holiday wishes, ask for favors, and briefly
  discuss important matters.
• Text messaging among participants in this corpus
  can be characterized as brief conversations
  between individuals who know each other and share
  a common knowledge base.
• The content of the message is determined by
  personal relationships and shared knowledge
  (e.g., former students often request
  favorsletters of recommendation, whereas current
  students request clarification of assignments,
  extensions on projects, and explain absences).
• Politeness inserts are frequently used in spite
  of the limited space and time constraints
  thank/thanks (54), apologies (18) best wishes
  (9), commissives (8), stereotypic greetings (66)
  and farewells (16).
• Linguistic forms, signs, symbols that
  characterize SMS communication among young
  members of global mobile SMS communities are also
  present in the SMS data examined.
• Non-standard orthographic forms, especially
  homophones (835), are used frequently by all
  participants in this social network array.
• As in Asia and parts of Europe, SMS is used
  extensively in the US as a communication and
  language development tool and cannot be ignored
  in second language education.
• Young ESL learners will likely be fluent users
  of SMS in their L1

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Interested in Volunteering for an SMS Project?

• Please send an e-mail to sotillos_at_mail.montclair.e
  du if you are interested in chatting via SMS
  (i.e., sending text messages) for the purpose of
  sharing activities and mini-lessons for language
  learning via cell phones or PDAs.

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References

• Boada, A., Cervera, A., Prieto, J. (2003). SMS
  Technology as an academicCommunication Tool. A
  Case Study The Open University of Catalunya
  (UOC). In A. Médez-Vilas, J.A. Mesa Gonzalez,
  I. Sólo de Zaldivar Maldonado (Eds.), Proceedings
  of the International Conference on Information
  and
• Communication Technologies in Education
  (ICTE2002) (pp. 72-76). Badajoz,Spain Formatex.
• Calcutt, A., 2001, Generation Txt Mixed
  messages. Retrieved January 8, 2007,fiom
  http//www.spiked-online.com/Articles/0000000054DF
  .htm
• Casolari, D. (2001). Como cambia il linguaggio.
  Retrieved December 28, 2006, fiom
  http//www.daniela-casolari.it/sms.htm
• Coughlin, K. 2006. Celling Books. The
  Star-Ledger, p.47, June 8,2006.
• Chandler, D. (2001). Semiotics The Basics.
  Routledge.
• Manfiedini, M. (n.d.) SMS Tratto Sugli SMS
  (Parte 1 2).
• Retrieved December 3, 2006, fiom
  http//www.telesms.it/StudiSmS/
• Fairon, Cédrick, Jean René Klein et Sébastien
  Paumier, Le langage SMS. Étude dun corpus
  informatisé à partir de lenquête Faites don de
  vos SMS à la science. UCL, Presses
  Universitaires de Louvain, 2006.
• Prensky, M. 2005. What Can You Learn from a Cell
  Phone? Almost Anything! Innovate 1 (5).
  http//www.innovateonline.info/index.php?viewarti
  cleid83 (accessed July 27, 2005).
• Short Message Service. (2007, January 8).
  Retrieved January 8, 2007,
• from http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Short_message_se
  rvice
• Sutherland, J., 2002, Can u txt? John Sutherland
  asks what texting is doing to the English
• language - and finds it all a bit -(, The
  Guardian Newspaper, November 11. Retrieved
• January 8, 2007, from
• http//www.guardian.co.uk/mobile/article/0,2763,83
  7709,00.html
• Thurlow, C. Brown, A. (2003). Generation Txt?
  The sociolinguistics of young
• Peoples text-messaging, Discourse Analysis
  Online. Retrieved November 3,
• 2006, from http//extra.shu.ac.uk/daol/articles/vl
  /nl /a3/thurlow2002003-paper.html

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Notes

• Coughlin, K. 2006. Celling Books. The
  Star-Ledger, p.47, June 8,2006. (Trade group
  wants to boost sales of e-books for cell phones -
  Cell phones are great for saying hello, dashing
  off short messages and snapping paparazzi
  pictures. Soon you could be reading "War and
  Peace" on them, too. At least, that's the hope of
  an electronic-book industry, which is struggling
  to justify years of hype. "They're squinting in
  Japan and squinting in Europe. They'll squint
  here," said Nicholas Bogaty, executive director
  of the International Digital Publishing Forum.
  His trade group met in New... )