scholarly journals Manipulative Use of Short Messaging Service (SMS) Text Messages by Nigerian Telecommunications Companies

2014 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kehinde A. Ayoola
Keyword(s):  
Cell Phones ◽  
Relevance Theory ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Text Messages ◽  
Sales Promotion ◽  
Short Messaging Service ◽  
Processing Effort ◽  
Telecommunications Companies

This paper is an application of Relevance Theory for the interpretation of short messaging service (SMS) text messages emanating from Nigerian telecommunications companies to their subscribers. The aim of the research was to identify and describe the manipulative strategies employed by Nigerian telecommunications companies to induce subscribers to part with their money through sales promotion lotteries. 100 SMS texts were purposively extracted from the cell phones of randomly selected residents of Lagos Nigeria who had received promotional SMS text messages from three major Nigerian telecommunications companies. Using Sperber and Wilson's Relevance Theory (1995) as its theoretical framework, the paper described the manipulative use of SMS by Nigerian telecommunications companies. The analysis revealed that SMS text messages were encoded to achieve maximization of relevance through explicature and implicature; contextual implication and strengthening; and the reduction of processing effort through violating the maxim of truthfulness and the creative use of graphology. The paper concludes that SMS text-messages were used manipulatively by Nigerian telecommunications companies to earn indirect income from sales promotion lottery.

scholarly journals The Translation of Wordplay from the Perspective of Relevance Theory: Translating Sexual Puns in two Shakespearian Tragedies into Galician and Spanish

2014 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 279-302 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francisco Javier Díaz-Pérez
Keyword(s):  
Relevance Theory ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Cognitive Effects ◽  
Source Text ◽  
Specific Context ◽  
Optimal Relevance ◽  
Processing Effort ◽  
Linguistic Phenomenon ◽  
Selection Of

The present paper aims to analyse the translation of puns from a relevance-theory perspective. According to such theoretical framework, the relation between a translation and its source text is considered to be based on interpretive resemblance, rather than on equivalence. The translator would try to seek optimal relevance, in such a way that he or she would use different strategies to try to recreate the cognitive effects intended by the source writer with the lowest possible processing effort on the part of the target addressee. The analysis carried out in this study is based on two tragedies by Shakespeare – namely, Hamlet and Othello – and on five Spanish and two Galician versions of those two plays. The strategies used by the translators of those versions to render sexual puns have been analysed, focusing not only on the product but also on the process. The selection of strategy is determined, among other factors, by the specific context and by the principle of relevance. In those cases in which there is a coincidence in the relation between the levels of signifier and signified across source and target language, translators normally opt to translate literally and reproduce a pun based on the same linguistic phenomenon as the source text pun and semantically equivalent to it. In the rest of the cases, the translator will have to assess what is more relevant, either content or the effect produced by the pun.

Interpretation of reflexive anaphora in second language VP-ellipsis: Relevance Theory and paradigms of explanation

2004 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 256-280 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xosé Rosales Sequeiros
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Relevance Theory ◽  
Experimental Results ◽  
Comprehension Strategies ◽  
Processing Cost ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
Vp Ellipsis ◽  
Processing Effort ◽  
Maximal Relevance ◽  
The Impact

This article explores second language (L2) learners’ interpretation of reflexive anaphora in VP-Ellipsis by critiquing the work of Ying (2003), who applies Relevance Theory to explain elliptical anaphora. It argues against four claims made in his analysis: that L2 learners apply maximal relevance in anaphoric interpretation; that a procedural account of the impact of referential sentences on VP-ellipsis disambiguation is appropriate; that an account of anaphoric interpretation preferences should be based on processing cost; and that differences in experimental results between intermediate and advanced L2 learners are due to the use of different comprehension strategies (see Sperber, 1994). Instead, it argues: that it is not maximal but rather optimal relevance that is at work; that the key in disambiguating anaphora in VP-elliptical sentences is the achievement of an optimally relevant interpretation; that the role of contextual assumptions in anaphora resolution is to enable L2 learners to derive enough contextual effects to make it worth their effort and, in doing so, identifying (as a side effect) what they take to have been the intended referent; and that what is crucial in the use of comprehension strategies is not processing effort, but rather consistency with the second principle of relevance. Overall, all these factors provide the basis for an alternative and more comprehensive explanation of the experimental results discussed by Ying.

scholarly journals The Linguistic Features of Acronyms in Arabic

SAGE Open ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 215824401774671
Author(s):  
Abdel Rahman Mitib Altakhaineh
Keyword(s):  
Formation Process ◽  
Relevance Theory ◽  
Contextual Effects ◽  
Word Formation ◽  
Linguistic Features ◽  
Radio Stations ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
The Media ◽  
Processing Effort ◽  
Over Time

This study investigates the phonological, semantic, and pragmatic features of acronyms in Arabic. Acronyms in Arabic have appeared quite recently as a result of globalization and exposure to or contact with, mainly, English via radio stations and TV channels, which are broadcasting in English and in some countries, for example, Morocco in both English and French. Through in-depth analysis, it has been observed that acronyms in Arabic are subject to different restrictions: (a) The phonological combinations are formed on the basis of Arabic templates; hence, should be compatible with Arabic phonotactics, for example, consonant clusters should be broken up by vowels; (b) the connotation of the acronyms should not be negative; and (c) in conformity with relevance theory, when the acronyms are homophonous to existing words, the former maximize contextual effects with minimum processing effort. The fact that they appear in certain contexts also reduces the processing effort. It has also become evident that the period between the establishment of the movement or party and the first use of the acronym decreases over time, provided that the acronyms are frequently mentioned in the media. The examination of acronyms in different languages shows that acronymization is quite pervasive cross-linguistically; this may suggest that not any word-formation process can easily spread; it needs to be prevalent and potentially universal.

Identity and the New Communication Technologies

2011 ◽  
pp. 23-39
Author(s):  
Nathan Oyori Ogechi ◽  
Emily Bosire-Ogechi
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Cell Phones ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Text Messages ◽  
National Identities ◽  
Short Text ◽  
Great Caution ◽  
E Mail

This chapter discusses the use of short text messages on cell phones and e-mail conversations among social networks to negotiate identities in Kenya. It shows that these New Communication Technologies have revolutionised the way of doing things in Kenya, including politics. It comes out that Old Communication Technologies are being complemented by the new technologies which are now taking over and which can be used to negotiate both narrow ethnic-blocks and national identities. The chapter shows that the new technology is not always used to portray and perpetuate narrow ethnic identities; rather, instances exist when the users want to project professional and national identities. Supported with data that focus on the pre- and post-2007 elections, the chapter argues that inasmuch as the New Communication Technologies are good, great caution should be exercised when using them since unchecked use might bring untold suffering to society.

Rethinking Reader and Writer Responsibility in Academic English

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Ian MacKenzie
Keyword(s):  
Academic Writing ◽  
Cultural Theory ◽  
Relevance Theory ◽  
Native English Speakers ◽  
English Speakers ◽  
Rhetorical Patterns ◽  
Additional Processing ◽  
Anglo American ◽  
Processing Effort ◽  
Style Of Writing

AbstractThere is a growing perception that English used as a lingua franca does not need to resemble English as a native language, but can include a great deal of lexicogrammatical variation. However, a more fundamental matter is whether research articles written in English need to conform to the dominant linear, deductive, ‘Anglo’ pattern of text organization, or whether non-native English speakers should be free to transfer rhetorical patterns from their L1s into English, such as, e.g., an inductive, indirect, end-weighted form of argumentation, perhaps with a less-assertive conclusion. Hinds (1987) describes the latter style of writing as “reader-responsible,” as opposed to the “writer-responsible” Anglo-American style, arguing that it requires a great deal more inferential work on the part of the reader. Yet from a relevance theory perspective it appears unlikely that a culture would choose to impose unnecessary additional processing effort on readers. The perception of difficulty is an etic perspective: analysts from “writer-responsible” cultures imagine the processing effort that would be necessary in their culture to make sense of “reader-responsible” texts. Indirect, inductive rhetorical styles do not cause problems for readers accustomed to them. Given that most academic writing in English is for an international audience, non-native English-speaking researchers – and indeed native English speakers too – should be free to adopt a range of styles, or some sort of heterogeneous hybrid, depending on their perceptions of their readers’ expectations. A further issue is whether researchers who have reservations about ‘Anglo’ styles of writing, e.g. in the social sciences or literary and cultural theory, should encourage non-native English speakers to imitate the noun-heavy, nominalized, passivized, syntactically-complex style dominant in these fields.

scholarly journals Cellular Telephone Use: A Survey Of College Business Students

2008 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kay H. Braguglia
Keyword(s):  
Cell Phone ◽  
Cell Phones ◽  
Business Students ◽  
Study Time ◽  
Text Messages ◽  
Classroom Learning ◽  
Cell Phone Use ◽  
Cellular Telephones ◽  
Class Time ◽  
A Cell

Whether it is hand held, in a pocket, on a backpack, clipped to a belt, or hidden in a brief case or purse, college students and cellular telephones go together.  Communication with fellow students, professors, parents, and everyone else is just a click away. While walking across campus and down the halls of academic buildings, cellular telephones are being used.  This research questions in what ways do students use cellular telephones and does this use interfere with or assist in learning and college life?  This paper reports the results of a survey of undergraduate business students addressing this question.  The objectives were to determine: (1) how much time is spent using a cell phone and which phone features are used most frequently, (2) what students believe concerning the impact of cell phones on learning in the classroom and during study, (3) how often students are in contact with parents on a cell phone, and (4) how much do students pay for cell phone services.  The results indicate that 100% of the students own a cell phone.  Sixty-six percent of the students use voice calls most frequently and 30% use text messages most often.  A total of 55.8% of students report that they spend 3 hours or less on their cell phone daily and 44.8% spend four or more hours daily on their cell phones.  Over half of the students report that they have some interaction with their cell phones during class time for every class.  Seventy-seven percent state that this cell phone use seldom or never interferes with classroom learning. All of the students (100%) believe that they should be able to receive emergency information over a cell phone during class time.  Seventy-six percent believe that cell phones seldom or never assist in classroom learning.  However, students report that cell phone use impacts on study time outside of class.  Cell phone distractions during study time outside class was reported by 34.6% of the students as happening often or always and an additional 43.5% are sometimes distracted by cell phones during study time. Bad or upsetting news received over a cell phone before class impacts academic performance of 14.2% of the students often or always.  Thirty-five percent of the students talk to parents more than once a day and another 23.7% have contact on a daily basis. Therefore, 59.5% report that they have contact with their parents at least once a day.    Fifteen percent of the students pay over $100 per month for cell phone service, 28% pay from $75 to $100, 34% spend $51 to $75, and 14% spend $26 to $50 per month.  More than 90% of the students report that they have text messaging, calculator, clock, calendar, and appointment reminder on their cell phone.  Over 70% have the internet and games.  Over 60% have a camera and email.  Only 13% have an MP3 music player and 7% have an FM radio.  

scholarly journals ICAT: Development of an Internet-Based Data Collection Method for Ecological Momentary Assessment Using Personal Cell Phones

2013 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 140-148 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emmanuel Kuntsche ◽  
Florian Labhart
Keyword(s):  
Cell Phone ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Cox Regression ◽  
Retention Rate ◽  
Cell Phones ◽  
Text Messages ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Retention Rates ◽  
Baseline Assessment ◽  
Pilot Studies

Rapid advances in mobile data-transfer technologies offer new possibilities in the use of cell phones to conduct assessments of a person’s natural environment in real time. This paper describes features of a new Internet-based, cell phone-optimized assessment technique (ICAT), which consists of a retrospective baseline assessment combined with text messages sent to the participants’ personal cell phones providing a hyperlink to an Internet-stored cell phone-optimized questionnaire. Two participation conditions were used to test variations in response burden. Retention rates, completion rates, and response times in different subgroups were tested by means of χ² tests, Cox regression, and logistic regression. Among the 237 initial participants, we observed a retention rate of 90.3% from the baseline assessment to the cell-phone part, and 80.4% repeated participation in the 30 daily assessments. Each day, 40–70% of the questionnaires were returned, a fourth in less than 3 minutes. Qualitative interviews underscored the ease of use of ICAT. This technique appears to be an innovative, convenient, and cost-effective way of collecting data on situational characteristics while minimizing recall bias. Because of its flexibility, ICAT can be applied in various disciplines, whether as part of small pilot studies or large-scale, crosscultural, and multisite research projects.

scholarly journals Teachers’ Stances on Cell Phones in the ESL Classroom: Toward a “Theoretical” Framework

2014 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeff Brown
Keyword(s):  
Cell Phones ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Surrounding Cell ◽  
Esl Classroom

In the ongoing and constantly expanding discussion surrounding cell phones in the classroom, a theoretical complement to the practical side of the issue is gener- ally lacking. This is perhaps understandable. Many teachers are still trying to deal with the simple presence of cell phones in the class, and managing a classroom in which the presence and use of cell phones is a reality takes precedence over chart- ing some sort of theoretical framework. Yet perhaps it is now time to step back and consider such a framework. I offer just such a consideration, as well as some remarks about which theoretical positions might be most advisable in specific classroom contexts.Au débat portant sur les téléphones cellulaires en salle de classe, toujours actuel et s’élargissant sans cesse, il manque souvent une composante théorique pour venir compléter le côté pratique. Plusieurs enseignants tentent encore de composer avec la simple présence des téléphones cellulaires en classe, alors la gestion d’une classe où on les utilise prend le dessus sur la planification d’un cadre théorique. Il est peut-être temps, toutefois, de prendre un certain recul et de considérer un tel cadre. J’offre une telle proposition ainsi que certaines remarques par rapport aux positions théoriques les plus recommandables dans des contextes pédagogiques particuliers.

scholarly journals Subtitling Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001) in a Chinese Context: The Transfer of Sexuality and Femininity in A Chick Flick

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Lisi Liang
Keyword(s):  
Detailed Analysis ◽  
Relevance Theory ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Feminine Identity ◽  
Chinese Context ◽  
Feminist Ideology ◽  
Chinese Markets ◽  
Contemporary Chinese

This paper explores how sexuality and femininity1 are transferred in the Chinese subtitles of the chick flick, Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001). In order to address this question, the article is divided into three main parts. In the first section, a review of how the film is received in the Anglophone and Chinese markets is presented respectively, also including the challenges posted to the subtitlers, e.g. the translation of sexuality and swearing in the discourse of women. The second section offers a theoretical framework that structures the paper, adopting Ernst-August Gutt’s (1986) “Relevance Theory” and Anthony Baldry and Paul Thibault’s (2006) “Multimodality” to examine how the Chinese subtitles work for primarily the Chinese female audiences. What follows is a detailed analysis of two situational categories of recurrent features (swearing and sexuality) in the Chinese subtilties of this chick flick, specifically proving constructions of feminist ideology. The paper concludes that the Chinese subtitles articulates a relatively moderate version compared to the original explicit sexuality and taboo language. Such moderation reflects an increasingly improved entanglement of feminine identity in a contemporary Chinese context.

scholarly journals Processing Effort and Poetic Closure

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nigel Fabb
Keyword(s):  
Relevance Theory ◽  
Poetic Form ◽  
Regular Form ◽  
Processing Effort

Nigel Fabb (University of Strathclyde)Abstract: Smith (1968) argues that poems may end with formal changes which produce an experience of closure in the reader. I argue that formal changes do not directly cause an experience of closure. Instead, changes in poetic form always demand increased processing effort from the reader, whether they involve new forms, shifts from more to less regular form, or from less to more regular form. I use relevance theory (Sperber and Wilson 1995) to argue that the increased processing effort encourages the reader to formulate rich and relevant thoughts, including the thought 'this poem has closure'. Closure is thus the content of a thought rather than a type of experience. I further argue that 'closure' is a term whose meaning cannot be fully understood, which makes the thought 'this poem has closure' into a schematic belief of the kind which Sperber shows has great richness and productivity. This is one of the reasons that the thought 'this poem has closure' achieves sufficient relevance to justify the effort put into processing the end of the poem.

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