Les textos et Les SMS

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Les textos et Les SMS

• Megan Iranpour, Lexington Catholic High School
• Tracy Lambert, Lafayette High School
• Alice Barrette, East Jessamine High School

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Purpose of the Session

• Explain why working with les textos are a great
  for your students
• Give you an introductory lesson to les textos
• Provide you with resources and activity ideas for
  your classroom
• To continue to promote an ever-growing, modern
  classroom for our students

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Journal article Emerging Technologies
Messaging by Robert Godwin-Jones Language,
Learning Technology, Vol. 9, 2005

• The next generation's enthusiasm for instant
  messaging, videogames, and peer-to-peer file
  swapping is likely to be dismissed by their
  elders as so many ways to waste time and avoid
  the real worlds of work or school. But these
  activities may not be quite as vapid as they may
  seem from the perspective of outsiders--or
  educators. Researchers point not only to such
  obvious by-products as computer literacy,
  communicative skills, and community building, but
  to less immediately evident benefits like
  identity creation (avatars in games/chat),
  collaborative learning (networking to develop
  game playing strategies), or even mentoring...

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Why talk about text messaging in a world language
classroom?

• Article from May 22nd 2008 Parlez-vous SMS from
  The Economist print edition (see resources)
• It is a fad just as popular among French teens
• It is an equal source of worry for the French
  government who fears it will affect spelling,
  grammar, and overall ability to affectively
  communicate
• Great topic for discussion, application of
  student knowledge, a chance to get to know your
  students better
• Keeps students aware of the likenesses shared
  between cultures as well as an awareness of
  language structure
• A great way to work with Advanced Placement
  competencies

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Getting started

• Beginner rules and resources can be found at
  http//french.about.com/library/writing/bl-texting
  .htm
• Setting the basic rules
• French Texting Rules
• The basic rule of texting is to express yourself
  with the fewest number of characters possible.
  This is done in two ways
• Using abbreviations, like TLM for Tout Le Monde
• Using letters that are pronounced like the
  desired sounds, like OQP for occupé (O - CCU -
  PÉ)

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Basic rules, contd

• Patterns
• C replaces C'EST, S'EST, SAIS, etc.
• É replaces AI, AIS, and other spellings of
  similar sounds
• K can replace QU (e.g., koi) or CA (kdo)
• O replaces AU, EAU, AUX, etc.
• T replaces T'ES and other spellings of the same
  sound
• 1 replaces UN, EN, or IN
• 2 replaces DE
• Tip
• If all else fails, try reading the symbol out
  loud.  -)

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Try some examples yourself

• B1sur
• Cb1
• GspR b1
• Mr6
• _at_
• Koi29

• Bien sûr
• Cest bien
• Jespère bien
• Merci
• À plus
• Quoi de neuf?

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And now a little harder

• JtapL tard
• JtapLDkejpe
• GHT2V1
• DQP
• PTDR

• Je tappelle plus tard
• Je tappelle dès que je peux
• Jai acheté du vin
• Dès que je peux (ASAP)
• Pété de rire (LOL)

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So what does this mean for you?

• Activity ideas
• General introduction to students
• Discovery day (knowledge and comprehension)
• English exploration day (synthesis)
• Debates (analyze and evaluate)
• Invention (application)
• Communication outside of the classroom
• (synthesis and application)

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More activities

• Online cell phone ads research, discuss,
  compare and contrast
• Modern day applications debate what this means
  to teen driving, spelling, education,
  generational divides, etc.
• Writing in text message language

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Connecting text messages to the French we know
and love

• Sarkozy and his text message to Cecilia
• Clip Si tu reviens at the end
• Tony Parker and his alleged affair proved through
  text messages
• Article in resources

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Resources on our web page

• Celebrity confessions about cell phone rings,
  talk time, etc.
• Relay article (see resources) Christophe Maé
  nous parle de son portable
• Q Combien de téléphones portables as-tu posédé?
• A Cinq ou Six
• Q Quelle est la mélodie de ta sonnerie?
• A Sexual Healing de Marvin Gay
• Q Quelles sont les fonctions les plus usitées
  sur ton portable?
• A Lenvoie et la réception de SMS
• Q Peux-tu menvoyer un e-mail?
• A Oui, mais je ne le fais jamais

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Resources contd

• Article excerpt on emerging technologies
• Introductory rules to text messaging in French
  http//french.about.com/library/writing/bl-texting
  .htm
• Article on the problems facing educators and the
  French government http//www.economist.com/world/e
  urope/displaystory.cfm?story_id11412629
• Article on lower tariffs for international text
  messaging in Europe http//www.cafebabel.com/eng/a
  rticle/23914/eu-the-text-messaging-war.html

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Resources contd

• Article on Tony Parker and his affair being
  fought through text messages http//www.celebitchy
  .com/8098/french_model_offers_text_messages_as_pro
  of_of_affair_with_tony_parker/
• Article on Sarkozys text message and the song
  that resulted http//www.switched.com/2008/02/22/f
  rench-presidents-naughty-txt-turned-into-a-song/
• Watch video Jennifer Charbal Si tu reviens
• Lesson with some text messages filled in like the
  activity done in the session

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Resources contd

• Lesson ideas just about telephones (getting
  students started)
• TTC Téléphone
• Good for introducing alternative telephone use
  and vocabulary (décrocher, répondeur, etc)
• Claude François Le Téléphone Pleure
• Good for listening skills and imitation
  conversations

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Resources contd

• Want to continue exploring teenage communication?
• Check out Christelle Bazooka (aka Fatal Bazooka)
• Parle à ma Main (Yelle and Christelle)
• Check out Jean Slim
• Fits into your debates about good and bad cell
  phone use