Writing in Cell Pone Text Messages Writing in Cell Pone Text Messages among Young People in Japanamong Young People in Japan

Ke Peng| Student’s Presentations for

Languages & Cultures of East Asia

By By NaohiroNaohiro HorieHorieUniversity of ArizonaUniversity of Arizona

Why cell phone text messages is Why cell phone text messages is used instead of phone callused instead of phone call� Price

� Convenience

� Writers do not need to worry about bothering the receiverbothering the receiver

� Opportunity to revise a message

What is the features in cell phone What is the features in cell phone text messages in Japantext messages in Japan� Non-standard script choices.

� Non-standard letter choices

� Use of e-moji (picture letters), Kao-moji (facial letters), and Garu-moji (teenage girl (facial letters), and Garu-moji (teenage girl letters)

NonNon--standard script choicesstandard script choices

Different impressions of Japanese writing system in text messages� Hiragana あいうえお

- softness and smoothness� Katakana アイウエオ� Katakana アイウエオ

- straight and angular� Kanji 阿伊宇江於

- educated and smart� Romaji a i u e o- western and exotic

NonNon--standard script choicesstandard script choices

Hiragana is used in order to make the impressionsofter.� Hiragana instead of Katakana

はっぴいだよ ハッピーだよ (Happy)� Hiragana instead of Kanji

きょうは 今日は (Today)きょうは 今日は (Today)

Katakana is used in order to emphasize it.� Katakana instead of Hiragana

ゴメンね ごめんね (I’m sorry)� Katakana instead of Kanji

リョーカイです 了解です (All right)

NonNon--standard script choicesstandard script choices

Romaji is used in order to make the

Impression western or exotic.

� Romaji instead of Hiragana

いいyo いいよ (Happy)いいyo いいよ (Happy)

� Romaji instead of Katakana

Thank you サンキュ(Today)

NonNon--standard letter choicesstandard letter choices

� Use of small letter makes a sentence kawaii (cute).

� Used among young women.

1. Reducing the size of normal letters1. Reducing the size of normal letters

ありがとう ありがとぅ

2. Adding a small letter to lengthen the preceding vowel

おやすみ おやすみぃ

What is EWhat is E--moji?moji?

� E-moji (picture character) is logographic letter.

� E-moji is widely used among not only young people but also relatively older people.people.

� Icons are built into cell phone.

What is EWhat is E--moji? (Cont.)moji? (Cont.)

E-moji

Facial signs

Object signs

Symbols

What is KaoWhat is Kao--moji?moji?

� Kao-moji (facial character) is emoticon.

� Kao-moji is used among young people.

� Icons is built into cell phone, but people can create own Kao-moji and store them can create own Kao-moji and store them in cell phone.

(^_-) (^o^)/ (^_^)V (;_;) m(_ _)m

(-.-;)y-~~~

What is What is GyaruGyaru--moji? moji?

� Gyaru-moji (gal’s character) is distorted character.

� Gyaru-moji is popular among high school and junior high school girls.and junior high school girls.

What is What is GyaruGyaru--moji? (Cont.)moji? (Cont.)

� How to create Gyaru-moji

Example 1 ) Hiragana

け レナ (Katakana re and na)

Ｉナ (Capital i and Katakana na) Ｉナ (Capital i and Katakana na)

(† (open parenthesis and dagger)

What is What is GyaruGyaru--moji? (Cont.)moji? (Cont.)

Example 2 ) Katakana

セ 世 (Kanji)

チ 千 (Kanji)

Example 3) Kanji

好 女子

(Kanji for like) (Kanji for woman and child)

Reasons new logographic letters are Reasons new logographic letters are accepted to Japanese peopleaccepted to Japanese people1. Complication of Japanese writing system.

Hiragana and Katakana are syllabic.

Kanji is logographic.

Romaji is alphabetic. Romaji is alphabetic.

Japanese people are accustomed to use a variety of writing systems in a sentence.

Reasons new logographic letters are Reasons new logographic letters are accepted to Japanese peopleaccepted to Japanese people

Effects of EEffects of E--moji, Kaomoji, Kao--moji, and moji, and GyarumojiGyarumoji

� Expressing emotions or feelings

� Make a message soft and cute.

� Giving an friendly impression.

� Giving the impression that more work done for a message.

1. Expressing emotions or feelings1. Expressing emotions or feelings

� Since text messages is difficult to express emotion, facial signs of E-moji (Picture character) and Kaomoji (face character) are used.

Ex) おはよう Ohayou ‘Good morning’ Ex) おはよう Ohayou ‘Good morning’

Plane おはよう。

E-moji おはよう

Kao-moji おはよう(^_^)/

2. Making an impression of cuteness2. Making an impression of cuteness

� Since the plain text message may give a cold impression, objective signs of E-moji (Picture character) is used in order to make a sentence soft and cute.make a sentence soft and cute.

Ex) おはよう。いまから学校だよ。

おはよう いまから だよ

Controversial Issues Controversial Issues

Disadvantages

1. Giving an impression of less seriousness.

ex) Not appropriate for apologizing.

When using Kao-moji, E-moji, and Gyaru-moji, people need to decide whether or not those letters are acceptable, depending on a situation.

Controversial Issues Controversial Issues

2. Giving an impression of less politeness

- Not appropriate to use E-moji, Kao-moji, and Gyaru-moji to older people.

3. Non-standard script choices and non-3. Non-standard script choices and non-standard letter choices are against the conventional orthography.

ReferencesReferencesKataoka, Kuniyoshi. “Affect and letter-writing: Unconventional conventions in casual

writing by young Japanese women.” Language in Society 26.1 (1997): 103-106.

Katsuno, Hirofumi, and Christine R. Yano. “FACE TO FACE: ON-LINE SUBJECTIVITY IN CONTEMPORARY JAPAN.” Asian Studies Review 26.2 (2002): 205-231.

Miyake, Kazuko. “How Young Japanese Express Their Emotions Visually in Mobile Phone Messages: A Sociolinguistic Analysis.” Japanese Studies 27.1 (2007): 53-70.