Chatting in a Virtual World

This is an example of a ninth grader's response to reading a newspaper article with her class. Below is an excerpt of a transcript of Anna's conversation in a chat room in TappedIn.org. The students in this session were chatting about a New York Times article, "A Melting Pot Recipe for Immigrant Students," by Richard Rothstein.

The hypothesis of the "Language and the Internet" Web site is that we will find "Involved" and "Nonimpersonal" language in chat rooms.

This transcript was edited from the text recorded
 by PaulRA's (Paul Allison's) personal recorder.

The chat took place on Wednesday, April 24, 2002  10:30 - 11:40 AM EDT
 

Four students are already in the PANYC 2 chat room, when Anna arrives:  LizzethL-ihs, TatianaB-ihs, KarenQ-ihs, and JPL-ihs.

AnnaA-ihs [mad] arrives from nowhere.

Five more students come into the chat room: XinLeiZ-ihs, AlexT-ihs, JimmyM-ihs, FabianQ-ihs, FreddyF-ihs

AnnaA-ihs [mad] says, "hey pple"

Then there are four more students: YunF-ihs, EstefaniaA-ihs, WillieM-ihs, RunaA-ihs

TatianaB-ihs says, "hmm"

FabianQ-ihs says, "what's up people...."

EstefaniaA-ihs [happy] says, "hey"

EstefaniaA-ihs [happy] exclaims, "!"

TatianaB-ihs says, "hi"

TatianaB-ihs exclaims, "!"

WillieM-ihs exclaims, "entonces chandoso!!!!"

Three others arrive: GladysC-ihs, another student, Jeremy [guest], a visiting teacher from a NYC High School, and JenniferSti, a student teacher from Hunter College.

TatianaB-ihs says, "heyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy    "

GladysC-ihs says, "so what we are going talk about"

LizzethL-ihs [amazing] exclaims, "let's form a circle!!!"

WillieM-ihs says, "hooo"

GladysC-ihs says, "ok enough"

TatianaB-ihs says, "hehe    "

Jeremy [guest] says, "I am visiting from East Side!--Jeremy"

After logging in, the students gather in a circle in the center of the computer center, and PaulRA, the teacher, reads an article from The New York Times, "A Melting Pot Recipe for Immigrant Students," by Richard Rothstein, (page B9, April 24, 2002). After reading the article and briefly clarifying a few words and concepts, Paul asks the students to return to their computers, ready to respond to a question that he would pose.

LizzethL-ihs [amazing] asks, "WHAT IS THE QUESTION?"

LizzethL-ihs [amazing] asks, "pAUL START?"

TatianaB-ihs says, "yeah, whats the main Q?"

LizzethL-ihs [amazing] asks, "START pAUL?"

Another student, MahamudI-ihs has arrived.

LizzethL-ihs [amazing] asks, "i THINK THAT THE QUESTION COULD BE, "DOES WHEN YOU BE AMERICONIZED YOU CHANGE THE WAY OF YOUR LIFE?"

TatianaB-ihs says, "paul, whats the Q?"

                                            ________________________________________
                                           |                                                                         |
                                           |   I think the question is: Does becoming              |
PaulRA holds up a BIG sign:  |   Americanized make you care less about           |
                                           |                school?                                              |
                                           |________________________________________|

TatianaB-ihs says, "but the reading has nothing to do with school    "

WillieM-ihs says, "YES"

YunF-ihs has arrived.

LizzethL-ihs [amazing] asks, "OH YOU SEE IS ALMOST LIKE MY LAST QUESTION?"

RunaA-ihs says, "I  don't think so"

TatianaB-ihs says, "yeah    "

TatianaB-ihs says, "i c    "

GladysC-ihs has arrived.

AnnaA-ihs [mad] says, "sometimes"

KarenQ-ihs [boring what are u guys talking about ] says, "maybe"

FreddyF-ihs [BORED] says, "but I wish it would"

TatianaB-ihs says, "hmm, i dont think so    "

JPL-ihs [mad bored] says, "no"

                                             ________________________________________
                                            |                                                                        |
                                            | I think the question is: Does becoming                |
PaulRA holds up a BIG sign:  | Americanized make you care less about              |
                                            |                school?                                             |
                                            |______________________________________  |

XinLeiZ-ihs [crazy] says, "maybe"

JenniferSti asks, "It depends which American values you take, right?"

KarenQ-ihs [boring what are u guys talking about ] says, "yeah"

JimmyM-ihs says, "yeah"

JPL-ihs [mad bored] says, "yeah"

TatianaB-ihs says, "yeah, jennifer, ure right    "

YunF-ihs says, "i think it depends"

.     .     .

AnnaA-ihs [mad] says, "i think i know what u are talking about paul"
.     .     .

AnnaA-ihs [mad] says, "ur talking about comming to america trying to fit trying to act like other pple and listening to different music and hanging out with different people"

WillieM-ihs exclaims, "There's a lot of different kinds of american culture, so which one in specific are paul trying to talk about???? And my answer is white american culture!!!"

GladysC-ihs says, "the music is nothing"

AnnaA-ihs [mad] asks, "and then when u have friends u dont really care if u do good in school or not?????"
.     .     .

AnnaA-ihs [mad] says, "even uf u were still in ur country u would have
                       changed because bad things are not only in anreica
                       therea re drugs cigareets and bad music in ur
                       country too"

                                                                __________________
                                                               |                                 |
LizzethL-ihs [student] holds up a BIG sign: | YOU GO GIRL ANNA |
                                                               |__________________|
MahamudI-ihs asks, "what happen to u paul?"

KarenQ-ihs [boring what are u guys talking about ] says, "i agree with u
anna"

RunaA-ihs exclaims, "That's right!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

WillieM-ihs exclaims, "YOU KNOW WHAT IT DEPENDS ON THE PERSON IF A
                       STUDENT WANTS TO CHANGED IS NOT THE CULTURES
                       FAULT, IT DEPENDS ON WHICH ENVIRONMENT HE
                       LIVES!!!!"

Maria [guest], a paraprofessional new to IHS says, "eah, delinquents are all over"

TatianaC-ihs says, "it's right"

                                                           ______________________________
                                                           |                                                        |
AlexT-ihs [student] holds up a BIG sign: | ANNA I SAID IT LONG TIME AGO   |
                                                           |______________________________|
GladysC-ihs says, "i know but i think when somebody comes to america
                   they change alot"

                                                                _________________________
                                                                |                                             |
TatianaB-ihs [student] holds up a BIG sign: | yeah.. ure right willy                |
                                                                |_________________________|
LizzethL-ihs [amazing] says, "i think that caps are good"

JenniferSti says, "that's true, if you come here and you are a
                   delinquent..."

Maria [guest] says, "I agree with you Willie"

MahamudI-ihs agree.

KarenQ-ihs [boring what are u guys talking about ] says, "me too"

TatianaC-ihs says, "yes Gladys that's true"

RunaA-ihs says, "Don't try to Be a American"

MahamudI-ihs says, "y not"

Maria [guest] says, "The environment affects a lot not just the culture"

XinLeiZ-ihs [crazy] asks, "y?"

KarenQ-ihs [boring what are u guys talking about ] asks, "be urself
right?"

YunF-ihs says, "hey runa that's not right"

AlexT-ihs 'S SMOKIN WEED

AnnaA-ihs [mad] says, "what do  think about this paul because u alwasy
                       ask the question but dont give ur opinion"

AnnaA-ihs [mad] asks, "????????"
.     .     .

AnnaA-ihs [mad] says, "ok ok im back"

AbdulH-ihs [sexy] says, "it 'd be for you too if you speak it
                         sometimes...also if you are with people who
                         speak english mostly, or don't speak your
                         langauge is think you are a...???...prolly all
                         bad stuff about you, first is that you are dumb
                         ***"

Maria [guest] says, "There could be pissible Jenniffer, if they are not
                     to it, they would not learn"

KarenQ-ihs [boring what are u guys talking about ] /emote sleepy

MahamudI-ihs says, "possible*"

AlexT-ihs LISTENING TO DEAF MUSIC

AbdulH-ihs [sexy] asks, "deaf music?"

KarenQ-ihs [student] looks sleepy.
TatianaC-ihs says, "Abdul you said that because now you the this
                    language but when you arrive to here you didn't knew
                    nothing"

                                                                 ____________________
                                                                |                                     |
TatianaB-ihs [student] holds up a BIG sign: | huh? deaf music??         |
                                                                |____________________|
AlexT-ihs IS DEAF NOW

                                                               _________________________
                                                               |                                             |
FreddyF-ihs [student] holds up a BIG sign: | WTF IS DEAF MUSIC ALEX? |
                                                               |_________________________|
AbdulH-ihs [sexy] says, "I knew atleast 40% of english when i came here"

GladysC-ihs says, "i have a friends and he have 17 years in this country
                   and he don't know a lot of english"

TatianaC-ihs says, "you know this language"

MahamudI-ihs lamer.

AbdulH-ihs [sexy] asks, "but people are scared of americans when they
                         come to this country...why?"

PaulRA Gives Jimmy a buz cut because he won't stay in the conversation.

WillieM-ihs says, "paul I mean if a teacher or somebody comes to you and
                   ask you from what neighborhood you come from and you
                   tell him you are from Downtown that means you are
                   somebody that's going to be Important so they don't
                   worry that much about you, BUT.......t"

AbdulH-ihs [sexy] says, "I wasn't I just talked, no one bites yo"

EstefaniaA-ihs [happy] says, "that right Tatianac they want to be better
                              then averyone"

JPL-ihs [student] looks mad maD mad bored.
FabianQ-ihs says, "jejejejejejeje"

Maria [guest] says, "Tatiana maybe he didn't know but then he got into
                     it and learnee it, that's the only way he was able
                     to communicate with the rest"

                                            _________________________________________
                                           |                                                                            |
                                           | OKAY Why don't we stop and do a journal             |
PaulRA holds up a BIG sign: |                 entry.                                                    |
                                           |_________________________________________|
AbdulH-ihs [sexy] says, "ya"

FreddyF-ihs [bored and tired] MAKES PAUL NOT TO BOTHER THE STUDENTS IN
THE CLASS ANYMORE

AnnaA-ihs [mad] says, "nah different topic"

MahamudI-ihs exclaims, "noooo!"

FabianQ-ihs says, "fff"

                                                                 _________________
                                                                |                               |
TatianaB-ihs [student] holds up a BIG sign: | no, no journal            |
                                                                |_________________|
FabianQ-ihs says, "fff"

YunF-ihs says, "journal sux"

AnnaA-ihs [mad] says, "paul ask us a differetn question"

AbdulH-ihs [sexy] says, "YOU COME TO AMERICA TO LEARN...ONE OF THE
                         THINGS IS TO...LEARN ABOUT OTHERS...NOT COME AND
                         START SPEAKING GIBBERISH FOERIGN LANGAUGES..."

LizzethL-ihs [amazing] exclaims, "People i don't know exactly what are
                                  you talking about!!because you are
                                  changing the questions a lot!!"

                                                                ___________________
                                                               |                                   |
FreddyF-ihs [student] holds up a BIG sign: | JOURNAL IS BORING |
                                                               |___________________|
GladysC-ihs asks, "the most want to be better than eveyone?"

PaulRA says, "Please get a new note and write about anything that is on
              your mind right now."

JPL-ihs [mad maD mad bored] says, "brb"

AlexT-ihs says, "/THINK IS EVERYONE IN THIS"

AnnaA-ihs [mad] says, "that does not invlove computers"

                                                                 _________________
                                                               |                                 |
FreddyF-ihs [student] holds up a BIG sign: | NO JOURNAL 2DAY  |
                                                               | _________________ |
                                                                 ___________________________
                                                                |                                                  |
                                                                | lets talk about soemhting             |
TatianaB-ihs [student] holds up a BIG sign:  | else, paul.. make another            |
                                                                 |            Q                                   |
                                                                 |___________________________|
AbdulH-ihs [sexy] says, "YOU CAN SPEAK YOUR LANGAUGE BACK IN YOUR OWN
                         COUNTRY..."

JPL-ihs [mad maD mad bored] gets Note_6457 from the vending machine.
                                                                 _________________
                                                               |                                  |
FreddyF-ihs [student] holds up a BIG sign: | JOURNAL NO GOOD |
                                                               | _________________  |
AnnaA-ihs [mad] gets Note_6390 from the vending machine.
.     .     .

AnnaA-ihs [mad] has disconnected.

PaulRA [smiling] has disconnected.

Disconnected from TAPPED IN on Wed Apr 24 08:40:25 2002 PDT.