The document contains 27 appendices providing supplementary data and information to support the research presented in the dissertation. Appendix 1 includes tables explaining key concepts from the conceptual framework and providing examples from the data. The appendices also include questionnaires used in the research, samples of learner texts analyzed, interview excerpts, permission letters, and details of the ethical clearance for the study. Overall, the appendices offer additional evidentiary materials and contextualization of the conceptual framework and analytical approach taken in the dissertation.

1. APPENDICES
RECONCEPTUALISING ADOLESCENT
LITERACIES AS TEXTUAL ASSEMBLAGES

2. i
Table of Contents
i
Appendix 1: Concept data table.............................................................................................223
1.1 Summary table: Explanation of concepts and data examples ......................................223
1.1.1 Constructing a Deleuzean conceptual plane.....................................................223
1.2 Construing experience as meaning: Analytic constructs from SFG.............................232
1.3 The internet/WWW as a space for the Multiliteracies Framework..............................239
Appendix 2: Literate Life History Questionnaire No. 1 ........................................................241
Appendix 3: Literate Life History Questionnaire No. 2 ........................................................242
Appendix 4: Literate Life History Questionnaire No. 3 ......................................................243
Appendix 5: Grade 9 genre writing exercise .........................................................................246
Appendix 6: Learner texts: L10: JANE S..............................................................................248
Appendix 7: Learner texts: L19: NICOLE P .........................................................................252
Appendix 8: Learner texts: L22: PAMELA U.......................................................................257
Appendix 9: Learner texts: L27: JUSTINE T........................................................................260
Appendix 10: Learner texts: L31: CHARLENE B...............................................................265
Appendix 11: Learner texts: L32: TEGAN H........................................................................270
Appendix 12: Learner texts: L38: NOSIPHO Z ....................................................................275
Appendix 13: Learner texts: L39: SINDISWE N..................................................................280
Appendix 14: Learner texts: L41: ZINHLE N.......................................................................283
Appendix 15: Learner texts: L55: NANDI M........................................................................287
Appendix 16: Learner texts: L56: MICHELLE M ................................................................290
Appendix 17: Learner texts: L57: ANNE M .........................................................................294
Appendix 18: Charts reflecting semiotic count per learner ...................................................298
Appendix 19: Semi-structured interview questionnaire ........................................................304
Appendix 20: Interview excerpts: L27: JUSTINE T .............................................................305
Appendix 21: Interview excerpts: L31: S CHARLENE B ....................................................311

3. ii
Appendix 22: Interview excerpts: L32: TEGAN H...............................................................321
Appendix 23: Interview excerpts: L55: NANDI M...............................................................327
Appendix 24: Interview excerpts: L56: MICHELLE M........................................................332
Appendix 25: Interview excerpts: L57: ANNE M.................................................................345
Appendix 26: Permission letter 1...........................................................................................357
Appendix 27: Permission letter 2...........................................................................................358
Appendix 28: Permission letter 3...........................................................................................359
Appendix 29: Ethical clearance .............................................................................................361

4. 223
Concept data table
Appendix 1:
1.1 Summary table: Explanation of concepts and data examples
1.1.1 Constructing a Deleuzean conceptual plane
CONCEPT DEFINITION DATA EXAMPLE
EXEMPLAR
EXPLANATION
Outside An ontological
category: ‘an over-
coded virtual
space’ that exists
in a generative,
shifting
relationship with
the Inside. It is a
‘place’ into which
the Inside is
enfolded as a
result of a relation
established
between
differentiating
forces. It is the
originating and
immanent zone of
desire out of
which the power
to affect and be
affected arises.
L57 Anne M
Message:
Just saw this total gem
of a film. I know you’re
a sucker for these things.
Click on this link
[YouTube clip] to check
it out.
This broad philo-
sophical concept is
narrowly applied in
this study to open out
the ever shifting
virtual yet originating
reality of experience
in ALP. It operates
in dynamic process of
doubling back on
itself to give rise to
the Outside/ Inside.
Inherent in this is the
desire and power to
affect oneself and the
world, and to be
affected.
Plane A flat ontology: a
non-hierarchical,
non-linear model
of thinking that
privileges
immanence over
transcendence,
process over
product, and lines
of connection over
points of
reference. It is
anti-essentialising
and anti-totalising.
The data texts are
conceived as evidence of
the co-immanence and
relatedness of
adolescents’ subjective
experience of the world
in process with their
literate practices,
particularly as enacted
on the social-
informational
assemblage.
A way of
conceptualising
entities that aims to
uncover the always
moving, mutable
universal and
immanent processes
of constitution and
inter-connection in
relation to other
entities.
Plane of
Immanence
An ontological
category from
which new
concepts can
emerge; a zone of
possibilities. An
unseen,
Multi-modality, text-
speak and emoticons are
examples of new
concepts arising from
connecting lines of
thought in adolescent
literacy practices in
A non-linear model
of thinking that
avoids stratification
and rigidifying,
essentialising
tendencies. It aims to
uncover the constant

5. 224
CONCEPT DEFINITION DATA EXAMPLE
EXEMPLAR
EXPLANATION
unstructured,
virtual surface that
emerges as
random, ceaseless
yet generative
connections
between concepts
are made. The
dimension in
which
Singularities and
Events interact. Is
not opposed to the
Plane of
Consistency but is
inter-connected
with it.
response to changing
technologies of literacy.
L55 Nandi M
OMG! (excited) I
jst saw this gr8 movie
calld High skwl Musical
2 and its awesum gal!
processes of
becoming that are
manifested in the
world. It aims to
constantly think anew
in responding to
states of affairs and
relationships between
entities.
Qualitative
multiplicities
An ontological
category: it is a
structured space of
possibilities on the
plane of
immanence. It is
also a series of
dynamic processes
continuously
generating
connections. It
stands in
opposition to
essences and
totalities and is
characterised by
relations of
exteriority (see
below). It can be
an open, self-
organising system
that possesses both
extensity in the
material world, yet
is also intensive: a
change to a part
affects the whole.
Assemblages
emerge from
qualitative
multiplicities.
Adolescent Literacy
Practices as
conceptualised in this
study could be viewed as
a qualitative
multiplicity.
ALP is both product
and process in which
infinite variety in
semiotic composition
might be realised
within certain
possibilities
structured by the
combination of
subjectivity, literacy
and technology.
These combinations
exhibit a degree of
self-organisation that
is resistant to
essentialising
conceptions of what
literacy ought to be
while paradoxically
dependent on
enabling
technologies. This
speaks to both the
extensity and
intensive character of
ALP.
Some types of
practices particularly
are characterised by
relations of
exteriority.
Plane of
Consistency
An ontological
category:
hierarchical, linear
thinking that seeks
to account for the
The emergence of
linguistic theories, such
as SFG, is evidence of
this model of thinking:
for example, Context of
A model of thought
that tries to make
sense of the
perceived world by
definitions and

6. 225
CONCEPT DEFINITION DATA EXAMPLE
EXEMPLAR
EXPLANATION
structured stability
of entities in time.
It encompasses
Events and
Singularities as
aspects of the pure
past. It is not
opposed to the
Plane of
Immanence, but is
inter-connected
with it.
Culture and Context of
Situation are ways of
systematically linking
the past to the present –
the pure past.
explanations.
Experience The intrinsically
valuable totality of
localised Events
(see below);
affects;
perception;
cognition; desire;
intuition subject-
ively experienced
by adolescents as
interaction with
the world via
different media. It
is what the mind-
body is able to do
as it exercises its
capacity to be and
to act in encoun-
tering the world.
L57 Anne M
(Interview)
… I diarise everything
on my phone; I use the
computer for everything
– for research, for
typing up projects, and,
ja, just basically for
having fun coz without
my computer… I’d… I’d
really be lost, I’d be
failing really badly at
school coz… ja…
Ummmm…. I’ve
researched a literary
essay coz we weren’t – I
forgotten how to do a
literary essay myself and
the teacher didn’t tell us
how to do literary essays
so I Googled it and I
went to the Oxford
University Website and
then… they gave me a
nice guide then I worked
on that, yes.
The internet/WWW
has possibilities for
augmenting and
expanding
adolescents’ capacity
for interaction with
the world. It can
facilitate a widening
of experience via
vicarious encounters
on many differently
mediated platforms.
Mobile phone
technology has a
tendency to increase
an adolescent’s
power to act in theirs
and other’s worlds. It
can, however, also
limit perceptions of
experience when
absent.
Desire An active, positive
and generative
force that arises in
the midst of
absence. It is
implicated in the
materiality of the
world in everyday
life. It establishes
lines of movement
without ever
actually
connecting that
L31 Charlene B
(Interview)
I: Could you have had a
relationship without
MXIT and Facebook?
C: Nope. Because then
like communication –
how am I gonna talk to,
what are you doing. I
wanna know what you
are doing NOW.
This historically
complex,
fundamental
philosophical concept
is narrowly applied in
the data analysis to
point to some of the
motivating
compulsions for text
production in the
teenage milieu in
which ALP arise.

7. 226
CONCEPT DEFINITION DATA EXAMPLE
EXEMPLAR
EXPLANATION
which is absent
with its desired
attainment.
MXIT text
sexc eyez:Awe there
Taz: Heloz hw u nw?
sexc eyez:ay boz I just
came on 2 tl u sumthin
Taz: Ja wats up?
sexc eyez:nah ntm just
did u check dt mvie hyh
skwl musical? Joh its
boz cuz
Taz: horja ay I did wtch
it lot wid my peepz man
ay bt its boz ha wat u
sy?
Events Subject-less, real
yet virtual
processes of
becoming; the
collective infinity
of always-moving
possible
happenings that, in
individuality,
become localised
as the totality of
experience.
Most relevant to the data
are the Events of: 1) to
connect; 2) to share; 3)
to know and 4) to
evaluate.
L10: Jane S
(MXIT text)
Megz
Wat u do 2day???
L19 Nancy P
(MXIT text)
*Nix* : U will never
guess wat my new fav
mvie is??
(excited face)
L31Charlene B
(Interview)
I: could you have had a
relationship without
MXIT and FaceBook?
C: Nope. Because then
like communication –
how am I gonna talk to,
what are you doing, I
wanna know what you
doing NOW
These Events are
usually expressed as
infinitive verbs and
are to be understood
as constantly in
process. They
become evident in
momentarily
actualised states of
being. In this study,
they are seen in the
texts as immaterial
yet generative forces
motivating text
negotiation.
Virtual A category of
incorporeal yet
real, structuring
but non-
1. Subjectivity
2. Literacy
3. The internet/WWW
The internet/WWW
behaves in a way that
resonates with, but is
not equivalent to, this

8. 227
CONCEPT DEFINITION DATA EXAMPLE
EXEMPLAR
EXPLANATION
deterministic
possible
tendencies; not the
same as potential.
Events and
Singularities
feature on the
virtual plane of
consistency that
shape individuated
actualizations, but
are not the same as
them. Not
transcendent but
immanent to
actualization.
ontological
abstraction. It is a
paradoxical entity
that is both virtual –
in the sense given
here - and actual – or
material. It is an
actual-virtual.
Subjectivity and
Literacy are
immanent structuring
tendencies of text
negotiation.
Actual A material or
immaterial entity –
or state of affairs -
perceptible in the
sensible world. It
arises as an
individuated entity
from the emergent,
structuring yet
unseen principles
of the virtual.
1. The internet/WWW
2. The SIA
3. The research subjects
4. Their texts
These are regarded as
actual ‘states of
affairs’ that are
evaluated from
various perspectives.
Assemblage An intrinsically
mutable material
and/or immaterial
entity of self-
subsisting
components whose
diverse capacities
interact in series of
recursive dynamic
processes based on
relations of
exteriority.
Assemblages
interact with each
other giving rise to
different
assemblages.
1. Embodied mobile
phones and their
applications
2. Research subjects
L32 Tegan H
(Interview)
I wouldn’t have a social
life without my phone …
I do everything on it’
L57 Anne M
(Interview)
I tend to get carried
away coz on the Internet
theres lots of links and
you find yourself going
completely off the
subject
3. Texts as assemblages
with intensified or
weakened relations of
exteriority (See
The examples are
conceptualised as
assemblages whose
highly diverse
components and their
varying capacities
interact with each
other in adolescent
literacy practices.

9. 228
CONCEPT DEFINITION DATA EXAMPLE
EXEMPLAR
EXPLANATION
Appendices 6, 9, 14, 17)
L10; L27; L41; L57)
Processes of
Territorialisation
In assemblages:
spatial and/or non-
spatial processes
(sorting;
categorising;
defining) that fix
the identity of an
assemblage by
intensifying and
increasing its
internal
homogeneity.
Territorialisation
is a first synthetic
process that is
complemented by
coding (see
below), a
specialised
expressive
function.
The positioning of
unorthodox semiotic
elements – textspeak and
emoticons – as
illegitimate forms of
adolescent literate
practice, particularly in a
school context, would be
an example of a
territorialising force.
Parents’ denying their
teenagers access to
certain applications such
as MXIT and Facebook
would be another
example.
L32 Tegan H
(Interview)
My father, he doesn’t
like the fact that I have a
cellphone and he doesn’t
know that I have MXIT
because he thinks its
naughty
The sharp distinction
in the data set
between the vibrant,
playful and creative
semiotic variation of
the electronic texts,
and the stylistically
similar film reviews
points to the
territorialising
influence of subject-
English teaching in a
formal school
context.
Paradoxically,
literacy itself is both
territorialising and
deterritorialising (see
below).
Processes of
Coding
In assemblages:
are second
synthesising
processes after
territorialisation
that are
autonomous from
materiality. It
further stabilises
the identity of an
assemblage but
allows for a
greater degree of
complexification
in the kinds of
assemblages
possible owing to
the combinatorial
possibilities of
expressive
resources. Can
co-operate with
processes of
decoding.
Coding is a resource of
semiotics in general;
language in particular;
binary code and
HTMLs.
Refer to Appendix 9,
L27’s (Justine T)
Facebook text for an
example.
The interacting
combinatorial
resources of multi-
semiotics including
language; binary
code as rendering
digitisation possible
and the WWW-
enabling HTMLs
synthesise complex
configurations of
textual practices that
are conceptualised in
this study as
Adolescent Literacy
Practices.

10. 229
CONCEPT DEFINITION DATA EXAMPLE
EXEMPLAR
EXPLANATION
Processes of
Deterritorialisation
In assemblages:
spatial and/or non-
spatial processes
that destabilise
entities thereby
increasing their
heterogeneity
and/or spatial
boundaries.
Provides an
intensified
capacity to interact
with other
assemblages. Can
co-operate with
processes of
territorialisation.
L41: Zinhle N
(Facebook text)
Zee’s wall
Just watched STOMP
THE YARD and it was
amazing
I learnt a lot of
stomping, krumping and
hip hop moves,
[YouTube clip of
STOMP THE YARD]
Mobile phones have
inherently
deterritorialising
tendencies.
‘Adolescents’ as an
assemblage
interacting with
mobile phones are
also inherently
subject to increased
heterogeneity. Their
spatial boundaries are
expanded by the
affordances of
technology. Texts
are destabilised by
the inclusion of
hyperlinks.
Processes of
Decoding
In assemblages:
processes that
reduce the degree
of
complexification
and allow for the
emergence of
assemblages with
weakened rules in
the ways
expressive
components are
combined. Can
co-operate with
processes of
coding.
All the MXIT texts
which are informal
conversations between
friends. Some other
text types, for example,
Facebook:
L10 Jane S
(Facebook text)
[You Tube clip]
Yup thats it what I
watched on the weekend
is so good as you can
see from the trailer!
Decoding processes
operate together with
coding to give rise to
texts as assemblages
that have weakened
rules for their
composition as
literacy artefacts, yet
possess augmented
combinatorial
possibilities as
evidenced in their
multi-semiotic
texture.
Expressive
component/ role
In assemblages:
semiotic and
behaviourial –
such as attitudes
and beliefs -
information
patterns that
replicate and
maintain
assemblage
identity. But they
also exert a
catalytic force on
assemblages by
entering into
relations of
Refer to Appendix 17.
L57, Anne M’s, email
text – as an assemblage -
reflects the role of
expressive components
as both replicating and
catalysing in relations of
exteriority.
Language, binary
code, other semiotic
resources and
HTMLs, in
combination with the
expressive
components of
adolescent
subjectivity interact
together via mobile
phone technology
which both replicates
patterns and liberates
expressivity from its
materiality. A
digitally captured

11. 230
CONCEPT DEFINITION DATA EXAMPLE
EXEMPLAR
EXPLANATION
exteriority with
components of
different
assemblages.
Crucially,
expressivity can
liberate the
information
patterns from their
material carrier
and allow for
greater
complexification
in types of
assemblages.
image of a real-world
object or action
embedded in a
variety of electronic
message formats,
together with words
and emoticons, which
is then virally
circulated, is an
example of
expressive
functionalities at
work.
Material
component/ role
These are the
physically tangible
components of
assemblages.
They can exist
alongside and
interact with
expressive
components and
their roles. They
can also exist
purely as
materiality.
The hardware of the
internet/WWW
Mobile phones
Literacy artefacts (data
texts)
Paper, pens, books
The research subjects
The researcher
The mobile phone
enabled by the
complexity of
expressive
configurations that
power it – the
software – comprises
a particular
assemblage. In
interaction with an
adolescent – a
uniquely expressive
mind-body - as an
embodied technology,
a different
assemblage emerges.
Mechanisms In assemblages:
mechanisms are
causal relations
established by
both material and
expressive
components of
assemblages.
These relations
can be linear and
non-linear. In
expressive
components,
mechanisms entail
mixtures of
subjective affects.
L41 Zinhle N
(MXIT text)
(me)Hotwings>>It ws
da best dance film I hv
eva seen, da dance mves
wre just 2 HOT!!! 
Drumstick>> Really?
I wish I cud hv gone 2
watch it 
(me)Hotwings>>Lol.
Gal u missed out – the
dancers CB, Columbus
Short and Neyo were
“out of the door”
In this example, a
complex and multi-
scaled, multi-layered
network of expressive
and material
components establish
causal relations
between each other.
These are flowing in
recursive action
between the
adolescent
conversation partners,
their experiences, and
the affordances of the
mobile phone. The
texts reveal these
causal processes ‘in
action’.
Relations of
exteriority
In entities:
externalising
forces that enable
L41 Zinhle N
(Facebook text)
In this example, a
link to another
website takes the

12. 231
CONCEPT DEFINITION DATA EXAMPLE
EXEMPLAR
EXPLANATION
self-subsisting
components in and
between assem-
blages to interact
with and affect
each other thus
giving rise to new
assemblages.
Check out these cool
pics of the dancers,
actors [pics of cast of
STOMP THE YARD].
reader out of the
actual Facebook
message. The site
where the pictures are
located would be a
self-subsisting
component in another
kind(s) of
assemblage. Seen
here is a multitude of
implicated
components from
other assemblages
interacting in a
particular way to
produce this text.
Relations of
interiority
In totalities:
internalising
forces that bind
dependent
components to
their entity.
L55 Nandi M
* I DON’T HAVE
FACEBOOK 
L56 Michelle M
(MXIT text)
M: And maybe I’d go on
FaceBook… ja… I’d go
on FaceBook.
I: Why?
M: Umm…everyone’s
talking about it… Like I
should have Facebook
L57 Anne M
(Interview)
Facebook is my social
link to everyone else’s
life
L 32 Charlene B
(Interview)
I wouldn’t have a social
life without my phone
and stuff
Facebook – as a
purposively
constructed social and
economic entity – is
here conceptualised
as a totality.
Technically it permits
relations of
exteriority; socially,
however, it exerts an
internalising force
wherein the
adolescent becomes a
bounded, defined part
of the whole,
dependent on
Facebook for
participation in
shared local and
global socialising.
Exclusion from this –
or MXIT - is
experienced as a loss.
Subjectivity Continuously
dynamic processes
of becoming in
which the subject
under construction
relates to self and
to other
L57 Anne M
(Interview: re
Facebook)
Then I would look at
photos and if I don’t find
… other people’s photos
Subjectivity is
objectified via the
affordances of the
social-informational
assemblage. Pictures
and status updates
appear to intensify

13. 232
CONCEPT DEFINITION DATA EXAMPLE
EXEMPLAR
EXPLANATION
singularities in the
world.
Subjectivity is
fundamentally
heterogenous
while moving as a
collective
assemblage that is
individuated from
moment to
moment to reflect
social and cultural
norms and
tendencies.
Importantly,
subjectivity is also
conceptualised as
object in relation
to individuals.
… and then if I don’t see
anything then then I just
update my status
updates and I’d look at
… I’d look at whether
there’s a need for me to
change my profile
picture … if it’s been on
for too long
L31 Charlene B
(Interview)
I save [the pictures] on
my phone .. I’ve got like
two hundred and
something … pictures of
me! I save them, send
them.
the moment-by-
moment relating of
the subject to their
world.
The relationship
between an
adolescent as an
emerging individual
and their lived
experiences is
intensively mediated.
The degree of
heterogeneous
elements influencing
subjectivity is also
expanded.
1.2 Construing experience as meaning: Analytic constructs from SFG
CONCEPT DEFINITION DATA EXAMPLE
EXEMPLAR
EXPLANATION
Ideation Base A large semantic space
of possible meanings.
L39 Sindiswe N
(MXIT text)
Sexc ladie: I bet you
laughd LOL !!!
Sasha: Nowe uyazi
nje shme.
Sexc ladie: T.M.S ws it
worth watching noma
wena u jst lykd da laughn
parts?
The Ideation Base as
used in SFG is
conceptually
broadened to include
the actual-virtual
semantic resource
bank that is the
internet/WWW. It is
a large semantic
space of possible
meanings. This
includes the various
languages now
available for use on
the Internet. Moving
and still visuals;
auditory resources;
all forms of
graphology – even
sign language as well
as tactile vibrations
on mobile phones are
incorporated as
resources for
possible meaning
making.

14. 233
CONCEPT DEFINITION DATA EXAMPLE
EXEMPLAR
EXPLANATION
Context of
Culture
The sum of all the
possible Contexts of
Situation within an
apparently socio-
culturally bounded set
of parameters.
L31 Charlene B
(Interview)
I: So, do you speak
differently at school from
the way you do at home?
C: No, when I come to
school…well…it depends
who I’m with, who I’m
sitting with. If I’m with
white girls, I’ll talk like a
white…I’ll be like white;
when I’m with Coloured
girls, I’ll talk slang, be
like a slang; with Black
girls, like its different
with the race.
I: And then on MXIT,
does the same thing
work? If you’re talking
to a white girl, does your/
C: Ja/
I: MXIT change?/
C: Yes.
The variable
parameters
describing the
Context of Culture
reflected in the data
set is multi-layered
and intersected:
South African;
adolescent; pupil of
Strelitzia Girls’ High
School;
township/suburb
resident; etc. etc.
This is complicated
by the networking
affordances of
technology which
collapses space-time
boundaries that
previously served to
keep Contexts of
Culture relatively
separate.
Contexts of
Situation
(Ideational
>Field)
(Interpersonal>
Tenor)
(Textual
>Mode)
Reflect the three
metafunctions of
language (see below).
Is the diversity of
culturally recognisable
parameters that give
rise to particular kinds
of texts relevant to and
possible within the
Context of Culture. It
is extra-linguistic but
realised in semantics;
lexico-grammar and
kinds of semiosis.
L31 Charlene B
(Interview, Appendix
21)
I: And then for emails,
you said you send emails;
who do you send emails
to?
C: Well…to…like my
father and my aunty and
… because they don’t
have FaceBook and all
that.
This construct is
destabilised by –
among other things -
the permeability of
cultural parameters
made possible by
technology.
It becomes difficult
to apply in an
intensely
heterogeneous (see
above), mobile
networked society.
Ideational
metafunctions
(Field)
One of the three
organising functions of
language and a
parameter of Context
of Situation. It
comprises experiential
and logical
metafunctions.
L22 Pamela U
(MXIT text)
i wchd this gr8 movie
2day n i cnt w8 4 u 2 c it!
The experiential
metafunction
encodes experience;
the logical
metafunction
connects these
experiences. In this
example, two
grammatically
complete
independent clauses
as direct speech are

15. 234
CONCEPT DEFINITION DATA EXAMPLE
EXEMPLAR
EXPLANATION
connected by ‘n’,
standing for ‘and’.
Interpersonal
Metafunction
(Tenor)
One of the three
organising functions of
language and a
parameter of Context
of Situation. Uses
language to construe
interaction – to make
interpersonal
meanings. It also
enacts the degree to
which participants
assert the defensibility
of their propositions.
L22 Pamela U
(MXIT text)
i wchd this gr8 movie
2day n i cnt w8 4 u 2 c it!
These two clauses in
the declarative mood
encode an attitude
towards the
experience. Using
negative polarity the
modal grammatical
metaphor, ‘i cnt w8 4
u 2 c it’ expresses the
speaker’s opinion in
relation to watching a
particular film.
Further, the intimacy
between the
participants is
realised in the lexis
orthographic
variation.
Textual
Metafunction
(Mode)
One of the three
organising functions of
language and a
parameter of Context
of Situation. It uses
semiotic resources to
organise a text into a
coherent and cohesive
whole at various
textual scales.
L22 Pamela U
(MXIT text)
i wchd this gr8 movie
2day n i cnt w8 4 u 2 c it!
This text is cohesive
owing to the
unmarked use of
‘and’ as a textual
theme and ‘it’ to
indicate a thematic
shift from ‘this gr8
movie’.
Field A variable of the
Context of Situation in
which the encoding of
experience is reflected
in the goal of a text.
In the data, ‘field’ is not
uniformly common,
although all texts
incorporate an appraisal
of a film. In the digital
texts, a diversity of
individual motivations,
desires, affects and
specific contextual
variables extend and
elaborate the field.
The variety of types
of experiences that
can be encoded has
been expanded by the
affordances of
technology. This has
resulted in a
complexification of
the goals of texts,
and concomitantly,
their tenor and their
mode. Immediacy,
mobility and Event
as process have
become implicated in
experience.
Tenor A variable of the
Context of Situation
that reflects the
relationship between
participants in terms of
status; social distance
and role. It is realised
The lexis, orthography
and semiotic variation in
the data reflects a marked
shift in tenor across the
four text types. The most
pronounced distinction is
seen in the formal film
Levels of intimacy
and differences in
social distance
between the sender
of a text and its
receiver are key
determining variables

16. 235
CONCEPT DEFINITION DATA EXAMPLE
EXEMPLAR
EXPLANATION
in lexico-grammar,
and in the inclusion of
other semiotic
elements.
review (text 4). in a text’s purpose,
its lexis, and the
inclusion of other
semiotic elements. In
the SIA, contextual
differences
implicated in the
interpersonal level
also include time and
place of the
participants.
Mode A variable of the
Context of Situation:
involves the role of
language as
constitutive or
ancillary; whether a
text is spoken or
written; whether a text
is dialogic or
monologic; the textual
channel (see below)
and the rhetorical
mode of the text.
L56 Michelle M
(MXIT text)
You : Awe
2die4 : Yela
You : Hwzt?
2die4 : I’m Frshmatic
You : Yo jo!!
2die4 : wtup
You : Hve u cn da l8st
movie. The
The structure of the
digital texts suggests that
language is playing
alternating and recursive
roles between being
ancillary and constitutive,
or is both simultaneously.
It constitutes the
establishment of a sense
of emotional connection
(constitutive) and it is
ancillary in that it
establishes literal digital
connection. Language
has ‘nested’ ancillary
functions within its
constitutive totality.
The film review is
exclusively constitutive.
Extra-linguistic (or
extra semiotic)
variables determine
the kind of text
created. These too
have become
complicated by ICTs:
electronic texts can
be simultaneously
constitutive and
ancillary. The
monologic/dialogic
binary has also
become complexified
thus affecting the
semiotic resources
used to realise textual
cohesion and
coherence.
These texts are
hybrid: spoken
conversations that
are written down but
include other
semiotic elements.
Medium An aspect of Mode:
the originating carrier
of a text: sound;
writing; signs; images;
vibrations;
frequencies;
resonances
L39 Sindiswe N
(Facebook text)
(Heres my fav song from
the mvie) Its called right
here, ryt now!
The medium of the
song included in this
text would be
sound/visual as a
film excerpt.
Channel An aspect of Mode:
the receiving carrier of
a text. It can be
L39 Sindiswe N
(Facebook text)
(Heres my fav song from
The channel of the
sound/visual text is a
hybrid: it is received

17. 236
CONCEPT DEFINITION DATA EXAMPLE
EXEMPLAR
EXPLANATION
different from its
originating medium.
the mvie) Its called right
here, ryt now!
as a written element
(hyperlink) that
reverts to an excerpt
from the film on a
computer/mobile
phone channel. Such
hybrids have
rendered the ‘Mode’
a complicated
variable of Context
of Situation in
determining the
genre and register of
a text.
Technologies Vocal, paper or digital
carriers of texts
In the data, the film
reviews are categorised
as paper technologies.
The MXIT, Facebook
and email texts are
categorised as digital
texts although reproduced
for research purposes on
paper.
They nonetheless reflect
the learners’ awareness of
digital conventions. This
is confirmed by data from
the one-on-one
interviews.
A key distinction of
these technologies is
that vocal and paper
technologies are
constrained by time
and space and
therefore static -
unless they have
been digitised.
Conversely, all
digital texts are
potentially caught up
in networked flows
of information –
processes of
movement. This
radically alters the
Contexts of Culture
and Situation
variables as factors
influencing structure
and semiotic
composition, and
hence genre and
register.
Visual Digitally captured still
images such as
photographs and other
types of graphics;
moving images such as
film and video
excerpts, often
accompanied by sound
elements; symbols
such as emoticons.
L10 Jane S
(Facebook text)
[You Tube clip]
Yup thats it what I
watched on the weekend
its so good as you can
see from the trailer!
L27 Justine T
(Email text)
To: ixzy@webmail.co.za
These visual
elements are
incorporated into the
written elements of
texts originating and
received on digital
technologies.
They are
distinguished from
other visual elements
such as orthography.
This distinction is
necessary because of

18. 237
CONCEPT DEFINITION DATA EXAMPLE
EXEMPLAR
EXPLANATION
Attachment: jpeg:
HSM3cover
Subject: Grand movie!!
the semiotic function
they are able to
perform apart from
orthographic
elements in a multi-
semiotic text.
Genre A category of text
types where the same
purpose is realised by
the same optional and
obligatory structural
features. Varies
according to
differences between
Contexts of Situation.
The MXIT, Facebook
and email texts share
generic conventions.
The film review is a
separate genre.
The ostensible goal
of all four texts is to
appraise a film.
However, owing to
the ways in which
Context of Culture
and Situation have
become complexified
by ICTs, the data
reveals different
structural elements
giving rise to
different genres.
Register A category of text
types that have the
same experiential;
interpersonal and
textual features and
therefore shared
lexico-grammatical
patterns. Varies
according to
differences between
Contexts of Situation.
Register shift is evident
across all four text types
in the data set.
Differences in text
purposes and Context
of Situation (see
above) exert a unique
influence on register
owing to the semiotic
functions performed
by diverse digitally
available
compositional
elements.
Object-name
complex
A configuration of
semantic units that
construes entities
either lexically or in
another semiotic
system
e.g. 1: [YouTube clip]
e.g. 2: Insert
e.g. 3: Diz guy in his l8
teens
e.g. 4: The internet
The examples show
how a variety of
combinations of
semiotic elements is
variously used to
construe entities.
Semogenic
processes
Processes common to
all languages and to
their development
over time from
individual to the
language as a whole.
They expand the
meaning potential of
language relative to
what has been meant
previously.
(See below) (See below)
Condensing A semogenic process:
operates vertically in
the Ideation Base
L32 Tegan H
(in MXIT text)
flopz in da pozi; flopz wid
It seems that
processes of
condensing function

19. 238
CONCEPT DEFINITION DATA EXAMPLE
EXEMPLAR
EXPLANATION
along the scale of
conceptual and
abstract delicacy. A
variety of tokens are
condensed into a type.
her man; shit hit da fan
condensed to
(in Facebook text)
lot lot probz
condensed to
(in Film review)
household politics
together with the
overall semiotic and
lexical resources
used to effect a
register shift across
text types.
Categorisation A semogenic process:
functions vertically at
a level within the
Ideation Base:
constituents are
separated from their
organising label.
L31 Charlene B
(MXIT text)
did u check dt mvie hyh
skwl musical
(Facebook text)
dis awesome movie that I
went to watch, it was so
kwl  its called high
school musical 3
(Email text)
I just wanted to tell you
about this awesome
movie that we catched
last night. the way it was
so nice ay you have to go
see it soon =V its called
high shc school musical
(Film review text)
this wonderful movie
High School Mual
Muisical 3
In all four text types,
the constituent ‘High
School Musical’ is
separated from its
label ‘movie’.
Compacting A semogenic process:
functions horizontally
within the Ideation
Base. Long name
complexes are
contracted into smaller
ones. Could also
function
simultaneously with
compacting
incorporating other
semiotic modes, and/or
other orthographic
forms.
L22 Pamela U
(Film review text)
a wonderful film that
strays from all the
generic storylines that we
see so much of today
compacted to
one in a million
(Facebook text)
compacted to
unique comedy (Film
review headline)
There are three
different levels of
compacting operating
in L22’s texts that
realise her opinion
that the film is
comparatively
different from others
in the genre.
In L38’s text, she has
compacted the
description of her
reaction to the film in
two ways. It is
evident that her
processes of

20. 239
CONCEPT DEFINITION DATA EXAMPLE
EXEMPLAR
EXPLANATION
L38 Nosipho Z
(MXIT text)
I jus wntd 2 chunda afta
it
compacted to
SICK
compacted to
compacting recruit
the symbolic
resources of visuals.
1.3 The internet/WWW as a space for the Multiliteracies Framework
CONCEPT DEFINITION DATA EXAMPLE
EXEMPLAR
EXPLANATION
Compositional
plane
A digital space of non-
hierarchical, non-linear
and inter-connected
availability of semiotic
resources which can be
recruited to make
meaning.
L27 Justine T
Refer to her Facebook
message (text 3) in
Appendix 9.
This is an example of
a variety of
compositional
resources recruited for
meaning making and
for conveying affect.
Social-
informational
assemblage
A configuration of
textual, material and
embodied practices;
particular kinds of
adolescent literacy
practices implicated in
the use of networked
technologies,
particularly as enabled
by smartphones
(internet linked mobile
phones)
L57 Anne M
(Facebook text)
Just saw this total gem
of a film. I know
you’re a sucker for
these things. Click on
this link [YouTube
clip] to check it out.
Clicking on hyperlink
to watch a film excerpt
is an example of an
embodied practice
arising within this
assemblage.
Available
Designs
A Multiliteracies
Framework concept
(MLFW-LC) applicable
to learner literacy. The
multi-semiotic
resources used to
negotiate texts in
different channels,
media and technologies.
L38 Nosipho Z
(MXIT text)
Nonjy: Lol, eish I g2g
hun, mwa at ya
Naz: Kul stuf. mwa
Nonjy is now off line.
There is a complex
interplay of linguistic
and other semiotic
resources in this text.
Additionally, L38 is
able to traverse the
artificiality of paper
technology to simulate
the digital technology.
Designing A Multiliteracies
Framework concept
(MLFW-LC) applicable
to learner literacy.
Processes of
L55 Nandi M
To be literate is to be
educated … and to
know how to write in a
certain language.
The interview
component of the data
set reflects learners’
awareness of what
their literate abilities

21. 240
CONCEPT DEFINITION DATA EXAMPLE
EXEMPLAR
EXPLANATION
accomplishing specific
purposes in the world;
an ‘active intervention’
in the world through
multi-modal, goal
directed text
negotiation.
L57 Anne M
Coz MXIT is for … to
have a conversation …
[it’s] very casual
can accomplish.
Redesigned A Multiliteracies
Framework concept
(MLFW-LC) applicable
to learner literacy. The
dynamically re-worked
texts arising from
Designing processes
effected on Available
Designs. These in turn
become Available
Designs.
L27 Justine T
Refer to her Facebook
message (text 3) in
Appendix 9.
In this text, the
Available Designs of
language; a video clip;
a music clip; and
graphics have all been
purposefully arranged
within the structure of
the software’s
affordances to achieve
an integrated and
nested set of social,
informational and
semiotic goals. The
Facebook message as a
whole would be the
Redesigned.
Situated
Practice
Overt
Instruction
Critical
Framing
Transformed
Practice
Processes in the
Multiliteracies
Framework pedagogic
concept (MLFW-PC)
These are pertinent to
the data only in relation
to the pedagogic
approach that informed
the initial teaching of
the formal film
reviews.
In the data set, the
design similarities,
together with a
relatively high degree
of structural and
register similarity point
to the effectiveness of
the MLFW as a
teaching strategy.

22. 241
Literate Life History Questionnaire No. 1
Appendix 2:
A Literate Life History (LLH) is the story of your relationship with and experiences of reading and
writing throughout your life, since you can remember. Use the following questions as a guideline to
writing as much as you can remember, and explain, about your experience of reading and writing.
1. Describe what you remember about your parents, or care-givers, reading to you before you
went to school. (Who read you bedtime stories?) How did you feel about this activity? What
memories of it do you have now? How often did it occur?)
2. Would you describe your family – that is the people in your home who have been around while
you have been growing up as ‘a reading family’? In other words, do lot s of people, especially
your role models, read a wide variety of texts (newspapers; books; magazines; academic
material; journals; reports)?
3. Do your parents regularly make use of a library?
4. Do they buy books/magazines for themselves, or for you. If so, which ones?
5. Do you regularly make use of a library? Explain the reasons for your answers.
6. Explain what you might have noticed about the reading habits of your family.
7. Describe how you feel now about:
a) Reading for pleasure; what, if anything, do you read? How often? When and where?
b) Reading to learn (school reading): try and describe (in as much detail as you can what
feelings you have when you have to do reading, in all your subjects, to learn.
c) How does it feel to have to do this reading on your own?
d) What happens to you in class when the teacher reads and explains something?
e) Explain how you feel when you have to read something aloud in class.
f) In one or two words, describe your attitude to reading in general.
g) What have your parents said to you about the importance of reading?
h) What do they do to help you?
8. When you started primary school, describe your first impressions of being taught to read.
Was it a positive, rewarding experience for you, or a negative, anxiety-producing one?
Explain in as much detail as you can remember.
9. Can you remember what types of books you were given to read? Describe what you can
about these books.
10. When did the teachers in primary school stop teaching you how to read?
11. Describe what you remember about your first experiences of having to read on your own, in
primary school, to do things like projects or homework exercises.
12. Did you ever feel that you could not cope with the reading you were expected to do on your
own, and if so, what did you do about getting help?

23. 242
Literate Life History Questionnaire No. 2
Appendix 3:
Kindly answer the following questions in as much detail as you can. Some questions might
require you to ask your parents for some information if you can’t remember. Thank you.
1. Did you go to a pre-primary school?
2. If yes, what is its/their name/s and where is/are it/them?
3. Can you remember how old you were when you started, and how long you stayed
there?
4. How many different primary schools did you attend?
5. What are their names?
6. Why have you come to Strelitzia High?
7. Did you, or your parents, decide you would come here?
8. Describe your impression of what Strelitzia High is going to do for your future.
9. What do you think YOUR PARENTS think being at Strelitzia High is going to do for
your future?
10. What do friends, family and community members say about your being at Strelitzia
High?
11. Do you feel that you have a sense of belonging at Strelitzia High? (Do you feel you
‘fit in’ or would you rather be somewhere else? If you would rather be somewhere
else, what other school would you choose and why?)
12. What do you like about Strelitzia High?
13. What do you dislike about Strelitzia High?
14. Describe ‘the culture’ of Strelitzia High?
15. What do you appreciate about being at a school like this?
16. How would you describe the quality of the education you are receiving?
17. What are your favourite subjects, and why?
18. What are your worst subjects, and why?
19. What would make your worst subjects better for you?
20. What are your hardest subjects and why?
21. What are your easiest subjects and why?
22. What would make your hardest subjects easier for you?

24. 243
Literate Life History Questionnaire No. 3
Appendix 4:

25. 244

26. 245

27. 246
Grade 9 genre writing exercise
Appendix 5:
Think of a film that you have really enjoyed watching recently.
Now, you are going to write about the film in four different ways:
1. Write a MXIT message – or ordinary SMS if you do not use MXIT – telling your
friend about the film. IMPORTANT: Write the message EXACTLY as you normally
would. Draw in any graphics (emoticons) you might use.
2. Write an EMAIL message to a friend telling her about the film. Try and make your
page look as much like a real email screen as you can. Again, write the email
EXACTLY as you would if you were really doing it.
3. Write a FACEBOOK message about the film. Again, write it EXACTLY as you
normally would. Where you would insert music or video clips (or anything else), just
indicate it in brackets like this: [music clip] or [Youtube clip].
4. Write a film review on the film. Write it as you were taught earlier this year (for
Juno). Imagine that the film review was going to be published in The Natal Witness.

28. 247
NOTE ON APPENDICES 6-17
These appendices are the transcribed MXIT, Facebook, email and film review texts for each
of the twelve learners.
Every effort has been made to preserve the originality of the handwritten texts in as many
respects as transcription will allow.
Many of the film reviews were screen-clipped from Word and inserted into the Appendices
as images in order to preserve the formatting. This has resulted in the display of Word’s
flagging of all errors in the texts. Please note however that no errors were deliberately
introduced in processes of transcription and no original author errors were corrected.

29. 248
Learner texts: L10: JANE S
Appendix 6:
L10: Jane S (You): Film reviewed: Taken
(1) MXIT Message
Megz
Wat u do 2day???
You
Went to watch mvie was sooo gd i watched taken its abt dis 1 guy whos daughter gets
kidnapd nd she gets druged nd sold for prostitution its so hectic gosh!!!; have no idea who
acts in it bt da 1 gal is pwetty realy wish dat i could look lyk dat    Ahhh … her dad
is accutally lyk a spy kinda guy dat workd for da police and so he finds her nd stuff
Megz
How does he knw she was kidnapd?
You
Well she sees her friend get taken first nd her dad was busy calling her nd she pikd up nd
told him wat was happenin nd he told her wat to do coz he knew she was gona get takn so
ya and wen day took her she jst shouted to him wat day look lyk and he tracked dem dwn
nd found da chick nd nw she is safe.
Megz
Wat happnd to her fwend?
You
Her fwend gt drugged nd died dey kept da daughter coz she was so pwetty nd day sold
her for lots of money.
Megz
Sjoe … dats hectic huh i sooo wana watch it damn! 
You
You mst it real gud!
Facebook text/…

30. 249
(3) Facebook Message
[You Tube clip]
Yup thats it what I watched on the weekend its so good as you can see from
the trailer! It
definetly is a must see so go now once you finished watching and reading and
go see it!
P.S. look out for da french dude ‘Peter’ he so yum!
(2) Email Message
To: xxxxxxxx@yahoo.com
From: xxxxxxxx@hotmail.com
Subject: Movie baby!!!
Oh my harrrrrry!!! I jst watched lyk the bestest Flick yet it was hot!
Rememba dat one that we said we would watch taken?? Well yes I’m sorry but I
watched it and oh my it was good. The actors were brilliant and some were quiet quite
hot I’m telling you!
Anyway, let me tell you wat happens k, wel first of all the one gal gets kidnapped but
her dad is some sort of spy and she phones him and tells him wats going on and he
traces them dwn!
He finds his daughter and all is good but you should have seen what day did to the poor
girl! She was drugged and basically sold to buyers and day made her a prostitude, its
sooo hectic you must watch it! Its got action and alles!
Well I better go reply wen you finish watching it! lol
And tell me wat you think!
love u!
Film review text/…

31. 250
(4) Film Review
Text structure table/…

32. 251
Text structure tables: Learner 10: Jane S
Text 4: Film review
Banner Text Detailed Appraisal Recommendation
“Fun” Holiday gone
wrong
TAKEN
Now here is definetly a must
see for all teens and adults
… they suited their roles
perfectly.
I definetly recomend this film
and really do believe that I
have not seen a movie this
excellent, and real in ages.
Indicates the order of the structural stages inverted in original text
Text Greeting Appraisal
Recommen-
dation
Response
Invitation Farewell
MXIT Megz: Wat
u do
2day???
You: Went to watch
mvie was sooo gd i
watched taken
[Embedded
interlocutor’s questions
effect a progression
through the Appraisal]
You: You mst
it real gud!
Megz:
Sjoe … dats
hectic huh i
sooo wana
watch it damn!

[interlocutor’s
turn]
-----------
Facebook [You Tube
clip]
Yup thats it
what I
watched on
the
weekend
its so good as you can
see from the trailer!
It definetly is
a must see
--------------- P.S. look
out for da
french
dude
‘Peter’ he
so yum!
Email ------------- Oh my harrrrrry!!! I jst wa
lyk the bestest Flick yet it w
hot!
Rememba dat one that
we said we would watch
taken?? Well yes I’m
sorry but I watched it
and oh my it was good.
its sooo hectic
you must
watch it!
reply wen
you finish
watching it!
lol
And tell me
wat you
think!
love u!

33. 252
Learner texts: L19: NICOLE P
Appendix 7:
L19: Nancy P (*Nix*/You): Film reviewed: High School Musical
(1) MXIT message
Facebook text/…

34. 253
(3) Facebook Message
Email text/…
FACEBOOK …
Dear : Justine Thompson
Subject : Hey Hey
Hello pap
How u been?? pap u remember I always use 2 love High school musical
well I watched da 3rd
1 and I am inlv wit it. Its da best movie eva . Its
my fav movie. Its got amazing new songs a few new actors its incredable. I
cant even explain how nyc it is. You must def go nd c it, u wil enjoy it so
much. Vanessa and Zac have so much chemistry its so romantic. (Heres my
fav song from the mvie) Its called right here, ryt now! I hope u like it Let
me knw if u wana go watch it I’ll come wit .
Chat lata MWA
Nan
SEND

35. 254
(2) Email message
Film review/…
Mandyp@webmail.co.za
Great Movie!
Hello my dearest sister aka big sis
OMG!! Milsi u have got 2 watch High School Musical 3 its amazing my fav mvie of all
tym!! Zac Effron is a mythical God he is so hotTT! its unbelievable, they al grown up
and mature. Nd yoh his abs have grown 2!! They songs mils r so nyc. I def prefer this 1 w al
they other High school musicals. People say it was a let down. But I just think they don’t
knw wat they talking about it was the perfect ending 4 them! I def recommend u go nd c it!!
I wil def come wit u again 2 c it!!:)
Miss u nd love u lots
Love ur lil sis!!

36. 255
(3) Film review
Text structure table/…

37. 256
Text structure tables: Learner 19: Nancy P
Text 4: Film review
Banner Text Detailed Appraisal Recommendation
High School Musical 3 This movie is the best movie
anyone … all going on to bigger
and greater things in their
future.
Spoil your children and take
them to go watch it.
Indicates structural functions overlap in shared realisations
Indicates one structural stage embedded in a previous one
Text Greeting Appraisal Recommendation
Response
Invitation Farewell
MXIT *Nix*:U will
never guess
wat my new
fav mvie is??
(excited face)
Sweetie pie:
Wats it now?
You : HIGH
SCHOOL
MUSICAL 3
!!!!!! Im inlv
wit it!!
(inlove face)
Sweetie pie:
How was it?
I’ve been
dieing 2
watch it?!
You: U wil
love it they r
all so grown
up and
mature. Da
music is
awsum exept
4 1 song …
zac does 4
her in da
movie r so
nunuz
Sweetie pie : R u
being serious it
sounds lyk a gr8
movie we 2 go
watch it 2getha
You : O! most def!!
(happy face)
You: … Now
I know wat u
cn buy me 4
my bday!!
(goffy
face)
Sweetie pie :
Na wats dat?
You: Da high
school
musical CD
!!!!
(excited face)
You: […] luf
u Gtg bye
mwa.
Facebook Hey Hey …
Hello pap
How u
been??
well I
watched da
3rd
1 and I am
inlv wit it. Its
da best movie
eva . Its
my fav movie
… its so
romantic
[You must def go d c
it, u wil enjoy it so
much]
[Embedded in
appraisal stage]
Let me knw if
u wana go
watch it I’ll
come wit .
Chat lata
MWA
Nan
Email Hello my
dearest sister
aka big
sis
OMG!! Milsi
u have got 2
watch High
School
Musical 3 …
it was the
perfect
ending 4
them!
I def recommend u
go nd c it!!
I wil def
come wit u
again 2 c
it!!:)
Miss u nd
love u lots
Love ur lil
sis!!

38. 257
Learner texts: L22: PAMELA U
Appendix 8:
L22: Pamela U: Film reviewed: Death at a funeral
(1) MXIT Message
Hey my lunatic! i wchd this gr8 movie 2day n i cnt w8 4 u 2 c it! i was rofl! its clld Death @
a Funeral n i thnk that ull luv it. Hope dat ur well! Lotsa loony lv, Paula :-)
(3) Facebook Message
Ola Amigo!!! Hws life going my loony pal? Just wanted 2 tell u bout this coolio movie that I
wchd this weekend. Its clld Death @ a Funeral and its one in a million!!! I havnt laughed so
much at a movie in AGES! Pleeeeeeze, watch it! … or I shall deny all access to my music …
Tee-hee. Call me once u’ve seen it cos I wanna knw what u think.
Check u l8ta my moose! =) =) =) =)
(2) Email Message
Address: xxxxxxxx@gmail.com
Subject: A movie for weirdos everywhere! :-)
Hey my partner in crime!
Just wanted to let u know about this awesome movie that I just watched. It’s called ‘Death at
a Funeral’ and it’ll have you gasping 4 breath it’s so funny! It’s a british comedy that does
lunatics like us very proud, haha. Call me as soon as u’ve seen it!
Keep well MK! =)
Lotsa love
Ickle Pickles =)
Film review text/…

39. 258
(4) Film review
Text structure table/…

40. 259
Text structure tables: Learner 22: Pamela U
Text 4: Film review
Banner Text Detailed Appraisal Recommendation
Death At A Funeral:
A unique comedy that will have
you gasping for breath.
It is not often, in todays society …
movies many qualities.
I truly rate this the must see for the
season!
1
ROFL: initialism for Rolling On Floor Laughing
Text Greeting Appraisal Recommendation
Response
Invitation
Farewell
MXIT Hey my
lunatic!
i wchd this gr8
movie 2day n i cnt
w8 4 u 2 c it! i was
rofl
1
! its clld Death
@ a Funeral
n i thnk that ull luv
it
Hope dat ur well! Lotsa loony
lv, Pamela :-)
Facebook Ola Amigo!!!
Hws life
going my
loony pal?
Just wanted 2 tell u
bout this coolio
movie that I wchd
this weekend. Its
clld Death @ a
Funeral and its one
in a million!!! I
havnt laughed so
much at a movie in
AGES!
Pleeeeeeze, watch
it!
Call me once u’ve
seen it cos I
wanna knw what u
think.
Check u l8a
my moose! =)
=) =) =)
Email Hey my
partner in
crime
Just wanted to let u
know about this
awesome movie
that I just watched.
It’s called ‘Death
at a Funeral’
And it’ll have you
gasping 4 breath
it’s so funny! It’s a
british comedy that
does lunatics like
us very proud,
haha.
Call me as soon as
u’ve seen it!
Keep well
MK! =)
Lotsa love
Ickle Pickles
=)

41. 260
Learner texts: L27: JUSTINE T
Appendix 9:
L27: Justine T (You): Film reviewed: High School Musical 3
(1) MXIT message
You: OMG……, u hav 2 watch HSM3 !! It’s rockin, nd golly van &
zac
r soooo, it’s unfair! Wish it was me
You are now
Nix: LOL….., I heard…., bt nw I wana check it 2!
You: I highly tink u shuld
(3) Facebook message/ …

42. 261
(3) Facebook message
FACEBOOK Justine Thompson: home settings
Home Friends Inbox about
Send Cancel
Send Cancel
online 4 Notifications!
Email message/…
F
To: Nancy Porter
From: Justine Thomson
Hello buddy …
How ya been keeping?? Hope all is well! Goodness exams r lyk around
the corner! Study hard and hit those exams like you have never hit them
before!! =) By the by you must go have a look at HSM3 it’s beautiful =)
Awww I loved it …
All the best for Examz buddy
Lovies
Justinetjie xxxx
Insert [music clip]
Attach bear hug [You Tube clip]

43. 262
(2) Email message
To : nixzy@webmail.co.za
Attachment: jpeg: HSM3cover
Subject: Grand movie!!
Sup lil one …
High School musical 3, was legendary, I would highly recommend it to you &
the fam! It’s perfect for us teenagers cuz of the decisions dey got to make! I
shed a tear as always…, he he! But really book your ticket now, you’ll love
the romance, friendship, decisions etc they make!!!!
Lotsa Jelly Love Justinetjie xxxx
Film review/…

44. 263
(4) Film review
Musical treat with a lesson
Text structure tables/…

45. 264
Text structure tables: Learner 27: Justine T
Text 4: Film review
Banner Text Detailed Appraisal Recommendation
Musical treat with a lesson This magnificent film has
provided understanding &
clarity … movie plan up his
sleeve!!
-----------------------------------
Indicates one structural stage embedded in a previous one
Text Greeting Appraisal Recommendation
Response
Invitation Farewell
MXIT You:
OMG……, u
hav 2 watch
HSM3
!!
It’s rockin,
nd golly van
& zac r
sooo,
it’s unfair!
Wish it was
me
You are now
You: u hav 2 watch
HSM3 !!
[Embedded in
greeting]
You: I highly tink u
shuld
Nix: LOL …,
I heard …,
bt nw I wana
check it 2
--------------
Facebook Hello buddy
…
How ya been
keeping??
Hope all is
well!
Awww I
loved it
By the by you must
go have a look at
HSM3 it’s beautiful
=)
[music clip]
[You Tube
clip]
Insert
Attach
Email Sup lil one
…
High School
musical 3
was
legendary …
cuz of the
decisions
dey got to
make!
I would highly
recommend it to
you & the fam!
[Embedded in
appraisal]
But really
book your
ticket now
Lotsa Jelly
Love
Justinetjie
xxxx

46. 265
Learner texts: L31: CHARLENE B
Appendix 10:
L31: Charlene B (sexc eyez): Film reviewed: High School Musical 3
(1) MXIT message
Charlene’s conversation partner is L32, Tegan H (Taz).
sexc eyez: Awe there
Taz: Heloz hw u nw?
sexc eyez: ay boz I just came on 2 tl u sumthin
Taz: Ja wats up?
sexc eyez: nah ntm just did u check dt mvie hyh skwl musical? Joh its boz
cuz
Taz: horja ay I did wtch it lot wid my peepz man ay bt its boz ha
wat u sy?
sexc eyez: ja ay me I nly g8ted it yday its so kwl ay bt it gotz 2 much
music in it yur 1 was gting dik bt joh zack ws luking sooo…f9
joh ay dt boy is hot as 4 vanessa WOW I NV her joh shes 2 qt
man ay
Taz: Bra did u meet up wid the kiss ay 2 qt awwh man ay bt I
enjoyed myself thr it ws boz…
Sexc eyez: ay ja bra waha ay I dnt lyk that blonde queen shez 2 bozzi nd
dts so nt kwl joh bt it ended nyc I thwt Vanessa ws surpoz 2 gt
preggie wid zack child wt happened coz datz wat I heard  bt I
was gna be 2 sd joh hai
Taz: Ay myself im 2 wid zac joh hs my man so she mstnt try her
luck LOL. ja ay cuz u knw hw packd it waz wen we went yur it
was pcked coz they knw it ws gna b nyc…
eyez: Ay ja 4 us 2 ay braz I hve 2 go do da dishes meet up g2g
Taz: ay ja me2 MWAHZ…
Facebook message/…

47. 266
(3) Facebook message
Heya teegz 
I just wanted to tell u bout dis awesome movie that I went to watch, it was so
kwl  its called high school musical 3. it star zack + Vanessa ofcoz its all
about high school music and love and what not please do me a fav? get your-
self to the nearest cinerma and watch it. [pictures] oh thats pics going to the
movie.
Love you tons
xoxox
Charleni
Email message/…
Welcome to facebook * Log out
(1) inbox (2) sentbox (3) pictures (4) my friends

48. 267
(2) Email message
To: Tegann hughes@yahoo.com
from: browncharlene@yahoo.com
Subject: Great movie I watched.
Heya girlfriend 
I just wanted to tell you about this awesome movie that we catched last night. the
way it was so nice ay you have to go see it soon =V its called high shc school
musical it stars zac + Vanessa main actorz as you should know..
oh and Mr merkin tawt us how to use colour in our e-mail its so kwl … but more
bout the movie ay I just loved it I wont lie to you, but you know what its so unfair
when Vanessa gets to be sooooo … beautiful like that its not even a joke and the
way she can sing like an angel awwh man.
As for zac looking all handsome for himself he is like so qute its so not cool that
we
dont get to see such quteness around here … But I think there was still once again
to much singing.
ill get hold of you
sometime soon i hope i love you.
Cheers Charlene.
Film review/…

49. 268
(4) Film review
Texts structure table/…

50. 269
Text structure tables: Learner 31: Charlene B
Text 4: Film review
Banner Text Detailed Appraisal Recommendation
--------------------------------- This is a young, music,
romanced movie … it also has
lots of intresting music that is
sang in the film..
I incourage you to go watch
this wonderful movie High
School Mual Muisical 3.
Indicates one structural stage embedded in the previous one
Text Greeting Appraisal
Recommendati
on
Response
Invitation
Farewell
MXIT sexc eyez: Awe
there
Taz: Heloz hw u
nw?
sexc eyez:ay boz I
just came on 2 tl u
sumthin
Taz: Ja wats up?
sexc eyez: nah
ntm just did u
check dt mvie hyh
skwl musical? Joh
its boz cuz
Taz: horja ay I did
wtch it lot wid my
peepz man ay bt
its boz ha wat u
sy?
sexc eyez: ja
ay me I nly
g8ted it yday
its so kwl ay
bt it gotz 2
much music in
it …
bt I was gna
be 2 sd joh hai
[Embedded
interlocutor’s
questions
effect a
progression
through the
Appraisal]
-------------------
-----
--------------- eyez: Ay ja 4
us 2 ay braz
I hve 2 go
do da dishes
meet up g2g
Taz: ay ja
me2
MWAHZ…
Face
book
Heya teegz  I just wanted
to tell u bout
dis awesome
movie … and
what not
please do me a
fav? get your-
self to the
nearest cinerma
and watch it.
[pictures] oh
thats pics
going to the
movie.
Love you
tons
xoxox
Charleni
Emai
l
Heya girlfriend  I just wanted
to tell you
about this
awesome
movie … I
think there
was still once
again to much
singing.
ay you have to
go see it soon
[Embedded in
appraisal]
--------------- ill get hold
of you
sometime
soon i hope i
love you.
Cheers
Charlene.

51. 270
Learner texts: L32: TEGAN H
Appendix 11:
L32: Tegan H: (Me): Film reviewed: Broken Promises
(1) MXIT Message
Tegan’s conversation partner is L31: Charlene B (Tazzy in this text)
Me : Awe cuz 
Tazzy : Jas, hw u nw?
Me : Hai me im luka n u?
Tazzy : I’m topz wmj?
Me : I jst klaar wm n u?
Tazzy : Awe luka im jc wmuw?
Me : Urhmmm …… Broken promises u watchd it?
Tazzy : Nah bt I heard of it, is it luka tmbi?
Me : Yoh u haven’t watchd dat muvee hai cuz wher u been ay bt ja hah it is
luka joh it’s a ful rip le’me brake it dwn 4 u, ryt now it’s a indi chaar
muvee lol …. u check nw this fam here has flopz in da pozi so nw da
vrou waaiz to 2 a cownsellor ryt t2 help wid the flopz wid her man den da
naybours gt involvd a den s**t hit da fan heh i’m tellin u da 1 naybour
shot da vrou in her pot lol … bt lucki ha “thali” u no those indian chains
ja dat blockd da bullet so u check she neva vrek …. hai nw cuz my finga
is bugered nw ill vys u wen u cum blom by ma house g2g mwah
Tazzy : Hahaha lol lmfao lmsao joh dat sounds lyk a rip I have to 2 cum blom
wid u 2 watch it nd + 2 u knw how I lyk chaar muvees neway me 2 I
g2g da momz is cumin meet up shup shoot
Facebook message/…

52. 271
(3) Facebook Message
Hey chana
I’m just updating you on dis 1 awesome muvee I dis weekend with Kyle
ooh it was so funny ay let me just briefly tell you what’s it about ….
Well it’s about this fam they got lot lot probz so the wife goes and see 1
marriage counsellor to help with the probz but here’s the thing her mother-
in-law is so forward so she can’t keep it a secret, and the mother-in-law starts
to frame her so that her husband can ask for a divorce ay that mother-in-law
got what she wanted which left the wife homeless and losing custody of her
child how sad
I’ll let you know more when you visit k and maybe we can watch it again love
u
Chow
Your chana
Email message/…

53. 272
(2) Email Message
Hola Hops Tazzy
Ay you know what? Hai I bet you don’t well then let me tell you isn now this
weekend I went to watch a movie with Kelly
Right the movie was about this one family, this family had a lot of problems
so now the wife went to see a marriage counsellor to help with the problems, but
she tried to keep it a secret but she couldn’t because she had a forward mother-in-
law wehma.
Now this mother-in-law started to frame the wife and all and the husband just
believed his mother then he asked for a divorce and the wife was left homele
ss and she lost custody of her child.
Ay I didn’t know what happened afterwards because you know I had to have a
moment of isng but when you we visit we can hire it and watch it together k
Mwah
Teegz
Film review/…
To : Browncharlene@yahoo.com
Cc :
Subject The best movie ever

54. 273
(4) Film review
HUMOUROUS CINEMATIC TREAT
AND GOOD ENTERTAINMENT
Text structure table/…

55. 274
Text structure tables: Learner 32: Tegan H
Text 4: Film review
Banner Text Detailed Appraisal Recommendation
HUMOUROUS CINEMATIC TREAT
AND GOOD ENTERTAINMENT
This humorous film …. I think that it is a
very sad but funny film.
-----------------------------------
Indicates structural functions overlap in shared realisations
Text Greeting Appraisal
Recommen-
dation
Response
Invitation Farewell
MXIT Me: Awe cuz 
Tazzy: Jas, hw u nw?
Me: Hai me im luka n u?
Tazzy: I’m topz wmj?
Me: I jst klaar wm n u?
Tazzy: Awe luka im jc
wmuw?
Me: Urhmmm ……
Broken promises u watchd
it?
Tazzy: Nah bt I heard of it,
it it luka tmbi?
Me: Yoh u
haven’t
watchd dat
muvee hai cuz
wher u been
ay bt ja hah it
is luka joh it’s
a ful rip …
she neva vrek
Me: […] ill vys
u wen u cum
blom by ma
house
Me: […] ill vys u
wen u cum blom
by ma house
(Refer to L32 in
Appendix ____
for Tazzy’s
response)
Me: […] g2g
mwah
Facebook Hey chana I’m just
updating you
on dis 1
awesome
muvee … and
losing custody
of her child
how sad
maybe we can
watch it again
maybe we can
watch it again
love u
Chow
Your chana
Email Hola Hops Tazzy Ay you
know what? Hai I bet you
don’t well then let me tell
you isn now this weekend
I went to watch a movie
with Kelly
[Subject: The
best movie
ever]
Embedded as
subject line
Right the
movie was
about … and
she lost
custody of her
child.
but when you
we visit we can
hire it and watch
it together k
but when you we
visit we can hire it
and watch it
together k
Mwah
Teegz

56. 275
Learner texts: L38: NOSIPHO Z
Appendix 12:
L38: Nosipho Z (Naz): Film reviewed: Saw4
(1) MXIT Message
Naz: Holler
Nonjy:Hey naz
Naz: How u b [thoin]?
Nonjy:I’m ayt. u?
Naz: Im al gud tnx
Nonjy:so wuu2?
Naz: Nm. jus in da car, goin’ hme
Nonjy:4rm?
Naz: mall. ws catchn’ a muvi
Nonjy:reali? Wich 1 did u c?
Naz: saw4
Nonjy:omw! dnt joke. hw ws it?
Naz: Bra twas so gross! neva in my lyf hv I cn such a
nastified muvi hu eva ryts da scrpt is demented joh!
I jus wntd 2 chunda afta it
Nonjy:Oooh wat hapenz in it khemaaan, tel tel!
Naz: K, wel its bwt dis guy in hz l8 teens hu kidnaps
ppl & tortures ‘em 2 death. bt da thng is he broadcasts
it on da enternet & peoth da veiwerz thnk its jus this
huge joke & thy ryt msgs encouraging da death. As tym
goes on mre & mre veiwerz log on da syt & da momre ppl
on lyn thda quica d & mre painful the death of da victim. Da cops
den get involvd den da ish reali hits da roof coz mre & mre ppl
log on resulting in mre nasty deaths
Nonjy:SICK It dat is gross, OVERBOARD!
Naz: Tel me but it bra thnkn bwt it jus mkes me sick
Naz is now sick
Nonjy:Lol, eish I g2g hun, mwa at ya
Naz: Kul stuf. mwa
Nonjy is now off line.
Facebook message/…

57. 276
(3) Facebook message
To:S.G.
Subject: Most disgusting movie I’ve ever seen.
Hey my little C-tha
How are you doing? It’s been a long time my friend.
I’ve been wanting to tell you about this disgusting
movie I watched last weekend called Saw4. If you
plan on going to catch a flick soon I wouldn’t
advise you to go see this particular movie. It is set
somewhere in America (ironic isn’t because only
Americans could make such a movie). It is about this
guy in his late teens who kidnaps & kills people through
torture. The worst part is that he broadcasts this
on the enternet and people log on and watch thinking
it is just entertainment and isn’t real. People also
send messages of encouragement and tips on how
to make the deaths more painful. If that isn’t bad
enough the more people log on the quicker and more
cruel are the deaths. This movie is realy quite sick
hun. But anyway I hope to see you soon. Hugs. Xx
Email message/…

58. 277
(2) Email message
To:
Subject:
Hey sis!
Just righting to tell you about the movie I’ve just
watched recently, Saw4.
You know just when you think the Saw movies can’t get
any worse it happens! Saw4 has to be the most
disgusting movie that has ever made it into the box office ever!
Well I’m sure you are wondering why I feel this way
about this movie and want to know what happens in
it. Well it is about this guy who kidnap people and then
tortures them to death. But the thing is he broadcasts it
world wide on the net. The people who veiw this think
it is a total joke and they right messages of encourag-
ement for the deaths. As time goes by more and
more veiwers log on the site and the more people
who log on the quicker and more painful the deaths
of the victim. When the cops get involved things get
really hectic hey! As the cops try & warm people about
the site more and more people log on resulting in
more people dieing.
I can’t really say wether I enjoyed the movie
or not because I spent majority of the movie
hiding behind my handbag.
Well I’ve got to run now.
Lotsa love your lil’ sis
Naz
Film review/…
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx@yahoo.co.za
The grossest movie ever.

59. 278
(4) Film Review
Satanic or Entertaining?
Texts structure table/…

60. 279
Text structure tables: Learner 38: Nosipho Z
Text 4: Film review
Banner Text Detailed Appraisal Recommendation
Satanic or Entertaining? There is something profoundly
disturbing … so do the murders and
more horific at that.
I think this movie is not box office material and
should not be viewed because it could give
audiances the wrong ideas about murder. To me
this certainly is satanic.
Text Greeting Appraisal
Recommen-
dation
Response
Invitation
Farewell
MXIT Naz: Holler
Nonjy: Hey naz
Naz:How u b
[thoin]?
Nonjy: I’m ayt. u?
Naz:Im al gud tnx
Nonjy: so wuu2?
Naz: Nm. jus in da
car, goin’ hme
Nonjy: 4rm?
Naz: mall. ws
catchn’ a muvi
Nonjy: reali? Wich
1 did u c?
Naz: saw4
Nonjy: omw! dnt
joke. hw ws it?
Naz: Bra twas so
gross! neva in my
lyf hv I cn such a
nastified muvi hu
eva ryts da scrpt
is demented joh!
I jus wntd 2
chunda afta it
Nonjy: Oooh
wat hapenz in it
khemaaan, tel tel!
Naz: K, wel its
bwt dis guy in hz
l8 teens … coz
mre & mre ppl
log on resulting in
mre nasty deaths
------------------ -------------------- Nonjy: Lol,
eish I g2g hun,
mwa at ya
Naz: Kul stuf.
mwa
Nonjy is now
off line.
Facebook Hey my little C-tha
How are you
doing? It’s been a
long time my friend
I’ve been wanting
to tell you about
this disgusting
movie … This
movie is realy
quite sick
hun.
------------------ But anyway I hope
to see you soon.
Hugs. Xx
Email Hey sis! Just
righting to tell you
about the movie
I’ve just
watched recently,
Saw4.
You know just
when you think
the Saw movies
can’t get
any worse it
happens! …
resulting in
more people
dieing.
I can’t really say
wether I enjoyed
the movie
or not because I
spent majority of
the movie
hiding behind my
handbag.
------------------- Well I’ve got
to run now.
Lotsa love
your lil’ sis
Naz

61. 280
Learner texts: L39: SINDISWE N
Appendix 13:
L39: Sindiswe N (Sasha): Film reviewed: College Road Trip
(1) MXIT message
Mxit Message!
Sasha: He! we gal, yesterdae I finali watchd Thee Movie!
Sexc ladie: Whch one?
Sasha: Collage Road Trip!
Sexc ladie: Hawe ma girl!! Dang u lucki hw ws it?
Sasha: It ws the bomb, hayi Raven & Martin mke a gud team.
Sexc ladie: I bet you laughd LOL !!!
Sasha: Nowe uyazi nje shme.
Sexc ladie: T.M.S ws it worth watching noma wena u jst lykd da laughn parts?
Sasha: Everythng ws worth it even the hours. I say go watch it plz!
Sexc ladie: I wll, I g2b nw Mwahz!! (x)
Sasha: L8r girl (P-))
(2) Email message
Email Message!
Yesterdae I finali watchd our fav movie I left u all alone stil wondarn hw it is.
Well let me tel u, its mynd blown & owt of ths world, Its funi & very swt! gal if I
were u I’d already be at da ticket store buyn a ticket 2 watch it! Chat agen afta uve
watchd it! ies Cuty (the wink emotion)
Film review/…
To: Pretty.com
from: Cuty Pie
Subject: Da best movie in town!

62. 281
(4) Film Review
Film Review of the movie!
Text structure tables/…
100% Humour Gaurenteed!
Collage Road Trip
Reviewer: Sindiswe Ndebele

63. 282
Text structure tables: Learner 39: Sindiswe N (Sasha)
Text 4: Film review
Banner Text Detailed Appraisal Recommendation
100% Humour Gaurenteed! This is one of the best movies I have
ever watched … appeals to our youth
…
I’d say if our youth of today could
take a peak at this movie, they
would look at their standard of life,
and change it to the right standard.
[Embedded in Detailed Appraisal]
Indicates structural functions overlap in shared realisations
Indicates one structural stage embedded in a previous one
Text Greeting Appraisal
Recommen-
dation
Response
Invitation
Farewell
MXIT Sasha: He!
we gal,
yesterdae I
finali watchd
Thee Movie!
Sexc ladie:
Whch one?
Sasha:
Collage Road
Trip!
Sexc ladie:
Hawe ma
girl!! Dang u
lucki hw
ws it?
Sasha: It ws the
bomb, hayi Raven
& Martin mke a
gud team ...
Everythng ws
worth it even the
hours
Embedded
interlocutor’s
interjections and
questions effect a
progression
through the
Appraisal
Sasha: […] I say
go watch it plz!
Sasha: […] I say go
watch it plz!
Sexc ladie: I
wll, I g2b nw
Mwahz!! (x)
Sasha: L8r girl
(P-))
Facebook n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Email -------------- its mynd blown &
owt of ths world,
Its funi & very
swt!
gal if I were u I’d
already be at da
ticket store buyn a
ticket 2 watch it!
Chat agen afta uve
watchd it!
ies Cuty
(the wink
emotion)

64. 283
Learner texts: L41: ZINHLE N
Appendix 14:
L41: Zinhle N (Hotwings): Film reviewed: Stomp the yard
(1) MXIT Message
(me)Hotwings >> Aweness, ystrdae I wnt 2 da mall 2 watch
STOMP THE YARD!! 
Drumstick>> Ayoba gal, hw was it?
(me)Hotwings>> It ws da best dance film I hv eva seen, da dance
mves wre just 2 HOT!!! 
Drumstick>> Really? I wish I cud hv gone 2 watch it 
(me)Hotwings>> Lol. Gal u missed out – the dancers CB, Columbus
Short and Neyo were “out of the door”
Drumstick>> Iyebo …. the storyline, rate it out of 10
(me)Hotwings>> mmm …. storyline …. eish …. It sucked!! 
Its abt Columbus who goes and lives with his aunt
and& uncle. He attends a university f4 wealthy peoplepple
this means he has 2 change his attitude … blah blah
blah – the stryline is lame … Dats nt imptant da
dance mves got me fired up!! 
Drumstick>> I’m still waiting 4 da rating out of 10
(me)Hotwings>> Da stryline out of 10, 5 and da moves 20!! 
Drumstick>> DC
Drumstick has logged off
Drumstick has logged in
(me)Hotwings>> Y dd u log out? :-x
Drumstick>> crk crk … its Thabo my bby bro
(me)Hotwings>> Watever – so wat r u doin?
Drumstick>> JC
(me)Hotwings>> Oh well g2g
Drumstick>> Shot – chat l8er!!
Facebook message/…

65. 284
(3) Facebook message
Zee’s wall
Just watched STOMP THE YARD and it was amazing
I learnt a lot of stomping, krumping and hip hop moves,
[YouTube clip of STOMP THE YARD] To all wannabe’s of
hiphop this movie is 4 u!! Go watch it and learn
the dance moves. If u wanna knw who is starring in the
movie it is Chris Brown, Columbus Short and Neyo etc.
This movie is all abt dancing and competing with other
dancers. Check out these cool pics of the dancers, actors
[pics of the cast of STOMP THE YARD]. Enjoy reading
my wall, hope u will go and watch STOMP THE YARD!!!
ASAP
(2) Email message
HHola lumkz
Just watched STOMP THE YARD “its out of the door”.
The dance moves were gr8 and I tried some of the hip
hop moves and I sort of got it – it was fun. Even though
some of the scenes in the movie were a crk crk crk, i
enjoyed it especially the actress/actor/dancers like Chris
Brown, Columbus Short, Meagan Good and Neyo they were all
fabulous performers which made me glue to the TV screen.
Thanx 4 telling me abt watching this phenomenal
movie, it will really help with our little club “The
Phenomenals”. Please email me back your response!!!
[pic of stomp the yard battle scene]
Film review/…
To: xxxxxxx@yahoo.com
From: xxxxxxx@mwebcom
Subject: Phenomenal moovie
FACEBOOK

66. 285
(4) Film Review
NEW HOT DANCE FILM !!!
Texts structure table/…
STOMP THE YARD
Reviewer: ZN
Star Rating: ****
Director: Jamaal Davids
Cast: Columbus Short, Chris Brown, Neyo, Meagan Good
Age Restriction: PG 16L

67. 286
Text structure tables: Learner 41: Zinhle N (Hotwings)
Text 4: Film review
Banner Text Detailed Appraisal Recommendation
NEW HOT DANCE
FILM !!!
This phenomenal dance
film … who are into
stomping and krumping.
This new hot dance film will rock your world and will keep you
glued to the screen so you must go and watch it, its worth
spending on. I personally loved it the set was magnificently
designed and filmed and will capture you from start to end.
Indicates one structural stage embedded in a previous one
Text Greeting Appraisal Recommendation
Response
Invitation
Farewell
MXIT (me)Hotwings>>
Aweness, ystrdae I wnt 2
da mall 2 watch STOMP
THE YARD!! 
Drumstick>> Ayoba gal,
hw was it?
(me)Hotwings>> It ws
da best dance film I hv
eva seen, da dance mves
wre just 2 HOT!!! 
Drumstick>>Really? I
wish I cud hv gone 2
watch it 
(me)Hotwings>> Lol.
Gal u missed out …
(me)Hotwings>
> It ws da
best dance
film I hv eva
seen
Embedded
interlocutor’s
questions and
prompts effect
a progression
through the
Appraisal as a
function of
turn taking
… Da
stryline out
of 10, 5 and
da moves
20!! 
(me)Hotwings>>Lol.
Gal u missed out
(me)Hotwings>>
Y dd u log out? :-
x
Drumstick>>crk
crk … its Thabo
my bby bro
(me)Hotwings>>
Watever – so wat
r u doin?
Drumstick>>JC
(me)Hotwings>>
Oh well g2g
Drumstick>>Shot
– chat l8er!!
Face
book
--------------
[Apost on her wall
therefore not addressed
to one specific person]
Just watched
STOMP
THE YARD
and it was
amazing …
and
competing
with other
dancers.
To all wannabe’s of
hiphop this movie is 4
u!!
Go watch it and learn
the dance moves.
Check out these
cool pics of the
dancers, actors
[pics of the cast of
STOMP THE
YARD]. Enjoy
reading
my wall hope u
will go and watch
STOMP THE
YARD!!!
ASAP
---------------
Email HHola lumkz Just watched
STOMP
THE YARD
“its out of
the door”…
made me
glue to the
TV screen.
Thanx 4 telling me abt
watching this
phenomenal
movie, it will really
help with our little
club “The
Phenomenals”.
An inverse
recommendation
Please email me
back your
response!!!
[pic of stomp the
yard battle scene]
---------------

68. 287
Learner texts: L55: NANDI M
Appendix 15:
L55: Nandi M (You): Film reviewed: High School Musical 3
(1) MXIT message
You: OMG! (excited) I jst saw this gr8 movie calld High skwl Musical 2
and its awesum gal! U need 2 wch it! ASAP!
Ladybug: Weeh mame! High skwl Musical 2?! Boooring! (sleepy)
You: Well I thot it was supakwl! (angry)
Ladybug: Naah! Its for kids! All that jiggling nd those xtremly childish songs!
Gosh! Its pah-thetic! (thumbs down)
You: Well I dig the energy nd da sngs hv a kwl beat! (happy)
Ladybug: Yeah, yeah, yeah wateva! (rolling eyes)
You: I wna wch it again! U jst sur cos u old nd u gna hv wrinkles soon!
(tongue out)
You: hahaha…lol…lmao
Ladybug: Ngizokushaya ngane2
(2) Email message
To: address : novemberbaby202@hotmail.com
subject : Da kwlest movie
cc:
bcc:
I went 2 watch this kiff movie man. It sounds childish and everything but its not.
Its called ‘High School Musical nd the songs and dance moves are off the chizzy.
I am totally hooked nd I want to sc the nxt one as soon as its ou on circuit.
Your gal
Nandi
* I DON’T HAVE FACEBOOK 
Film review/…
2
I will hit you, child

69. 288
(4) Film review
CONTAGIOUS ENTHUSIASM!
HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL
REVIEWER: Nandi Mkhize
STAR RATING: ****
CAST: Vanessa Hudgens, Zac
Effron, Ashley Tisdale, Corbin
Bleu
RUNNING TIME: 100 min.
AGE RESTRICTION: All.
Texts structure table/…

70. 289
Text structure tables: Learner 55: Nandi M (You)
Text 4: Film review
Banner Text Detailed Appraisal Recommendation
CONTAGIOUS
ENTHUSIASM!
This bubbly film of a fairytale teen
life … what his father likes?
This movie is a must see for
children from the age of 5-13 years.
Don’t let them miss out!
Indicates structural functions overlap in shared realisations
3
initialism for Laugh Out Loud
4
initialism for Laughing My Ass Off
5
translated as I will hit you child
Text Greeting Appraisal
Recommen-
dation
Response
Invitation
Farewell
MXIT You: OMG!
(excited)
I jst saw this
gr8 movie
calld High
skwl Musical
2 and its
awesum gal!
You: I jst saw this
gr8 movie calld
High skwl Musical
2 and its awesum
gal!
…
You: Well I thot it
was supakwl!
(angry)
…
You: Well I dig the
energy nd da sngs
hv a kwl beat!
(happy)
…
[Embedded
interlocutor’s
negative
interjections
function to effect
progression
through the
Appraisal]
You: U need 2
wch it! ASAP!
[all 3 first stages
in opening line of
MXIT text but in
this order]
You: … U jst sur
cos u old nd u gna
hv wrinkles soon!
(tongue out)
You:
hahaha…lol3
…
lmao4
Ladybug:
Ngizokushaya
ngane5
--------------
Facebook n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Email -------------- I went 2 watch this
kiff movie man …
and dance moves
are off the chizzy
----------------- -------------------- Your gal
Nandi

71. 290
Learner texts: L56: MICHELLE M
Appendix 16:
L56: Michelle M (You): Film reviewed: The Messenger
(1) MXIT message
Note: xxx denotes unintelligible crossing out
You : Awe
2die4 : Yela
You : Hwzt?
2die4: I’m Frshmatic
You : Yo jo!!
2die4: wtup
You: Hve u cn da l8st movie. The
2die4: Wt mvie
You : Hawu! Cme on gal dnt tl me u dnt kno da mssnga
2die4: un4tuntli no so tl me mre a bwt it
You : Da mvie movy 2 flpin scari. I min scari. da wrse part
bwt it, I wz wa watchng it alne.
2die4: Oh my. Gal I wudnt survyv dat one 1.
You : Yeah, wroz cnt tl mw scari it wz. It xxx abt a gal ho lvez
lvz Nwyrk x wth her parnts 2 go nd lve in a farm. da
huis dat de ey lvd in wz lyk a 100 yrz old. It wz da hose wz
xxx 4ul of ghost of ppl w ho lvd der bx4 b4. nd da parnts ddn’t belve da
gal dat she cz ghost n da huis.
2die4: ho dd u suvyv watching wch wtchng
dis muvy alne. Cme on gal tl me mre abt it.
You : shme gal you u hve to – z 2 c da muvy 4 urself.
2die4: ky f 4ine den. Jst cnt wait til satadae.
You : dat muvy z da bom…
2die : Ey gal g2g
You : k l8a.
Email message/…

72. 291
(2) Email message
To : Lukhozade@suncity.co.za
Subject : Dee… best movie
Heyyyy …….
Gal I just watched dee best movie ever. It called the messenger. It is a horror movie.
Oh my it is dee scariest movie I’ve ever watched. I don’t know about you gal but if
you havent watched you must go and watch it. It a must.
Its about this gal who lived in xxx Newyork and her perent. They decided to live
Newyork and go and live in a farm in a house which is about 100 yrs old. The house
waz full of ghost. Ad and the gal told her parents dat the house has ghost but th her
parents didn’t believe her. Ey gal I’ll stop ryt there you’ll jst have to cee the movie for
yourself.
4rm MICHELLE
Film review/…

73. 292
(4) Film review
Terror sends children back 2o to Their bedrooms.
The Messenger
Reviewer : Michelle Matskey
star rating : ****
Director : Peter van der burg
Cast : Tayler peel, Micheal Norway, Jessica Osbon
Running time : 90 min
AGe Restriction : PGLV
This magnifyng magnificent terrorizing film has a up broaded
Jessica oOsbon through her difficulty frith frightning life wen she moved to her
knew house with her parents.
After watching dis this movie I was hidig hiding behind the x the cusion
cushion. It is the most scariest movie ever. Its about this girl who moves to
another place with her parents, thy go to live in a farm in a house which is
more than 100 years old. This is hous is full of ghost. Jessica seeks reprieve
after getting rid of all th go ghost. And there was finally peace in the house
afta nigt nights and nigh ts nights of not sleeping.
The style of this film is higher than anyoter horror movies in history. This
movie is the movie to watch. Th plot and setting of it are perfect.
Texts structure table/…

74. 293
Text structure tables: Learner 56: Michelle M (You)
Text 4: Film review
Banner Text Detailed Appraisal Recommendation
Terror sends children back 2o to
Their bedrooms.
This magnifyng magnificent
terrorizing film has a up broaded
Jessica oOsbon … Th plot and setting
of it are perfect.
This movie is the movie to watch.
[Embedded in Detailed Appraisal]
Indicates one structural stage embedded in a previous one
Text Greeting Appraisal
Recommen-
dation
Response Invitation Farewell
MXIT You: Awe
2die4: Yela
You: Hwzt?
2die4: I’m
Frshmatic
You: Yo jo!!
2die4: wtup
You: Hve u cn da
l8st movie. The
2die4: Wt mvie
You : Hawu! Cme
on gal dnt tl me u
dnt kno da mssnga
2die4: un4tuntli no
so tl me mre a
bwt it
You: Da mvie movy
2 flpin scari …
[Embedded
interlocutor
prompts to move
Appraisal forward]
... dat muvy z da
bom…
------------------ 2die4 : ho dd u
suvyv watching wch
wtchng dis muvy
alne. Cme on gal tl
me mre abt it.
You: shme gal you u
hve to – z 2 c da
muvy 4 urself.
2die4: ky f 4ine den.
Jst cnt wait til
satadae.
2die: Ey gal
g2g
You: k l8a.
Facebook n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Email Heyyyy ……. Gal I just watched
dee best movie
ever. It called the
messenger …
parents didn’t
believe her.
… but if you
havent
watched you
must go and
watch it.
[Embedded in
Appraisal]
Ey gal I’ll stop ryt
there you’ll jst have
to cee the movie for
yourself.
4rm
MICHELLE

75. 294
Learner texts: L57: ANNE M
Appendix 17:
L57: Anne M ($p!R!t): Film reviewed: A Walk to Remember
(1) MXIT message
$p!R!t...: Hey! My frnd, I jus saw dis ttly depressin film
cried lyk a bby … (sigh)
b@b@yZ : Gosh! Hre we go agen. tok 2 me sis wam
$p!R!t: Itz cald a Walk 2 rememba. C, dis chick is lyk dis holy
type person. N dis dude is hardcore
Dey fall in lurv. Then she tellz him BAM! Shez gt cancer.
Dey gt married n then … she …dies
b@b@yZ: N then?
$p!R!t is now grumpy
$p!R!t : N then … wel datz it
b@b@yZ : O … ryt
$p!R!t: k g2g. duty callz. Cxx C u at yoof 2nyt.
$p!R!t is now offline
(3) Facebook message
To: Yasmine Toure; Busi Zamisa: Siya Ndlovu
Subject: Check this link out
Message:
Just saw this total gem of a film. I know you’re a sucker for these things. Click on
this link [YouTube clip] to check it out.
First, here’s a little background.
The girl in the mousy clothes is Clara. She’s a priests daughter who has cancer.
Her loyal companion (pant pant) is Jamie. This is just after their wedding. One
last thing, do you have any Twin Savers on hand? LOL
Enjoy!
Email message/…

76. 295
(3) Email message
To : xxxxxxxx@gmail.com
cc :
bcc :
Subject : Re : Mall hopping!
Message:
No ways! That’s like a whole years allowance! Besides, I did way more than just
gawk at shoes. I saw this total tearjerker called A Walk to Remember. Let me
tell you mon amie, I ain’t never cried like that since YOU stole MY Barbie shorts
in pre-school. Good times hehe …. Any who this chick (virginal, priests
daughter type) and this bad guy (an oh so yummy juvie delinks) fall in love
against their parent’s misgivings. Then she reveals …. ooh can’t tell you that but
here’s a clue … Then again no! Hahahaha LOL! Eeevil! So he proposes
marriage (noble yes, stoooopid YES!) They get married in this ultra-romantic
scene. You can almost hear the sniffling fandango at the cinema. It’s sad how it
ends really. Many a mascara ran today. You should really go see it. Promise you
won’t regret it
Toodlez!
Film review/…

77. 296
(4) Film review
Film : A Walk to Remember
Year : 2006
Duration : 180 minutes
Genre : Teenage Romance/drama
Reviewer : Anne ‘Poison Pen’ Mzobe
It is rare in the film industry to ha see teen movies of good quality. This gem is
acted with such finesse and a reasonable amount of maturity.
Jamie (Lars Cilliers) is fresh out of juvie. He is struggling to come to terms with a
his character in a school in which his female counterpart is Clara (Mandy Moore).
She is a priest’s daughter, which has made her unpopular amongst her cider-
swilling, wild-orgy-in-the-lab peers. * Jamie asks her for assistance with the play.
She reluctantly obliges on condition that he does not fall for her. He eventually
does fall in love with her; life couldn’t be better.
But a shocking secret is revealed, leaving hopeless romantics reeling. The film
ends abruptly: I felt very disappointed by this. All in all, sudden unsatisfactory
endings aside, Moore and Cilliers put in lots of effort and their stellar
performances must be commended. This film is bound to be a classic feature in
your DVD collection.
* new
paragraph
Texts structure table/…

78. 297
Text structure tables: Learner 57: Anne M ($p!R!t)
Text 4: Film review
Banner Text Detailed Appraisal Recommendation
---------------------------------- It is rare in the film industry to ha see
teen movies of good quality. …
their stellar performances must be
commended.
This film is bound to be a classic
feature in your DVD collection.
Indicates structural functions overlap in shared realisations
Indicates a dependent or independent connection between stages
Indicates one structural stage embedded in a previous one
Text Greeting Appraisal
Recommen-
dation
Response
Invitation
Farewell
MXIT $p!R!t...: Hey! My
frnd, I jus saw dis
ttly depressin film
cried lyk a bby
… (sigh)
b@b@yZ: Gosh!
Hre we go agen. tok
2 me sis wam
$p!R!t: Itz cald a
Walk 2 rememba.
$p!R!t: Itz cald
a Walk 2
rememba. C,
dis chick … n
then … she
…dies
------------------ b@b@yZ: N then?
$p!R!t is now
grumpy
$p!R!t : N then …
wel datz it
[Interlocutor
prompt for further
Appraisal; does not
effect progression]
b@b@yZ : O … ryt
$p!R!t: k g2g.
duty callz.
Cxx C u at
yoof 2nyt.
$p!R!t is now
offline
Facebook --------------
Three different
addressees
Just saw this
total gem of a
film … do you
have any Twin
Savers on hand?
LOL
Enjoy!
Click on this link
[YouTube clip] to
check it out.
[Embedded in
Appraisal]
Enjoy!
Email [Start of message:
as if in response to
previous email]
No ways! That’s
like a whole years
allowance!
Besides, I did way
more than just
gawk at shoes. I
saw this total
tearjerker called A
Walk to Remember.
Let me tell you mon
amie,
I ain’t never
cried like that
… It’s sad how
it ends really.
Many a mascara
ran today.
You should
really go see it.
Promise you won’t
regret it
Toodlez!

79. 298
Charts reflecting semiotic count per learner
Appendix 18:
Learner 10: Jane S
Learner 19: Nancy P
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
TOTAL SEMIOTIC
COUNT
T1-3 USAGE
T1-3 USAGE %
CORRECTIONS
ERRORS
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
500
TOTAL SEMIOTIC
COUNT
T1-3 USAGE
T1-3 USAGE %
CORRECTIONS
ERRORS

80. 299
Learner 22: Pamela U
Learner 27: Justine T
0
50
100
150
200
250
TOTAL SEMIOTIC
COUNT
T1-3 USAGE
T1-3 USAGE %
CORRECTIONS
ERRORS
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
TOTAL SEMIOTIC
COUNT
T1-3 USAGE
T1-3 USAGE %
CORRECTIONS
ERRORS

81. 300
Learner 31: Charlene B
Learner 32: Tegan H
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
TOTAL SEMIOTIC
COUNT
T1-3 USAGE
T1-3 USAGE %
CORRECTIONS
ERRORS
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
TOTAL SEMIOTIC
COUNT
T1-3 USAGE
T1-3 USAGE %
CORRECTIONS
ERRORS

82. 301
Learner 38: Nosipho Z
Learner 39: Sindiswe N
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
TOTAL SEMIOTIC
COUNT
T1-3 USAGE
T1-3 USAGE %
CORRECTIONS
ERRORS
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
MXIT EMAIL TEXTS 1-3
TOTAL
FILM
REVIEW
TOTAL SEMIOTIC
COUNT
T1-3 USAGE
T1-3 USAGE %
CORRECTIONS
ERRORS

83. 302
Learner 41: Zinhle N
Learner 55: Nandi M
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
TOTAL SEMIOTIC
COUNT
T1-3 USAGE
T1-3 USAGE %
CORRECTIONS
ERRORS
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
MXIT EMAIL TEXTS 1-3
TOTAL
FILM
REVIEW
TOTAL SEMIOTIC
COUNT
T1-3 USAGE
T1-3 USAGE %
CORRECTIONS
ERRORS

84. 303
Learner 56: Michelle M
Learner 57: Anne M
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
MXIT EMAIL TEXTS 1-3
TOTAL
FILM
REVIEW
TOTAL SEMIOTIC COUNT
T1-3 USAGE
T1-3 USAGE %
CORRECTIONS
ERRORS
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
TOTAL SEMIOTIC
COUNT
T1-3 USAGE
T1-3 USAGE %
CORRECTIONS
ERRORS

85. 304
Semi-structured interview questionnaire
Appendix 19:
1. Describe if you can what you understand by the term ‘literacy’. What does
it mean to be ‘literate’?
2. If you had no cellphone and no computer access, how would it affect your
life?
3. Describe what you think it must have been like for teenagers of my
generation with no cellphones and no computers.
4. How do you think your parents and teachers feel, in general, about
cellphones and Facebook? Do their attitudes make sense to you? Why or
why not?
5. Do you ever just play on a computer? If so, how and why?
6. If you had your own laptop connected permanently to the Internet, with no
one to limit what you did and how much time you spent on it, what would
you do?
7. Tell me about all the different things you use your cellphone for.
8. Talk to me about MXIT politeness. How do people know how to do the
right things on MXIT?
9. The same for SMSs?
10. The same for Facebook?
11. The same for emails?
12. How do you feel about the grown ups amongst your friends and family
using MXIT and Facebook?
13. What do you read when you are not reading school stuff?
14. What do you think it would be like if all learners in Strelitzia High had
laptops that we used in the classroom to do our work, and that we were all
linked to the internet?
15. Describe for me what you do when you have to find information for a
project.
16. What do you think about smartboards in classrooms?
17. What role does the use of pictures play in the ways you send messages on
your phone or on Facebook or other sites?

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Interview excerpts: L27: JUSTINE T
Appendix 20:
Excerpt 1
Interview transcript p. 1
I: Okay... thank you. And then the next one… if you had no cellphone and no
computer access – do you have computer access?
J: Yes, I do…
At home?
Yes
Internet, everything?
Yes
So if you had no cellphone and no computer access how would it affect your life?
It would affect it highly because I am on both of them a lot, its like a routine for
me.
How much is a lot…?
Quite a bit, I would (inaudible)
Hours?
Ummm… about ten, maybe..
A week? A day?
Almost a day, but because of school then not really but in holidays then yes a lot.
Okay. So if it would affect you life highly….
Hmmm
How? Explain.
I’d be much, I wouldn’t have things to do. I’d be bored more often coz it’s a way
of me communicating with my friends and organising places to be…. And…ja.. it
would be a problem (laughs)

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Excerpt 2
Interview transcript pp. 27-29
I: Only maths. Okay. So its accurate? Okay. And then… ummm…I’ve… this
might sound like a similar question … the same question, but I want to phrase it
in this way, can you describe… okay… not your cellphone.. but generally,
describe for me all the things, the different things the cellphone can do that you
know of.
J: Well… they can do the video calling even overseas sometimes which
computers can also do; get phones that ARE like a computer now, just a smaller
version and.. can go on to Internet; you can nowadays make your own music and
it’s like
Actually MAKE your own music?
Yes.. you get DJ phones and…
Hmmm
… stuff like that.
And what do the DJ phones do?
Well, they have like a music player where you can mix songs together
Joh!
Ja… you get stuff like that and you can email easier and you get those touch
screen phones which sometimes is easier but not really
Hhmmm
And it’s very much the same. You can SMS…and..
The same as what?
As the Internet, almost
Hmmm
Coz you can do everything on it.
Why do we need both, do you think, phones and a computer? If they are more or
less the same?
I…. I don’t really know. I think a computer.. like for works and schools would be
easier because if we had a phone then teachers would get scared that we would go
on FACEBOOK or MXIT because nowadays on phones you can also multitask
with it

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Meaning?
Like I can be on MXIT and listen to music at the same time or you can get
messages, you can suspend MXIT and go do other things while you still on
MXIT…
What sort of other things?
You can phone someone, you can SMS, anything..
Hmmm … go on the Internet?
Go on the Internet?
Hmmm… amazing… okay… and then.. ummm… okay…last one, what role does
the use of pictures play in the ways you send messages… ummm on your phone
or FACEBOOK or other sites?
Photos or just any…?
Anything? Any pictures? Photos. Anything that’s not words, that’s a visual
thing.
Well… like photos…
Hmmmm
Can mean a million words as well
Say more
In a way it depends how you take a photo… like you can make little hearts then
that can mean love and if you smiling then that can mean you happy and
everything’s going well… small things like that.. and you can also get little
pictures on your phone where there’s a face crying
Hmmmm
Or its happy or its winking… small things like that. And then picture messages
multimedia messages
And do you send those?
Yes I do.
Why? And when? And what for?
Not very often but just sometimes. To my friend if it’s funny then I’ll send it then
like funny face and it says something stupid or just something silly

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Okay… so just think a little bit more about.. we’ve spoken a lot about what
phones and computers can do in terms of pictures. Now what would motivate you
to use pictures in the stuff that you use your cellphone and FACEBOOK and all
the rest of the stuff for? I mean why.. why? You’ve said you can say a lot with a
picture…
Mmmm
But when would you decide to send a picture rather than write something?
When I’m tired maybe… and… maybe when I’m sad or I’m not really in the
mood to type something out completely then I’ll send a picture.
And where do you get the pictures from, apart from the things that come loaded,
would you go …
Well… a lot of friends… we like backgrounds for our phones’ wallpapers. We
send each other pictures if it’s something really nice then we can use that as an
MMS as well
Okay and where would those pictures come from?
Internet.
So you would get some… a picture from the Internet, put it on your phone, send
it?
Yes.
Excerpt 3
Interview transcript p. 17
I: Oh really! What do the faces do?
J: They like make it more happy and energetic and then you know that that
person has more time to spend on you because they sending you more faces
Okay. That’s interesting. Mmmm.. So the inclusion of those faces means that
someone’s really – like – there –
Ja
And what do the faces say? What do they… what do they tell you?
Well sometimes I also use faces as.. in place of words..
Uh uh… like.. example?
Like if I say ‘I love you’ then ‘I heart you’

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Okay
And. ..ummm.. if I’m happy then I’d just send a smiley face not say ‘I’m fine
thanks and you’. I’d just send a smiley face.
Why do you choose to do that rather than use the words?
It’s quicker.
Quicker…okay. Thank you. So speed is like important?
Yes.
Excerpt 4
Interview transcript p. 20
J: You have to know what’s going on… like when my mom first started using
FACEBOOK it was really annoying having to explain over and over what’s going
on and what you have to do.
I: Who explained to you?
No one.
So how did you learn?
I heard from a friend that there was this and then I signed up then eventually I just
started adapting to it almost.
So you just taught yourself?
Yes.. it’s the same as MXIT.
So how did …how did you do that? Did you just go and look..
You explore.
Doing what?
I look at the different things and what you can do with them and how they work
and … stuff like that
And you just randomly press buttons?
(Nods)

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Excerpt 5
Interview transcript pp. 9-10
I: And what about Facebook in an unlimited environment?
J: Then I would be on a lot more … but it’s been getting very boring lately
Oh? Why?
I don’t know… we… coz.. usually we go on and we look at each other’s pictures
and whose new and what’s new but lately it’s not that… and when you have a
friend request then it’s something exciting….

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Interview excerpts: L31: S CHARLENE B
Appendix 21:
Excerpt 1:
C: It depends what did I do like, like, maybe, like a month or so, like when they
ready to give, when they feel that I’ve behaved, they’ll give it back to me.
I: And why do you get your phone taken away?
Well, when I’m naughty and when I do things that I’m not allowed to do
For example?
For example, okay, just say I went to the party and my mother said I’m not
allowed to go, ja, I be there and they find out and then…
So they don’t take your phone away for phone related things/
No/
Like if your bill’s so…are you on pay as you/
Contract/
Go/
Contract, yes
So, if you know you spend three thousand rand, they don’t take/
No/
Your phone/
No/
Away, but if you speak to a boy you shouldn’t or go to the party or are late, those
sorts of/
Ja/
Things… then they take your phone away
Yes, and they know that that’s the one thing, like, they can take anything but not
my phone so they always just take away my phone
Okay and when you say you feel upset, can you be a little bit more specific about
how you feel that month that you have no phone?
I’m just like miserable; I wanna cry. I want my phone with me, it’s just, I don’t
know, like I’m lost, like, you know, I come to school, I have my friends, but still,
something’s missing, like from me
What is it that’s missing
MY PHONE!!! (laughs)

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Okay, but your phone’s just a thing, okay,
Okay, it’s a thing that means A LOT
Because, because of what it does?
MXIT, FaceBook, that’s the only like…
Now what do those things do? So you don’t have your phone so you don’t have
those things so what don’t you have because…/
Communication with other people that are not in our school, ja.
Okay.
Like boys and/
So it’s the communication that you miss?
Yes.
So how do you…have you… if you could say using a simile, or metaphor – going
back to poetry – ‘I feel like….’ When I don’t have my phone
I feel like I wanna die! (both laugh)
Okay. Ja. Alright. Shew! So, that’s your phone, and computer access?
No, I hardly use the computer. Maybe for projects…and…ja
Okay. So your computer at home’s got Word and/
Yes, it got all those things
And that’s what you use it mostly for. Do you use the Internet at school here?
No.
No.
Hardly go to the library.
Okay. Alright. So here’s sort of looking at the idea of no cell phones from a
slightly different point of view: describe what you think it must’ve been like for
people of my generation – your parents – with no cell phones and no computers.
So when we were teenagers, what do you think it was like?
I don’t think it really had a big effect on you’ll yall ??because you’ll never had it
before so you’ll don’t know what it’s like to not have it you’ll don’t have it so
you’ll … you’ll never had it before so I don’t think it would really…

94. 313
But if you think about the (inaudible) and what you said about not being able to
communicate, we still needed to communicate with our friends…
True.
So what do you think it was like for us having to communicate in a different, in a
way without phones – cellphones and computers?
Mmmm…well (laughs)….um…I don’t really know
Do you think we did?
Well, you’ll had friends with you’ll, but like it was safe to be out. Now, these
days, you can’t go to like anywhere with just your friends, it’s like dangerous ,
you have to always be alert in what you’re doing; you’ll day, you’ll used to go
out, you’ll used to play, you’ll used to do all those things…like…ja
So your cellphone with your friends on it, it’s your friends in your pocket?
There we go! Yes, something like that. Only you’ll not seeing each other.
Excerpt 2
Interview transcript p. 17
C: It don’t really bother me because like… when I go…you know, it’s like, when
you not on MXIT, um, Facebook, for a long time, then you go back, you like find
all the friend requests, you like start smiling coz you know ‘Whoo! I’m loved!
People are inviting me now’. But when you on all the time you don’t really notice
that, you know, that you getting a lot of invites and all that
I: So you feel… you love that feeling when you go on to FaceBook and you see
‘Whoo! There’s all those people out there that want to talk to me’/
To talk to me, yes. I’m like ‘Whoo! Yes’ (laughs)
Excerpt 3
Interview transcript p. 29
C: We wouldn’t like really talk to each other; we talk to each other on MXIT.
I: So would you sit next to someone/
And I’m like talking to you.
Why?

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I don’t know…it’s…I don’t know… because with MXIT, you say things that you
wouldn’t really say when you talking to the person. Like, for example, a boy and
a girl, “I like you’, this, this, that, - they wouldn’t really talk to you like this here,
like how we talking then…
Why wouldn’t they?
I don’t know. MXIT… I don’t know. Like you not seeing the person; maybe
they shy and all that, then…
Excerpt 4
Interview transcript pp. 31 and 46
I: Okay. And…could you have done that, could you have had a relationship
without MXIT and FaceBook?
C: Nope. Because then like communication – how am I gonna talk to, what are
you doing, I wanna know what you doing NOW.
So MXIT enables you to…talk …find out there and then/
Yes/
I don’t use SMSs a lot.
How come?
Because it’s expensive. I can be on MXIT and chat rather.
So who do you send SMSs to?
Like my parents, my friends I’ll be like ‘Go on MXIT rather’
Okay so/
Because then when you send an SMS they reply and then it’s just going on like
that then I’m like ‘Why are we doing this when we can have this whole
conversation on MXIT?’
Is um MXIT quicker than SMS?
Much quicker.
And that’s good?
Yes.
Okay. Would you use the same language?

96. 315
MX ..On..?
Abbreviations and that…
Yes.
So a MXIT message could/
Not to my parents thought coz they don’t understand what I’m saying so I jus
write full words and sentences and that.
Proper sentences and everything?
Ja.
Excerpt 5
Interview transcript pp. 39- 40
I: Okay. And then…um…those faces…so would you, would you actually send
that as a separate thing or would you put it on as your…what do they call it?
C: Presence.
Yes.
Yes. Um…they…you can do it separate also. The Presence, with the Presence,
it’s like your mood. You angry; you happy; you sad., yes.
So, would you do something like log in, put an angry, put an angry Presence, and
then to a particular person send a sad face/
Yes. I do that/
Then that person/
But with, but I set my MXIT to is…um…the minute I go on, its to that one mood
that I’m in.
Oh, ok, which in would be, what? Angry…
Sad, angry, happy, whatever I was like…just I went on in the day, and I was sad
in the day, when I go back on MXIT, I’d be sad in the night.
Okay. So give me…have you done that today? What have you done today?
Like what mood I was in?
On MXIT, ja.

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Sad and angry and hot coz I was sitting in the sun.
Today?
So you changed it three times today?
Ja. And I think I’ll still be hot because I left it like that.
Okay and what… will you change it again today when you get home maybe, or in
the car?
It depends in what mood I am. Ja..if someone makes me angry I be angry.
And if you were to log on now, what would you put?
I wouldn’t put anything.
Wouldn’t you?
No/
Not bored, or…
No, there is no bored.
Is there no ‘bored’?
No.
There’s no ‘bored’ on MXIT?
I know and that’s like what everybody is like I’d be bored 24/7
But maybe if there’s no bored on MXIT that’s because MXIT stops the boredom?
True. But no…I’m…sometimes I’m bored on MXIT/
Oh really?
‘
Coz there’s no one to chat to.
So you log on and you look and you see and then you think…
Ag! I go off straight away.
And how do you feel? Disappointed or sad or lonely or what? Irritated/
No…not really. I wouldn’t feel anything because then, but when that like certain
somebody comes on that I know that I like have a lovely conversation with I’d be

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happy. You know you just start smiling when you see his name or her name on,
then, ja….
So you log on and you see ‘Ah! This person’s on line!’ and then what do you
feel?
I’d be like happy, I’d just start smiling and I’d be like chatting away.
Excerpt 6
Interview transcript pp. 17-18
I: And when you look at their pictures what are you looking, what are you hoping
to see?
C: I’m not hoping to see anything; I’m copying their poses for my Facebook
profile picture (laughs)
Oh! You copy their poses! So you look at the pictures that are in their profiles or
in all their photograph collections?
Mmm…in the albums/
In the albums?
(inaudible) she’s so photogenic, I must try that
Okay/
And then I take pictures and download them (both laugh) to Facebook
And then you change your profile?
Yes.
Excerpt 7
Interview transcript pp. 36-37
I: So you use your phone for emails/
C: When I have airtime (C laughs)
Ja, okay. A radio?
Yes. But I don’t … I hardly listen to the radio.
Is it a voice recorder as well?

99. 318
Yes, there is a voice recorder.
Do you ever /
Calculator. No I don’t record…but there’s one thing that I DO like about my
phone. When I’m on my phone with like a certain somebody, I can record our
conversation that we having.
That is handy.
That is … exactly. And that’s what I like about my phone. Because I always use
it as proof as what they said to me.
So give me an example where it’s come in handy, something’s happened.
With my parents. ‘You allowed to go’. / ‘No, okay, I’m gonna go’ then I’m
packing my bags for the sleepover: ‘You’re not going’. I say, ‘no ma, I got proof
you said it’. She says, ‘I didn’t, I did not say that’. / ‘Okay ma, let’s hear’ and
then I just play it and then she like, ‘Oh’ (C laughs) ‘Oh, okay’. Ja.
That is so handy!
I know. That is what I like about my phone, the best part. Well and besides
MXIT and all those things
Excerpt 8
Interview transcript pp. 40-41
I: So, getting back to thinking…how do people know how to talk…how to use
MXIT language and how to…you know…how to do things so that they not seen
as rude? Where does that knowledge come from?
C: It jus…. I don’t know…it’s just like people know…like when you are on
MXIT you get the hang of things like you know what they trying to say. But with
me, when I ask ‘Who are you’ they always think I’m being rude, no matter what I
do. I can put a smiling face, no matt…it’s jus… how people think.
But you’ve got to ask these days/
Yes, yes/
There’s/
You have to.
Mmm…

100. 319
And then when… they’ll reply like ‘I’m the person you invited’, I’m like ‘Okay.
Okay.’
And have you blocked your number from being visible?
Yes.
On your phone.
And it’s not my real name and all that.
Oh, so you have a, you have a user…do most people have a name, a nickname?
Yes.
Do you mind telling me what yours is?
Um… I don’t know what’s it right now.
Oh…so you change it?
I change it all the time.
Is that a good thing?
I don’t know.
How do people keep up with who you are then?
Because…like..for when you go into a MultiMix, they wouldn’t know who I
really am.
What’s a MultiMix?
It’s like…um…it’s – on your MXIT, if I wanna invite like ten people, to all chat,
people/
At once?
At once.
You can do that?
Mmm.. . (affirmative)
So go back to your name, on MultiMix, you say it’s good to have that?
Yes, because like if I just have, okay, just say ‘Pretty Girl’ or something like that,
then they’ll know who I was from the last time and then I just change mine and I
don’t know who I am and that’s how I catch people.

101. 320
You catch them doing what?
Like just say, if my friend’s boyfriend on the Mix, I’ll flirt with him. I’ll say,
‘Oh! Oh! Is it? Do you have a girlfriend?’ / ‘No, I don’t have a girl!’ and I’m
like ‘Oh, my word!’ Okay.
So, you’re about ten steps ahead of these boys they don’t think to change their
names?
No. They don’t.
Do they use their real names, a lot of boys?
No. Like some boys will use like… fake names and all that…but I remember
them coz I got them on my MXIT.

102. 321
Interview excerpts: L32: TEGAN H
Appendix 22:
Excerpt 1
Interview transcript pp. 1-5
I: Mmmmm Computer literate. What does it mean to be computer literate?
T: It means you know a lot about computers and stuff. Ja.
Okay. Thank you. And then if you had no cellphone and no computer access
how would it affect your life?
Ummm…. My life would be boring.
Boring?
Yes.
Tell me more.
Coz I do everything with my cellphone. I phone my friends, send messages, and
then my computer I go on Facebook and ja.. look at pictures of other people and
stuff and then that’s like what keeps me fun, makes me design stuff and stuff ja
but then if I didn’t have it I’d be like so bored and I don’t like reading that much
so you even if there’s was books and stuff I wouldn’t find it fun
And, so you, so you use it, you go on to Facebook and you use your cellphone to
connect and whatever so what do you think it would do to your social life?
Ummm…. I wouldn’t have a social life without my phone and stuff coz …
What about the landline?
We don’t have a landline at home so….
Is it? You all just have cellphones?
(nods)
That’s interesting.
Even my granny does.
Really?
Ja… so … ummm… I don’t know… I wouldn’t have a social life.
Huh. And the… and your computer access at home? Can you go on whenever
you like?

103. 322
No. I have to wait like until I go to my mommy’s work and then… go into
Facebook and stuff coz the computer at home doesn’t have Internet
MMmm
…. And stuff so
So how often do you get to go on Facebook?
I don’t go on much because like I’m always in Durban and then my phone doesn’t
want to go on to Facebook
Oh, so you can’t access Facebook from your phone? Why’s that?
I think because… I don’t think my phone has a fullstop so when I type my address
its wrong
Oh.. so have you tried, you’ve tried to access it… okay. So your life would be
boring, you said.
Yes.
H.mmm. Okay. Describe what you think it must have been like for teenagers of
my generation… okay… so I was born in 1964…so I’m probably about the same
age as – how old is your mom?
Thirty six
Okay. So I am older than your mom. I’m forty four, okay. So, what do you
think it must have been like for me when I was a teenager without a cellphone and
without a computer?
It must have been boring coz all you had to do was read books, and go out with
your family a lot and then you don’t have fun with your friends… so it could have
been boring.
Possibly boring. Hmmm.. Okay.
(S2 laughs)
And then how do you think your parents and teachers feel, okay, generally, how
do your parents and teachers – we can talk about each one separately – about
cellphones and Facebook, so how do your parents feel about cellphones,
Facebook?
Ummm.. my father, he doesn’t like the fact that I have a cellphone and he doesn’t
know that I have MXIT because he thinks its naughty.
He thinks MXIT’s naughty?.

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And…
Why?
I don’t know. He’s maybe he heard bad stuff about MXIT like when those girls
tell their personal information then most of them get raped and stuff… and my
mother’s fine with everything she got Facebook as well. And teachers? Some
teachers have Facebook, like Ms Fleming, she does I saw it… ja… I think they
normal but then some parents that are strict and stuff I don’t think they find it
normal.
So would you say that um… okay.. do their attitudes make sense to you? Like
your dad’s … and… other teachers..
My dad’s doesn’t because okay if I was like clever enough I wouldn’t let out such
information and then I wouldn’t get exposed to bad things
Have bad things happened to you?
No
So you ARE clever enough?
Yes
So you you you know that you have to be careful?
And like I only have people that I know I don’t just accept anyone like if I don’t
know you then I just delete you afterwards
So what happens when you get (inaudible) asked on MXIT? Okay, so can
anybody – like maybe – how does it happen that someone gets your number?
Like maybe if one of my friends have a contact like from Jo’burg or something
like ‘ah please give me one of your friends contacts’ and then they give my
number and then that person invites me and them I’m like ‘Who are you?’ then
they tell me and then I’m like ‘but I don’t know you so anyway I’m just gonna
delete you’ and then I just delete them afterwards.
And is it quite a common thing that…um… that other people give out other
people’s numbers?
Yes
Really?
Very common like my friend she just randomly gave this one friend of hers my
number and he starts phoning me in the night and I’m ‘Sorry but I don’t know
you. Please don’t call me’ like ‘no, why you act so funny to me’ I’m like ‘I’m not
I’m just being me I’d rather be safe than sorry’….

105. 324
Ja…
… at the end of the day
And why do you think people do this? Give out other people’s information?
I don’t know. Maybe … uhhh… I don’t know.
And how does it make you feel that someone is giving out your number?
Ummm… like…my friend gave my number… I was like really angry at her
because my mother doesn’t like people just phoning me coz she always ‘Who’s
that? Who’s that? Who’s that?’ and then at times I get into trouble and then I
don’t like getting into trouble and then my phone will get taken away
Mmm and has your phone been taken away before?
Yes. Last year.
For how long?
(laughs) for three months
For three months? And how was that for you?
I was like lost…, coz, like at school everyone’s with their phones and I just like sit
there… and they all on MXIT talking about what happened.. and then I’m just like
there without my phone… no music to listen to… but I .. it was like kind of
relieving coz then I could do everything like my homework and stuff without my
phone.
Really?
But when I had my phone I couldn’t do my homework and stuff so…
Why?
Coz you you so tempted to just like go and do something or call your friend or go
on MXIT and chat and stuff so…
What is the temptation? What’s pulling you?
I think it’s because like you get addicted to it
But to what? Not, not, surely not to the phone itself? What is it?
It’s what happens online… like.. the stories and stuff, ja. That’s what attracts me
to it. (laughs)

106. 325
Okay, I can understand that; I feel a bit like that about the Internet I panic when I
don’t have it. Okay, and then do you ever just play on the computer? And if you
do, what do you do?
Yes I do. I play Stardolls and stuff where like you dress up famous people
Stardolls?
Yes
mmmm..
Or sometimes I play those card games…. “Spider(inaudible)” and stuff
So you play games
Ja
Anything else you do with it?
Or like I type my name and make fancy stuff like posters for my wall
Okay
And then do they end up on your wall?
Yes but then my mommy tears them off (laughs)
Excerpt 2
Interview transcript p. 7
I: Okay. And then talk to me about MXIT politeness, okay, how do people know
how to do the right things on MXIT?
T: mmmm…. Like sometimes – it depends – you choose your people, like I
choose my people and I have like groups and if you in the group that I don’t like I
just don’t talk to you I act mean to you and stuff… like but if its someone that you
like then you talk nice to them, you like ‘ah, sweetie!’ and all those funny names,
then, ja
What do you do though if you get a message, and you think it’s rude, what would
make it rude or what would make it – about the message –that you wouldn’t want
to talk to that person?
Like if if they just come on and like ‘Ja, you!’ and then you like’ What did I do?’
and they jis start accusing you and they like put like stars – that’s like swearing
you and stuff….

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Oh really? Is that what the stars mean?
Then.. then you know they swearing you
So just the stars?
And you like can tell in the tone of the message coz like, you know they just come
on like ‘Ja, you!’ like the time before he said that to me and I’m like ‘What did I
do?’ and he’s like ‘Ah no, I know you were gossiping about me to Courtney’ and
I was like ‘Sorry, stop making accusations coz I don’t ever talk about you to
Courtney, I only talk about you to Chante’ that’s his girlfriend, ja and I was like…
So you could tell this just from…
And they add angry faces and grumpy faces and all those faces
Excerpt 3
Interview transcript p. 9
I: And then, how do you feel about grown ups, ummm, using MXIT and
FaceBook, so like among your friends and family, are there any grownups you
know who use MXIT and FaceBook and if so what do you, how do you feel about
it?
T: I don’t like it.
You don’t like it?
I think it’s more of like a children’s thingey, like teenagers and stuff, coz then you
get old people on MXIT they like talking in full lang… and that’s no, there’s no
use of having MXIT coz MXIT’s like something’s’re abbreviate stuff, like to
shorten what you wanna say and they have to write the WHOLE sentence so..
So they write the whole sentence, and just say more about why you don’t like that
Ummm it can get annoying at times coz then you have to read this thing whereas
you could just like quick quick and just like it’s done… then you just have to be
reading and reading and reading the whole time… and there’s like no
conversation coz then you don’t know what to say to someone …. Whole
page…you have to say something to your friend you’d have to like say A LOT
and you can’t tell you secrets like what you say to your friends … so then so like
there’s no conversation

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Interview excerpts: L55: NANDI M
Appendix 23:
Excerpt 1
Interview transcript pp 14-16
I: Okay. And then talk to me about…okay…we’re going back to MXIT: how do
people know how to do the right things on MXIT? Okay, if there’s such a thing
as MXIT politeness, how do people know what the right…um…IF there are right
or wrong things to do? On MXIT – how do you know?
N: Well…there isn’t really right or wrong things to do on MXIT. It
just…depends who you talking to.
Why does it depend on who you’re talking to?
Like the kind of person you talking to, maybe, if …ja…like a polite person, like a
well-mannered person, then you talk in a polite and well-mannered way.
What makes it polite and well-mannered, though, as a MXIT conversation?
Well maybe the way – it wouldn’t be like in, like the…replacing of words and
stuff, but it’d be like what you say.
Can you give me an example?
Maybe instead of using like a word like ‘swak’ you’d use like ‘I felt bad’ or
something; ‘I felt embarrassed’ or…
Okay, so, but that’s only to people who normally are especially polite?
Ja.
So does it matter, then – you can say and do anything on MXIT?
Yes.
Pretty much?
Ja.
Even use – have long conversations?
Yes.
And use long, big words without any abbreviations?
Yes.
How do you write your MXIT conversations?
Like, how I shorten stuff, or…
You do shorten stuff?

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Yes, I do.
Everything?
Not everything; it would depend on if the word can be shortened.
Okay. How do you know whether a word can be shortened or not? Can you give
me an example?
Like a word like ‘elaborate’, maybe you could put an 8 at the end instead of like
an ‘ate’.
Okay.
It would depend on how the word sounds like when you say it. So, like,
‘tomorrow’, would have, be like a ‘T’ then ‘moro’ instead of like…
So depending on the sound/
Yes/
Is what decides whether or not you’d shorten it?
Yes.
Okay. So you do that to your, in your messages?
Yes.
And what about…using…um…the beginning letters of a lot of words in once – at
once – like, um…OMG? Okay. Do you do that kind of stuff?
Yes, I do.
And you don’t – and no one ever says you’re being rude, or/
No.
Okay. And if you were to write everything out in full, if you were to have
conversations with your friends without using your abbreviations on MXIT, how
would that be?
It would be like really dreary because I’d have to like – coz gets tiring…with
your, your, thumb gets like – even if you shorten words, your thumb gets really
painful, but, um…ja…it would be dreary and I wouldn’t enjoy it much to write
everything in full.
Why wouldn’t you enjoy it?
Coz there wouldn’t be a NEED to do it, if I, if I CAN shorten it.
I don’t understand that.
Like, if, like, you mean if I had the option to like write everything in full?

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I’m tryna understand WHY it would be ‘dreary’ to write it in full. What is it
about writing it in full that makes it ‘dreary’ or what is it about writing it in
shortened form that makes it not ‘dreary’?
(N pauses). Nothing really, because it’s just…(N pauses)…it would be dreary to
write it in full because…the person can still understand it…even if you not
writing it in full like if you shorten it. The person would still understand it, so it
would be dreary to write everything if the person could understand it if you didn’t
have to write everything.
What do you mean by ‘dreary’?
It would like take forever.
Okay, so it would take a long time?
Yes. Especially having – if you having a long conversation and you have a lot to
say. Even if, even if you shortening everything it still is like…ag…too
(inaudible).
So then why don’t you just speak to the person over the phone?
Coz that uses up a lot of airtime?
Okay. So MXIT is really cheap?
Yes.
Excerpt 2
Interview transcript p. 8
I: And have your friends commented on that at all, that you don’t have Facebook?
N: Yes, they have.
What have they said?
They say I’m behind with stuff and…with like/
Meaning ‘behind’?
Like I must get with the flow…and…(N laughs)
And what does that mean ‘get with the flow’?
It means that I should…you know…be more…um…be more…like ‘NOW’…like
do things, do stuff that everyone does NOW.
So when you say ‘do stuff that everyone does NOW’, does that mean most of your
friends are doing FaceBook NOW?
N: Yes.

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Excerpt 3
Interview transcript p. 13
I: Okay. Alright. And then tell me about all the different things you use your
cellphone, for; all the things your particular phone can do.
N: Okay. I can go on to the Internet; I can/
What would you do? Okay, you’ve said you’re not interested in computers that
much, so if you went into the Internet – do you go on to the Internet, using your
phone?
No, not much.
Okay, and when you do, where, where would you go?
I’d go on Google.
And….?
And use, I’d, I’d use it for school stuff; I use computers and like stuff like that for
school work
Okay, so have you ever gone and researched something for school on your phone?
Yes, I have.
Excerpt 4
Interview transcript pp. 1-2
I: So when you ask your friends – so say you busy doing your project – and you
hit a snag, is, is that when a cellphone would come in handy?
N: Yes.
What would you typically do?
I’d go on MXIT.
Okay. And say what?
And, well, greet them first, and /
How would you greet them?
I’d say ‘hi’ or ‘hey’ or… ‘Eh’ or…ja.
Mmm….okay. And then?

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And then I’d…go straight on to the point and then maybe afterwards/
Sorry, I’m going to interrupt you. What would you say? Give me the actual
words – okay – or can you not give them to me coz you’ve got to use MXIT
language or…
Hmm…I could, I would say, ‘hey, could you help me with something?’ and then
she’d reply and I’d tell her what I need help with and then she’d reply and…ja.
Okay. Alright. And then…how would you know when to end the conversation?
Well…I’d say, okay, well most of the time if you just say ‘okay’ then the other
person doesn’t know what to say afterwards unless it’s someone you. really get
along with but then, ja, most of the time if you just say ‘okay’ at the end of a
conversation then the person doesn’t reply…so…/
And what does that mean, if they don’t reply. How would you interpret that?
Well, I’d interpret –if they, if it was my friend then I’d interpret it as ‘she has
nothing to say back’ or ‘I have nothing to say back’ coz…the ‘okay’ would show
that, that, that the ‘I don’t have anything to say back’

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Interview excerpts: L56: MICHELLE M
Appendix 24:
Excerpt 1
Interview pp. 1-12
I: You don’t need to be. Like I said – there’s no – we’re just having a chat, okay?
Um, so describe, if you can, what you understand by the term ‘literacy’. What
does it mean to be literate.
M: Ja… eish… to be literate, I guess, it’s like kind of the way to express yourself,
to like show other people who you are, not hiding behind…
Mmm….
That feeling just to please others.
Okay. What feeling would you hide behind?
I guess like if you get pressurised by your friends, ja, and, ja sometime peer
pressure does happen coz like you want to be fitted in that particular group… ja…
Okay, so how does literacy help you then with those feelings?
Like it helps because like in literacy…. Visualise things a lot
Visualise?
Yes.
Can you give me an example?
It helps you to see things in a real way instead of like… in fake or something.
Okay. So when you say ‘see’ do you mean with pictures or with words or sounds
or what do you mean?
It could be anything depends like in your mind or imagination… could be
words… ja
So it’s a skill you have to help you be real?
Yes. I think so.
Okay. And it can be using anything – sounds pictures words… whatever… am I
understanding you correctly?
Yes.
Okay. And it can help protect you against peer pressure/

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Yes
Is it some sort of skill you have? Okay. That’s interesting. Okay. And then do
you have a cellphone?
Yes I do.
Okay. What kind of cellphone do you have?
It’s… it’s… like modern; it’s…it’s a Samsung.
A Samsung?
Ja.
A modern Samsung? Do you know the model number?
It’s J700…ja.
J700?.... Okay. I don’t know but I’ll go and have a look see. I don’t know
anything/
(laughs) Ja …it’s nice
It’s a nice phone? You happy with it?
Ja I am coz like I … joh… I got it like after a big (inaudible) it was like my…
ja… it’s my first phone.
Mmmm…. When … how old were you when you got it?
Last year, last year my birthday in September.
Oh, you said your birthday. What date in September is your birthday?
Twenty-third.
Oh. Mine’s the twelfth. It’s a good month/
(M laughs) …okay, so you got your first phone in Grade 9.
Yes.
In September. So how did you feel before you got your phone?
Joh… I felt… I felt happy I guess
Before you got your phone?

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Ja… I did … but like… when I got to high school I saw all of my friends, you
know, having phones and stuff, and having those modern phones and things, and
like I asked my mom coz I felt so bad – no listening to music and ja…
You felt bad?
Ja?
Why did you feel bad?
Well, coz. Like I didn’t have the things they do but later on I realised that not all
of us can have everything, you know.
So when you… did you come here in Grade 8? You didn’t, hey?
Yes. Grade 9.
You came in Grade 9, so that’s last year?
Yes
When? At the beginning of Grade 9?
Yes.
So you were new when I started teaching you?
Yes.
Okay. So when you came here you realised that you didn’t have a… you knew…
you didn’t have a cell phone and everyone…. Did everyone else you knew have
one?
Yes. Like everyone in my class had one, ja.
And so you felt bad?
Ja.
Bad in what way?
Like… in what way…. Ummm…I just felt left out I guess.
You felt left out? Ja. Because they were doing things that you weren’t?
Ja.
What sort of things did you see people doing that made you feel left out?

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Umm… like having a phone… just having something (inaudible)…um…the
music, you know sending pictures, connecting with your friends, coz you know
sometimes you don’t like everytime using your mom’s phones coz you also need
that privacy but not in a bad way
Mmmmm… so you feel you need your privacy and that phones give … gave…
you saw your friends having that, did you?
Yes.
Okay. And then did you ever get left out or included into social gatherings as a
result of not having a phone?
Ummm…ummm… it’s it’s different coz like… I’m not really a socialising
person… like…like when my friends plan to go out I’ll be like ‘no it’s okay’ and
then they’ll phone each other during weekends; I don’t really don’t do that even
though I have a phone now.
Mmm…
Ja…
Okay. That was interesting. And then ummm… have you got access to a
computer at home?
No. I don’t have a computer
No computer at all?
(shakes head)
Okay, so you just are able to use it here at school?
Yes.
Okay. Do you use it at school?
Computer?
Mmm
Yes I do. Yes… for projects… not just to go for fun, FaceBooks, ja
So, you wouldn’t go during break?
I only go if I have a project.
Okay. Alright, so some of our questions I might have to moderate them a bit.
Okay… so… umm… if you… just imagine, now, you, if you, okay, it’s easy
imagine for you to imagine not having a cellphone, but say your cellphone got

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taken away now, so you have no cellphone, and no computer access at all, how
would it affect your life?
I think it would affect… the cellphone one would affect my life coz like, I won’t
be able to like socialise with my friends; Um.. computer. It will be hard to do
project coz like most thing… things we get here at school like for projects need
computers, it needs um Internet… you know to just get more information coz not
all the books give you like enough information.
What projects have you done recently that you say need the Internet?
Ummm… (inaudible)…. Joh… it was a Geography project, yes, ja, it was the
Geography project.
And would… so… what about the books … were… what was the project on?
Umm… biomes
Biomes.
Yes.
And like the biome I took it… it didn’t have that much books only had like two
books.
And then when you went to the Internet, did you find everything you needed?
Yes. I did.
Okay. Well. We’ll come back to that. So… so the cellphone, you said, you
wouldn’t be able to socialise. So how do you socialise on your cellphone?
Me…like… I do have MXIT
Hmmm…
Ja… like when I’m bored and I don’t do any sports or don’t have any homework,
ja, I go on MXIT
So, if you didn’t have a cellphone then you wouldn’t be able to do that?
Yes.
And then how would that aff… how would that make your life different?
It wouldn’t coz like really don’t use..um.. MXIT to like socialise… you can.. I
guess I can use my mom’s phone to phone my friends and see how they are. Ja…
So…okay… so you would use your mom’s phone?
Ja.. but not all the time.

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Mmm… okay and then next question, describe what you think it must have been
like for teenagers of my generation… so… I would’ve been a teenager… about
thirty years ago (both laugh)… you didn’t know I was that old, hey? Describe
what you think it must have been like for.. for me… when I was a teenager, and
maybe your mom and whoever – people – of my generation with no cellphones
and no computer… we had no computers either
Joh… it would have been hard
It would have been hard?
Ja.. but…I don’t think it was advertised that much so I don’t… I think you’ll find
other options to entertain yourselves coz that big thing.. they weren’t that
famous…
What was…but there weren’t any… that’s what I’m saying/
Oh/
They didn’t exist.
Oh, okay.
No, we didn’t have – they weren’t invented/
Oh…okay.. then I guess, I think you’ll find other like alternatives to just entertain
yourself, you know
To entertain ourselves?
Ja?
Like what?
Like play games… um…ja
What sort of games do you think we played? Okay, remember now, we’re
teenagers. So teenagers with no cellphones and no computers.
I guess like a sleepover at someone’s house… ja…um…maybe…go out for
dinner at night or something, ja, think that’s it.
Mmmm…okay… well we used to phone each other still (M laughs)… we had
ordinary phones, just no cellphones
Oh…
Okay. And then how do you think your parents and teachers feel, generally, about
cellphones and things like FaceBook and do their attitudes make sense to you?

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Well… teachers…teachers…joh… I don’t know but like… I think they feel bad
about these things coz like/
What do you mean by ‘bad’?
Coz some people get addicted too much
To what?
To like MXIT
Mmm…
Like every… say you doing your homework and like they can’t do that sum in
maths or something, they just leave it and just go on MXIT the whole night and
they don’t sleep, and it affects you (inaudible) way
Do you know people who’ve done that? You don’t have to say who they are.
Yes I do know people who’ve done that.
So they don’t sleep, they’re on MXIT the whole night?
Yes.
Really?
Yes, yes, they like…
Have you seen people? Have you been to a sleepover and seen them do that?
Yes I have one at home.
Really?
Yes.. ja…
So someone came to your house?
Ja
And they were on MXIT the whole night?
The whole night. They (inaudible) she was just like doing her homework then
like joh I can’t do this thing they just go on MXIT
So didn’t she sleep the whole night?
No.
And then did it keep you awake?

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Me. No.
So how did you know she didn’t sleep, if you were asleep?
No…I was… we were sleeping in the same room, see, and then I woke up at night
then I saw her on MXIT, and I’m like ‘are you still on MXIT?’ She’s like ‘ja, I
am’ so like I can’t sleep coz like she she’s says you get so tempted to those
people you chat with and you want to know… carry on chatting with them…
Okay. And how come you don’t do that?
Me? Um…
Or do you?
No… er… I don’t. I don’t. I don’t know why I don’t do it. Ja… I don’t know
why. I don’t really like MXIT; I just go there if I’m bored.
You go there if you’re bored?
Ja.
Okay. Let’s get back to the parents and teachers; we’ll come back to MXIT in a
minute. So you said your parents – the teachers feel bad about cellphones and
FaceBook and um, because children get addicted? Anything else? What about
your parents? Are you with a mom or a dad or granny or…
I’m with my mom.
Your mom?
Ja. My mom doesn’t know anything about MXIT. Not that I know of but I think
she doesn’t coz she normally when she doesn’t like something she says I mustn’t
do it, I mustn’t have it, you know…
Mmm…
All the things, ja, but other parents, I think, I think they don’t like it as well coz
like, yes, when like on MXIT you chat with friends and chat with other people
don’t know and maybe a child might lie and say I’m want to go out with friends
but maybe she’s going to meet up with that person, you know, maybe parents are
scared of those things and stuff… and… ja..
And do these attitudes of parents and teachers make sense to you?
Ja, they do. In a way.
In a way?
Yes.

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What do you mean ‘in a way’?
Like sometimes you feel like they put your back in their days, like, they just
because they didn’t have it they want you to do the things they did the same ways
they did and… ja…I think it’s fifty-fifty
Mmmm… that’s interesting. So you reckon your mom doesn’t know about
MXIT? So did you just download it onto your phone?
My friend downloaded it for me.
Why did your friend do it?
Coz she wanted me to have it so I …
And… how… did you want it?
Ja I did but I wasn’t that tempted to have it; I was just like ‘okay, download it’.
Why didn’t you download it?
I don’t know… I didn’t want it.
You didn’t want it?
Uh-um (negative)
But then you let her do it/
Ja/
For you/
Ja.
And… how long ago was this? How long have you had MXIT?
Umm…. For… it’s May now?
Hmmm…
Seven months.
Seven months. So if you didn’t want it, why didn’t you delete it?
I don’t know. I guess it’s fun.
It’s fun.
Ja.

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So has your attitude changed since you got it?
No, it hasn’t.
So, you didn’t want it, but haven’t deleted it, and you think it’s fun?
Ja. I.. I guess… I adapted to it like, not in a bad way, like/
Mmmm
Like maybe got used to it, maybe found more fun in it.
Okay. I use MXIT.
Hmm
When I want to talk to my son and I don’t want to spend lots of money on SMSes,
I say, I’ll SMS him and say let’s go on MXIT so we can talk (M laughs)
Oh…
Okay, so I don’t think MXIT is a bad thing. So… okay…so you’ve had it for
seven months. Okay… and… alright, well we’ll come back there. So the
attitudes of parents and teachers, do they, you said they do make sense to you/
Yes
But you, in a way, not, coz you think they’re trying to take you back to their day
when we didn’t have these things?
Yes. Ja.
And what… is that a bad thing?
Not really, no. Uh, uh. It’s not, but, to us, coz we used to these things, no, er,
equipment and all those computers…no… I think… ja… I think they we see it in
a bad way.
You see it in a bad way?
Ja.
You see what the parents stop – trying to stop you – it feels bad to you?
Yes.
What does that feeling feel like?
It feels…I think the anger.
You feel angry?

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Ja.
Really?
Ja. It does. Ja, I do. Um… coz like…it sounds so unfair, you know, like why
can’t we adapt to our modern things then they they want us, to take us back, like
take me back,
That makes you angry. That’s very interesting. I can understand that. Okay.
And then, the next question, do you ever just play on a computer?
No.
No? Not at all?
No.
Nothing?
(M shakes head).
Okay. So no solitaire; no FaceBook; no YouTube; no surfing the Internet; no
other games?
No.
Nothing? Okay. And then maybe this question, I don’t know what you’re gonna
say: if you had your own laptop, if I came to you and I said, okay Michelle,
there’s a laptop for you, it’s connected to the Internet, I gave you a 3G card and I
said, you’ve got no limits (M laughs). What would you do.
I’d take it. Joh!
And how much – what would you do with it? And how much time do you think
you would spend on it?
Joh! I think I’ll get addicted to it and maybe like concentrate on (inaudible)
unimportant things and just you know get stuck up on that laptop
You’d get addicted/
Ja
To it. What sorts of things do you think you would get addicted to?
Like, play games, um… research on different things like celebrities
Hang on – just go back a bit. What games would you play?

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Um…those games…one time we had a free lesson on our computer last year…
um… it’s like a game we play, ja, like a, it’s like a dress up game then, ja, I think
those dress up games and there’s those, um, firing games and things you play/
Okay
Ja
So you’d play games and you’d research. What sort of… and how would you do
that?
Like research on celebrities
Celebrities?
Ja and then/
How do you do research on celebrities?
Um… if you go on their websites… ja, ja go on their websites
So what would you type in to , to Google or whoever? What would you use?
Google or Yahoo or how would you do it?
I think Google.
Google?
So what would you type in to find what you wanna find?
Maybe their names.
Excerpt 2
Interview p. 14
M: Ja… like FaceBook is fun coz it’s…um…ja…coz… they say…. I don’t really
know much about FaceBook, maybe I like to explore what’s happening/
I: So you don’t know much and you’d like to explore?
Yes.
Okay. And what are your friends saying about FaceBook?
Say it’s a much more … fun way to … you know meet new friends than MXIT.
Ja.
Do they say why it’s more fun?

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Well, I don’t know. No. Uh uh (negative).
So they haven’t described it to you?
No.
What do you think it looks like? What do you think it is?
I think…it’s like…it’s like a kind of email… ja…I think so… ja…
Excerpt 3
Interview transcript p. 33
I: Okay. And then how do you feel about grown ups, um, amongst the circle of
your friends and family using MXIT and FaceBook?
M: If they like it, they should use it, like yes, but, I think it’s a more teenage
thing.
Why’s it more of a teenage thing?
Coz… it’s like…how can I explain it now… it’s like…um…it’s a way teenagers
nowadays use, use things to socialise you know, coz most parents don’t allow
their children to go out to movies, um, you know, sleepovers, and things, so, it’s a
easier way to socialise where your parents aren’t there to watch you all the time
and you know nag at you.

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Interview excerpts: L57: ANNE M
Appendix 25:
Excerpt 1
Interview transcript pp. 18-19
A: Er… I think that’s about it.
I: Okay. Thank you, and now I want you to talk to me about MXIT politeness.
Okay. How do people know how to do the right things on MXIT. Now you’ve
said sometimes you’re perceived as abrupt but that’s when you’re screening out
strange people
Yes
But apart from that how do people know if there is right things to do, there are
right things to do. How do you know? How do people know? Where does that
knowledge come from?
I guess it’s, it’s it’s something we do every day. We wouldn’t just go up to a
person and start talking to them randomly. We’d have to greet first and ask how
they’re doing…
So there’s a MXIT greeting? Typically what is it?
It’s, “Hi!” or “Hello”. But then me being random I would always say something
in it like in a different language: I’d greet them in French or something (laughs)…
I don’t know, I’m random like that.
What would you say in French?
I’d say bonjour (laughs) … or I…or I’d… I’d I’d don’t know what I’d say in
German but I do greet in German sometimes… just to keep it random… it’s just a
conversation starter like “What the hell did you just say to me?” (laughs) Ja, coz
that, ja that keeps the conversation interesting.
Okay.
It can get very mundane at times if it’s just like “Hi; How are you?” coz you start
getting one word answers and I hate that with a passion.
Mmmm…
Yes.
So you want people to develop things a little bit?
I want to have a conversation, not just, ja, to be there.

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Mmmm… okay, so getting back to know how to do the right things. You’ve got
to greet, you’ve got to enquire how are you, and then what?
Then I, I would typically ask how their day’s going, what are they doing at that
very moment…
Why do you want to know what they’re doing at that very moment? What if
they… okay, no I won’t say, you tell me.
Umm… I don’t know, I just kinda, I kinda learnt from other people who are on
MXIT, they would always ask me what I was doing so now I guess I should ask
them what they doing, like, ja, and its just, I don’t I don’t know how it happened,
but I always ask that question.
How long have you had MXIT?
I’ve had it on and off since, since Grade Grade 8.
Why on and off?
Coz I, I’d not have a cellphone; I’d lose my cellphone, or my cellphone would just
break and ja…
Excerpt 2:
Interview transcript pp. 11-14
A: I’d Google jokes, I’d Google The Simpsons – they have The Simpsons – and I
just, I’d Google quotes and… ja…
I: And then what do you do with the stuff you find?
If I find it interesting I would paste it onto a Word document and print it and then
put it up on my bedroom wall or something
Okay.
Yes. That’s fascinating. Alrighty. Thank you. And then if you – okay, this
question, you, you can answer realistically, umm.. although aspects of it. If you
had your own laptop – which you do – connected permanently to the Internet,
okay, with no one to limit what you did and how much time you spent on it, what
would you do? So absolutely no limit. Access to the whole caboodle.
Whew. Umm…
What would you do?
I’d always be on FaceBook. (both laugh)

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I’m being honest…I’d always be on…
I’d love you to be honest
Yes… I’m, I’m always, … (inaudible)
What is so compelling? Can you articulate for me what is it about this FaceBook
thing that is so compelling?
I just… I find people’s thoughts and lives so interesting; you know like the Notes
application, the put up Notes and poetry and …
On the board?
Ja.. they post it on their walls and stuff, yes.
So you go and look what people put on the wall?
Yes. And I look at … what groups people have created, like, groups that are for
ummm people who who do evil laughs in the middle of the night, (laughs) …
(inaudible) I do that. I joined that group!
Have you created any groups?
Ummm… I created a group for… for I think… what was it called again? Coz I
don’t manage it anymore, I just gave up on it… something to do with … um… it’s
a social like kind of thing but not like party animals, just people who just like to
socialise, so I got a whole bunch of people to join it and they made their friends
join and now I’m leaving the administration up to them coz I don’t want to do it
now.
Why don’t you want to do it?
I don’t have time coz that – it – the group needs a lot of management and like
sending like weekly messages to your members and stuff and I can’t do that, not
all the time.
So let me just see- okay – you’re on FaceBook a lot; what would a typical
FaceBook session be like for you? How would you start it? Where would you go?
What would you look at?
I’d log in; I’d check my notifications to see if anyone has commented on anything
I’ve done and if not then I’d just look at people’s status updates and photos and
ja… I’d just do that.
Do you ever check to see who’s online at the same time?
I do every now and then but I don’t really like to chat on FaceBook.
Oh! Why’s that?

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I don’t know, I just - coz –um … I have this thing where if I’m not on MXIT
everything I type out electronically must be in full um full words, I don’t, I don’t
do the MXIT language. I only do it only on MXIT so…..
…. So you do do it on MXIT?
Only on MXIT. Strictly 100%.
Why do you draw such definite boundaries?
Coz MXIT, MXIT is very casual and people… ja… people if they don’t
understand what you’re saying they can ask you, ‘ok I don’t understand what you
saying now coz your MXIT language has become too… too. limited and stuff..
And you don’t think that’s possible on on the Instant Messaging facility of
Facebook? Coz isn’t the same thing?
I guess but I just… it’s a habit I guess… I use my T9 dictionary predictive text
and.. yes..
On the cellphone?
Even on SMSs and people find it very weird of me but it’s just how I am.
So if, if that instant messaging facility on FaceBook had a predictive text facility
do you think you might use it then?
Yes. I would.
So it’s because you have to type out the words in full? Does it irritate you?
Not really, no. No, not at all. Ummm.. I’m very versatile in terms of language
usage and stuff so…
I still don’t understand though then why you don’t use it.
(laughs) I don’t understand either.
Just the way you are?
I guess.
So you’ve logged in, you’ve checked your notifications, you’ve checked people’s
status updates, then what do you do?
Then I would look at photos and if I don’t find…
Yours or other people’s photos?

130. 349
Other people’s photos… and then if I don’t see anything then then I just update
my status updates and I’d look at… I’d look at whether there’s a need for me to
change my profile picture.
When do you know there’s a need?
Well, if it’s, if it’s been on, if I feel that it’s been on for too long and I can change
it now…
How long is too long?.
I’m guessing to me about a month, so I change it like, sometimes I change it like
twice in a day….
Mmmm…
…. Just coz I happen to be online
And do you always put pictures of yourself or do you sometimes put objects or
animals or….
I… er… I take pictures of everything; I really love taking pictures.
What do you use to take pictures?
I use my cellphone then I go onto Photoshop and I edit and stuff. It’s … ja…
USB cable? Cellphone to computer?
Yes.
Okay. So you upload them from there straight onto Photoshop and then onto
FaceBook?
Yes.
Okay. So then if you didn’t have your cellphone – thinking about that earlier
question – you wouldn’t be able to do a lot of that either?
Yes.
You wouldn’t be able to take photos.
No, I wouldn’t. Well I do have a digital camera but then a camera is just like, it’s
there, it’s on hand you just take a picture and..
You mean when it’s with your cellphone?
Yes.
Okay. I also like FaceBook (laughs)

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Alright, so we’re back to this unlimited Internet laptop. So, mostly on FaceBook?
Would you have other things going on in the background, do you think? How
many windows would you typically have open at a time? That you switch
backwards and forwards between?
About …. About four or so including like a Word document, a couple of Internet
explorer ones… and … and maybe a … a music… the music… the Windows
Media Player thing
So you’d have Windows Media player going with your music going….
Yes
… while you’re on the computer?
Yes.
You’d have FaceBook?
Mmmm….
Then you’d have ….
Probably Google or something, or YouTube…
Excerpt 3
Interview transcript pp. 26-27
I: When do you use the message and when do you use the wall?
A: Errr… I hardly ever use the messaging facility coz coz what I have to say is
usually something that’s it’s it’s just something that I have to say; it’s nothing that
should be kept under carpets or something..
So you don’t, what you say is public?
Yes.
And you’re aware that it is?
Yes…I’m aware of it. I don’t mind coz it won’t embarrass me, it won’t embarrass
the person affected, so it’s just…
So you are mindful of that? Okay. So part of FaceBook politeness for you, is
being mindful of the public nature and moderating…
Yes

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….. am I understanding you correctly? Moderating what you do?
Yes. I think of public… um… I mean FaceBook as public image management. I
just came up with that. (laughs) And, coz, coz..
Just go back there. For you, FaceBook is is public…
Public Image Management.
For an individual?
Yes.
So you would….
Coz you control how the public perceive you.
So you’re very aware of your public image
Yes
On FaceBook and even maybe if I pick up on that chilli thing, on MXIT?
Yes.
So you’re using those things to manage your public face?
Yes. Coz you can make people think you’re like a superstar or something. You
can lie to people on FaceBook and just become a completely different person.
And you don’t want to do that?
I don’t want to do that. I want me, me, as who I am to shine through.
Why?
I think it’s very important to not lose your sense of self by trying to copy what
other people are doing coz a lot of people ummm.. tend to try to project an image
of popularity by having lots and lots of friends; inviting random people on
FaceBook just to have friends and.. ja..
So they will create a false
Yes
….something. Okay. Do you know people who do that?
Yes. I know people who dress up on FaceBook and they look completely
different from the person you see everyday at school. They look completely
different. Their status updates are completely different from what you’d actually
see them doing. It it just goes the opposite of what they’re doing in everyday life.

133. 352
Hmmm..
Just coz they’re trying to project this image of popularity or something.
Hmmm… Okay… fascinating thank you
Excerpt 4
Interview transcript p. 30
I: So if you could sum up in a sentence, ‘FaceBook and MXIT are my….”, what?
A: They’re my… umm… my access to the world out there. Yes.
So you don’t want any grown ups close to you fiddling around in that because you
fear it would…
Yes… coz they, they would… I don’t know… they would complain; they always,
always um complain about me being on the computer even if I am doing school
work, they prefer me to be reading.
Your parents?
Yes. So ja, they must, they must just stay away from my FaceBook
Excerpt 5
Interview transcript p. 2
I: So describe if you can what you understand by the term literacy and what does
it mean to be literate?
A: I think literacy is the ability to to sort of comprehend something that you are
given if it’s a text or …. a clip of something or a video clip just to understand… to
know what something is about
So when you say clip of something, give me another example
Like… like let’s say, a voice clip or a video clip or music clip… I mean music
most people don’t know – they sing music but they don’t know what it means, or
something.
Okay. Pictures?
Ja. To be visually literate, yes, coz with political cartoons and all that some people
just don’t get what the cartoonist is trying to say.
MMmmm…

134. 353
That really defeats the purpose of it
Excerpt 6
Interview transcript pp.8-9
I: Mmm… okay. And then, you did say – you have already answered this, but
I’ll just ask you – do you ever just play on a computer and if so, what do you do
and why do you do it?
A: Play in term of games or….?
Fun.,. However you want to define play. Do you ever play?
Yes. I do.
And what do you do?
I go on YouTube and I look at videos… and…
Can you give me some examples?
I was very interested to hear that one of my favourite … um…um… pop artists
had like Satanist … um… associations…
Who is that?
Rihanna.
Rihanna? Really?
Yes. So, I looked that up and…
Where did you hear that?
I heard it from a friend during English; we were just talking about these musicians
and then that night I went on the Internet and I found a whole bunch of articles
and videos where there… there actually subliminal messages in the song; if you
play the song backwards, it has…
Could you, could you play it backwards on the computer?
Yes. No. The… um…YouTube put it up as a backwards kind of song.
So they had backtracked it already?
Yes. And then when you play it there’s these really really scary messages about
Lucifer and… I was shocked… I was so shocked..

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And how’s that changed your attitude towards Rihanna?
Ummm… I’m very reluctant to sing her songs now coz I used to, I used to love
Rihanna and now… now I’m scared, basically I’m very very scared.
Excerpt 7
Interview transcript pp. 23-24
I: Do you ever get pages of grumpy faces or..
A: Never ever.
Chillies? Or?
No. I don’t like the chilli.
Why not?
Just… I don’t like, especially from a guy coz it just, it has sexual connotations and
I don’t like that.
Oh really? So if a guy sends a message with a chilli…
I find it a bit indecent and you know.
What does it… is it too sexually suggestive for you?
Uhh… I guess.. . I just don’t really feel, I don’t like that emoticon at all.
What do you think he’s saying when he sends the chilli? “I am…..
Probably. No he’d send it, usually they send it when they referring to me. It’s as
if I’m some sort of like, object, and…..
Okay. And is that from people you know and you don’t know?
Yes.
That’s interesting. Somebody said they use it when the weather is hot. But you
find it offensive.
Yes.
So you would never use it?
I never, ever ever use it, ever.

136. 355
Excerpt 8
Interview transcript pp. 33-34
I: What do you think about smartboards in classrooms?
A: I think they’re fantastic. I really… it really helps
What classes?
We have it in Maths… ja…. I think its just Maths.
Okay, so it helps the teachers and its fantastic. Why?
The diagrams are definitely much more in proportion coz sometimes the teacher
would attempt to draw a shape and it would look completely wrong (laughs).
Some people just don’t have the artistic ability! So, ja, they just select an
autoshape.
You mean you didn’t like my stick figures?
Your stick figures are just fine! (laughs)
Okay, but I’m not a Maths teacher so I don’t have to have good shapes. Okay, so
it helps teachers – it’s precise… mmmm…
Yes and umm… and I guess for them to put up questions on the board instead of
writing it down it, it’s just, it just seems more organised for me: I just find it
more…more appealing than just handwriting, it just looks so casual if they write it
up on the board randomly.
What other classes would you like to see have… or other subjects… would you
like to see them have smartboards?
Umm…. Let’s think now… well in CAT we don’t really need a smartboard coz
we’ve got a monitor but I think in Zulu, in Zulu, we, we use, we talk a lot about
traditional clothing and stuff but we don’t know what it looks like so maybe some
kind of visual thing like a picture from… even if it were just a projector or
something… just to show us what this thing looks like. And… let’s see… in
English, oh definitely in English, coz we… we learn at the Norma Burns coz
there’s like no other classroom, and ja, so the teacher is very casual about… Ms
B… she’s very casual about what she types… what she writes on the board; she
just writes it down; we don’t take it seriously, so,
Would you take it more seriously if it was on the smartboard?
Yes, coz, then at least I think, then at least I’d know, ‘Okay, she’s thought about
this; she’s structured it in such a way so that we would be able to understand’
whereas on the board it’s just written all over the place and just casually.
Okay. Any other subjects where you think it would help?

137. 356
Ummm…let’s see… Bio… let me think Bio. Bio if we had just visuals, like
actual visuals from, from university websites like the Science Unit or something,
that would be nice. I think that would be fantastic.
Why? What would the visuals do for you that the text book…
It’ll make the learning much easier. Instead of like diagrams where everything is
drawn, just randomly, I want… when I learn about something, I want to see, I
wanna see a cell, what it looks like in real life, whereas it’s just a diagram, it isn’t
really … it doesn’t have colour or anything.

138. 357
Permission letter 1
Appendix 26:
Private Bag X6001
Hilton
3245
June 2007
The Principal
Strelitzia High
Pietermaritzburg
3201
Dear Madam
REQUEST TO CONDUCT RESEARCH AT STRELITZIA HIGH
I am commencing a Masters in Education degree investigating adolescent literacy
practices, and hereby request your permission to gather data and conduct my
study at Strelitzia High.
My research subjects will ultimately be drawn from Grades 9Z and 9Y. Data
gathering will take the form of notes based on my teaching; the administration of
questionnaires; the interviewing of learners and the perusal of learners’ school
records.
I give you my assurance that my commitment to the teaching of all my classes
will in no way be compromised by my studies. In addition, the demands made on
the six subjects I ultimately select for my focus group will not be onerous, and
their participation will be entirely voluntary, and at the discretion of their parents.
I look forward to your response.
Yours sincerely,
Adrienne Watson

139. 358
Permission letter 2
Appendix 27:
STRELITZIA HIGH,
PIETERMARITZBURG
31 January 2008
To: Parents of Grade 9Z and Grade 9Y
Dear Parents
REQUEST FOR PERMISSION TO GATHER RESEARCH DATA
During the course of this year, while I am teaching your daughters, I will be testing a reading
intervention method as part of my Masters in Education degree. This particular method of teaching
reading aims to increase the reading age of learners at any level. It also has as its aim the overall
improvement of writing skills iin many different genres.
In order to facilitate this process, I need to do several things:
1) test the reading levels of learnes at various times throughout the year;
2) gather information on, inter alia, learners’ socio-economic background; parents’
education experiences; learners’ education history; experiences with literacy in early
childhood and present experiences with reading and writing across several subjects;
3) approximately once every two weeks, a lesson using the Reading to Learn method.
I therefore require parental permission for your daughter to participate as a research subject in the
above. Should you wish her to be excluded as a research subject, she will in no way be negatively
affected. All members of the class will be taught using the Reading to Learn strategy, regardless of
whether they agree to become individual research subjects or not.
The school has kindly given me permission to conduct my research while fulfilling my usual
duties as an English teacher, as, on its own, the reading intervention is expected to benefit all
learners.
Should you wish your daughter to be excluded as an individual research subject (which means I
will not be able to do background research mentioned in (2) above), kindly fill in the attached slip
and return it to me at your earliest convenience.
Yours sincerely,
_________________________ __________________________
A WATSON PRINCIPAL
English Teacher: Grade 9Z and Grade 9Y
Please delete whichever is not applicable.
I do / do not wish my daughter, __________________________________, in
Grade 9 ___, to participate in individual research.
Signed (parent / guardian) ___________________________ Date __________

140. 359
Permission letter 3
Appendix 28:
Private Bag X6001
Hilton
3245
1 February 2008
Dear Learner,
As you know, I am doing research into the many different kinds of reading and writing teenagers do,
both at home and at school. This is to try to better understand the relationship between the kinds of
reading and writing teenagers enjoy doing and what they are expected to do at school.
I have chosen you as a special research subject. This means that:
1. I will be thoroughly exploring everything to do with all the different types of reading and
writing you do: MXIT; Facebook; novels; schoolwork; magazines; text messages; etc. and
how this links in with the way you socialise in and out of school, and with your schoolwork
itself.
2. I will be looking closely again at the work you did for me during English last year.
3. I will be interviewing you, and, possibly, your parents and teachers.
4. I will be video-recording you ‘doing’ reading and writing, for example, recording a Facebook
session or you sending an SMS.
5. Imight ask you to write some examples of texts for me.
6. I will be looking at your school records since you started school, and possibly, with your
special permission, your book-borrowing history from the Strelitzia High library.
7. I will be asking you questions about your family.
8. I might ask you to write to me on Facebook, to SMS me or to chat on MXIT (your parents’
permission for this will be essential).
It is really important that you understand and give your permission for me to do this research, so here
are a few things you should know:
a) You may refuse to be a research subject. There will be no punishment if you do.
b) My research is not linked to your assessment at school. (This means that it will not do
anything to your marks.)
c) All information will be treated as confidential. In my writing about what you do, I will not use
your real name.
d) You will not be forced to show me any information that you consider too private to be seen by
me.
e) The data–gathering process should not take more than about three weeks.
If you agree to be a research subject, please fill in and return to me the attached permission slip. If there
are any questions, or you do not understand what I am asking you to do, please write down what you
want to know on the back of this letter.
I, (your name) …………………………………………………………., agree to be a research subject in
Mrs Adrienne Watson’s data collection for her Masters in Education degree. I understand what I will
have to do and that my participation is completely voluntary. I also understand that my identity will be
protected. My parents are aware of my participation and have given their permission.
Signed ………………………………… Print your name ……………………………………
Date ………………………………….. Parent/s’ signature/s ………………………………..

141. 360
APPENDIX 28 CONTINUED …
Private Bag X6001
Hilton
3245
1 February 2008
Dear Parents
CONFIRMATION OF REQUEST FOR YOUR DAUGHTER’S PARTICIPATION IN MY
RESEARCH PROJECT
The University of Kwazulu-Natal has accepted my proposed research project with regards to my
obtaining a Masters in Education degree in which I am researching the literacy practices of adolescents.
In other words, my study aims to gain a broad understanding of the entire range of texts – including
texts with pictures – with which teenagers are engaging.
The Principal of Strelitzia High School has agreed to allow the school to be the site for data collection.
In order to comply with the University’s Ethical Clearance requirements, I must obtain the written,
informed consent of your daughter, and yourself / yourselves, for me to gather data from your daughter.
Therefore, kindly find attached the consent form I require your daughter (and you) to sign.
Should you wish to discuss this with me, please feel free to phone me either at school (033-3869271) or
at home (033-3830100 xt 2208) or on my cell (0834607196). Alternatively, please send a message via
your daughter for me to contact you.
Should you wish to speak to an independent person in authority, kindly contact Mrs S Allison
(Principal: Strelitzia High School 033-3869271) or Dr Wayne Hugo, Head of School: Education,
UKZN on 033-2605368.
Yours sincerely
Mrs Adrienne Watson
English teacher: Strelitzia High

142. 361
Ethical clearance
Appendix 29: