The document analyzes how the writer of the novel Trainspotting manipulates language to convey a sense of orality and social closeness between characters. The novel, set in 1980s Scotland, follows young men who use drugs. To simulate speech, the writer uses phonetic spelling, abbreviated forms, slang words and idioms, and a colloquial style. While some complex sentences indicate a written text, manipulated pronunciation and vocabulary help give the dialogue a sense of authentic oral communication.

1. Manipulating orality.
Speech in writing
Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh

2. Goal of project
- to survey how the writer manipulates language to convey a
sense of orality and of close social distance (D)
Information about the novel
• first novel by Scottish writer Irvine Welsh
• first published: 1993
• set in the late 1980s
• about people who either use drugs themselves, or are
involved destructive activities

3. Contexthttp://vizentaladriana.ro/videos/Video-Main/Trainspotting%202.mp4
Characters & plot summary
 Mark and Simon (aka Sick Boy) are watching a movie
starring Jean-Claude Van Damme
 they both feel symptoms of withdrawal
 they decide to go and buy heroin from Johnny Swan (aka
Mother Superior)
 Renton (the narrator) is annoyed that Sick Boy keeps
moving around
Situational context: familiar, at home, watching TV
Social distance (D): close: two young men, friends

4. Text: The Skag Boys, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Mother Superior

5. Manipulating language. “Speech in writing”
Type of text:
 written (a novel)
Sender’s goal:
 the writer wants us to perceive the text as spoken
Techniques used for special effects :
 the writer manipulates language
o he imitates in writing Scottish accent
o he uses colloquial style
Result:
 Renton (the protagonist) appears as “narrator”
o i.e. he seems to be speaking to us

6. Language analysis: Spelling vs. pronunciation
Abbreviated forms, e.g. n jist leave us wi ; ah hudnae even goat …
Phonetic spelling – aimed to simulate pronunciation

7. Language analysis: Grammar
Accuracy
o grammatically correct sentences (except Aw, ah sais.)
Complexity
o short sentences , e.g. … he wis trembling; Haud oan a second …
 abbreviated forms, imitating oral communication,
e.g. Ah've goat tae …; hudnae …
o complex grammar structures
 heavy pre- and post- modification:
• Then the next phase ay the picture (premodifiers)
• involved building up the tension (head)
• through introducing the dastardly villain and sticking the weak
plot thegither (postmodifiers)
 subordination:
• adversative: They call urn Sick Boy, no because he's eywis sick
wi junk withdrawal, but because he's just one sick cunt.
• If-clauses: If we went now, ah wouldnae git tae watch it.

8. Language analysis: Word choice
o mostly simple words: sweat, sit, watch
o numerous colloquial idioms: to bring one down, to hold out on so.
o educated words: focus, phase, dramatic, arrogant, …
o French loans, regionalisms: visage, villain,
Slang: describing
• violence, e.g. tae git doon tae some serious swedgin (= beating),
• boredom, e.g. to get a deck at (= a look)
• drug addiction, e.g. junk withdrawal
• vulgar slang, e.g. cunt (= a woman's genitals, used here to refer to a
weak young man)
• swear words, e.g. Let's f*ckin go, f*cker
Connotations:
• of violence, e.g. swedging; he snapped desperately;
• of failed sexuality, e.g. cunt = a weak male person
• of sickness and drug addiction, e.g. he’s just one sick cunt
• of depression, e.g. He wis bringing me doon
Social meaning:
• of low class, of lack of education, e.g. Aw, ah sais

9. Language analysis: Style
Colloquial, slangy - typical for oral communication - induced by:
 regional pronunciation/Scottish accent:
o Ah wis jist sitting thair...;
o git doon tae some serious swedgin...;
 regionalisms & slangy words
o ootay ma visage, tae go oan his ain, n jist leave us wi Jean-Claude
o ah'd git hit fir fuckin back charges fi the shoap oan a video ah hudnae even
goat a deck at.
 abbreviated forms:
o tryin no tae notice ...; no because he's eywis sick wi junk withdrawal
But: the complex sentences speak of a written texts
o Then the next phase ay the picture involved building up the tension
through introducing the dastardly villain and sticking the weak plot
thegither.

10. Paralanguage & body language
Paralanguage
... Sick Boy gasped …
• gasping = difficulty in breathing, a panicked effort to draw air into the
lungs
= a paralinguistic clue for a highly emotional state
Body language
The sweat wis lashing oafay Sick Boy; he wis trembling.
• sweating & trembling
- point to anxiety and nervousness; drug addiction; Sick Boy felt ill
because he had run out of drugs; eager to buy some drugs

11. The sense of orality of this written text is given by:
the way S imitates in writing oral pronunciation:
o phonetic spelling, abbreviated forms
manipulates word choice:
oslangy words and idioms
manipulates styles:
o colloquial, highly slangy
 gives indications of para- and body language
Grammatical complexity (as it occurs in this text)
- not characteristic for oral communication
(i.e. they contradict orality)
And yet, simulated pronunciation and word choice prevail.
Conclusion:
How does the writer give a sense of orality to his text?

12. Bibliography
Books:
Vizental, Adriana. 2009. Meaning and Communication From Semantic Meaning to Pragmatic
Meaning. Arad: “Aurel Vlaicu” University Press.
Vizental, Adriana. 2008. Phonetics and Phonology: An introduction. 3rd edition revised. Arad:
“Aurel Vlaicu” University Press.
Online sources:
http://vizentaladriana.ro/videos/Video-Main/Trainspotting%202.mp4
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trainspotting_(novel) (accessed on 30.11.2015)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scots_language (accessed on 30 .11. 2015)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_English (accessed on 30 .11. 2015)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_English (accessed on 30 .11. 2015)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trainspotting_(film) (accessed on 1 .12. 2015)
http://www.dsl.ac.uk/ (accessed on 01.12. 2015)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paralanguage (accessed on 01.12. 2015)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_language (accessed on 1.12. 2015)
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/sideways-view/201501/what-is-body-language
(accessed on 01.12. 2015)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Head_shake (accessed on 01.12. 2015)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_group (accessed on 01.12. 2015)
http://itcher.com/mag/trainspotting-book-character-analysis/ (accessed on 01.12. 2015)
http://www.internationalphoneticalphabet.org/ipa-sounds/ipa-chart-with-sounds/ (accessed on
01.12. 2015)