Just Chatting: Teachers’ Notes

Level: Good Intermediate and higher

Time: 30 min

Ages: Adult

Grammar/Language area: Internet English, fixed

expressions, acronyms, abbreviations

Activity

Students work in pairs/threes to decipher a text based on chat room English then create their own

‘chat room’ conversation.

Instructions

1. Tell the students about how you recently started chatting on the Internet. However, you found

it very difficult to understand at first because there are so many abbreviations and acronyms

used. Tell them they are going to read and discuss a conversation you downloaded from the

net and try to understand it.

2. Assign partners.

3. Tell the students that you are going to give them a record of an Internet chat and that they

should read it and discuss it to try to understand the general meaning of the conversation.

Stress that it is not necessary to understand everything that is written at this stage. Set a

reasonable time limit (5-7 minutes).

4. Monitor while students carry out activity but do not help with the meanings of acronyms etc.

5. Carry out a quick feedback session.

6. Tell the students that you are going to give them a Chat Dictionary, which will help them to

understand the text better. Then tell them that they will race with the other pairs/groups to

complete a written version of the text in plain English.

7. Handout the ‘chat dictionaries’ – one per team.

8. Restart the activity.

9. Stop the activity when the first team finishes and check the text with the whole class.

10. Tell them that they now have to come up with their own ‘Chat room conversation using the

dictionary you gave them earlier. Set a reasonable time limit.

11. When the activity is finished collect in the results and mark them, or alternatively, rotate the

resulting conversations clockwise for deciphering by the adjacent team.

12. Conduct a quick feedback session if necessary.

Just Chatting: Worksheet

Work with a partner using the key provided to see how quickly you can decipher the

Internet ‘chat’ conversation below.

Jim: OMG! Judy! You can’t be serious! You’ve got a baby OTW! I didn’t even know you were in

a LTR!

Judy: Well, actually I don’t have a BF.

Jim: OIC … When’s it due?

Judy: ADN

Jim: Who’s the father?

Judy: IDK 4 certain … but it could be U

Jim: NW!!!

Judy: Well IIRC we did meet IRL about 9 months ago and …

Jim: Yes, BTA we didn’t … U no … did we?

Judy: IDK we got so drunk … IAC ILU WIBNI we got married?

Jim: Well … ILU2 babe … but U no … it’s … kinda difficult I’m already in a LTR.

Judy: U R already married?

Jim: (HHIS) … Well …yes …

Judy: U R a LBR!

Jim: Sorry! G2G BFN!

Judy: Hey Jim! B4 U go – What’s the D8?

Jim: The first of April why?

Judy: BG – AF! FYI … JK I’m not pregnant! :^D

Jim: U *****!!! I believed you!

Now see if U can make up a 10 line ‘chat’ conversation with your partner.

Chat Dictionary

2: to/too

4: for

121: one to one

ADN: any day now

AFAIK: as far as I know

AFK: away from keyboard

A/S/L: age, sex, location (or just "ASL")

ASAP: as soon as possible

B4: before

B4N: bye for now

BBL: be back later

BF: boyfriend or best friend

BFF: best friends forever

BFN: bye for now

BG: big grin

BRB: be right back

BRT: be right there

BTA: but then again

BTW: by the way

C: see?

CID: crying in disgrace

CNP: continued [in my] next post

CP: chat post

CU: see you

CUL: see you later

CYA: see you (later)

CYO: see you online

DBAU: doing business as usual

FWIW: for what it's worth

FYI: for your information

G2G or GTG: got to go

G: grin

GA: go ahead

GAL: get a life

GF: girlfriend

GFN: gone for now

GG: gotta go

GJ: good job

GL: good luck

GMBO: giggling my butt off

GMTA: great minds think alike

GSOH: good sense of humor

GTG or G2G: got to go or get together

H2G: have to go

HAGN: have a good night

H8: hate

HHIS: hanging head in shame

IAC: in any case

IANAL: I am not a lawyer (but)

IC: I see

IDC:I don't care

IDK: I don't know

IFSFWI: if the shoe fits, wear it!

IIRC: If I recall correctly

ILU: I love you

ILY: I love you

IMNSHO: in my not so humble opinion

IMO: in my opinion; or "IMHO" - in my humble opinion

IOW: in other words

IRL: in real life

JC: just chilling

JK: just kidding

JSUK: just so you know

K: all right

KFY: kiss for you

KTHX: Okay, thanks.

KPC: keeping parents clueless

L8R: later

LBR: loser beyond repair

LD: later, dude

LDR: long distance relationship

LLTA: lots and lots of thunderous applause

LMIRL: let's meet in real life

LMSO: laughing my socks off

LMK: Let Me Know

LOL: laughing out loud, lots of love

LQTS: laughing quietly to self

LTP: learn to play (L2P)

LTR: long-term relationship

LULAB: love you like a brother

LULAS: love you like a sister

MML: making me laugh

MOOS: member(s) of the opposite sex

MOSS/MOTSS: member(s) of the same sex

M/F: male or female

N1: nice one

NALOPKT: not a lot of people know that

NE1: anyone

NM: not much, nothing much, never mind

NP: no Problem

NVM: never mind

NW!: No way!

OIC: Oh I see

OMG: oh my God/ oh my goodness,/oh my gosh

OLL: online love

OMW: on my way

OTOH: on the other hand

OTW: on the way

PAL: parents are listening

PAW: parents are watching

PIR: parent in room

PLZ: please

PlzKThx: Please. OK? Thanks. (Thanks in advance)

PDA: public display [of] affection

R: are

RL: real life

ROFL: rolling on floor laughing

RPG: role playing games

RP: role play

SA: something awful

SGXK: set a good example for the kiddies

SHID: slaps head in disgust

SLAP: sounds like a plan

SO: significant other

SOMY: sick of me yet?

SOT: short of time

SUF: shut up fool

STHU: shut the h*** up

THX: thanks

TIA: thanks in advance

TMI: too much information

TTFN: ta-ta for now

TTYL: talk to you later

TTLY: totally

TY: thank you

U: you (common); ‘How R U?’ or ‘U do it!’

Uno: You know

UW: you’re welcome

WAYT: what are you thinking?

WB: welcome back/ write back

WDYT: what do you think

WFM: works for me

WIBNI: wouldn't it be nice if

WIP: work in progress

WTGP: want to go private?

WTG: way to go

WUIP: wind up in progress

WYCM: will you call me?

WYSIWYG: what you see is what you get

Y: why do you ask?

YM: young man

YW: you're welcome