They are usually easy to interpret. TLW discuss the ways that facial expressions contribute to the meaning of spoken speech. With the absence of facial interactions in on-line communication, many smiley symbols representing various emotions have been developed to help with understanding. TLW match the emoticon with the meaning. TLW create at least one emoticon and its meaning and see if a classmate can guess what emotion it expresses.
Students often use the internet to communicate in chat groups and by e-mail.
This will expose them to the most commonly used emoticons they might encounter. Show a smiley face overhead 2. Ask them what human emotion it represents. Discuss that when you are on-line people can not see you face to face but must rely totally on what you type. Define a smiley or an emoticon as a symbol typed to represent a human emotion or feeling.