The worlds of virtual communication and formal communication are no longer completely exclusive to each other. Emojis, once only used in online communication, have become a staple of our everyday communication and can now often be seen in formal written communication. In some instances, such forms of pictograms have even become an accepted communication strategy for overcoming language barriers, and in some circumstances are being used to achieve effective interlingual communication.
In this post, we`ll consider the role of the emoji in formal written language, and how effective this form of communication is.
To add a personal touch
Speakers may use emojis to try and express themselves more accurately, convey tone, and avoid misunderstandings. Some research shows that using emojis may even present the speaker as more friendly and competent.
A display of communicative honesty
The use of emojis may help build connections with clients because they are often deemed, to be honest expressions, or a realiable way to display emotion.
To catch the reader`s attention
Because they are eye-catching, emojis help emphasize the importance of the message in question. They may also lead to an increase in audience engagement.
Using practices of communication (such as emojis), in the realm of formal communication, also presents the following drawbacks:
Emojis aren`t universal
Emojis aren`t always understood in the way that the speaker may have meant them. This is because there is no universal agreement on what specific emojis might represent. Like many language elements, readers bring their own linguistic and cultural experiences when interpreting an emoji. This means that a communicative exchange containing emojis could also result in an interlingual miscommunication, with potentially detrimental consequences for the sender-receiver relationship.
Amongst the other factors governing the use of emojis in formal communication practices, one of them should be the age of the receiver and the industry in which one is communicating – in some, it may be more appropriate to use such practices than others.
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