British and American culture
Email and text messages

Last in a series of articles on British and American culture.

In the final article of this series we’ll take a look at some useful vocabulary used in email correspondence and text messaging.

Email vocabulary

Here is a short list of vocabulary often used in email:

an attachment
a backup
a browser
a chat room
to click on
to cut and paste
to delete
to double-click
to download
an e-mail
an e-mail address
to e-mail someone
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
a file
a folder
to highlight
home
a homepage
instant messaging
a link
to save a file
snail mail
spam
to surf the net
a website

In English, an email address such as Laura.Sanz@freemail.sp is read:
Laura dot Sanz at (followed by the rest of the address).

Useful phrases – email

Have you got Internet access at home?
Have you got broadband?
What’s your email address?
Is there an Internet cafe in the area?
You can find that on the Web.
We have created a chat room.
You can download it from …
Just send me an e-mail.
We e-mail each other daily.

Mobiles and text messages

Common abbreviations used in text messages

Useful phrases – mobile phones

Have you got a mobile?
What’s your mobile (phone) number?
Please switch off your mobile phones.
My phone needs charging.
You get a better signal in the corridor I think.
I’ll send you a text.
I have a missed call from home.
Have you checked your phone?
How do I download that ringtone?
I’ve got my phone on ‘vibrate’.

A Spanish language version of the text above is available in the 'Guía Cultural' section of Macmillan Diccionario Pocket, a bilingual English-Spanish/Spanish-English dictionary.
Spanish text written by Paz Blanco Castro
Translated into English by Sinda Lopez