By ALEX BISHOP
York Catholic High School
Computer slang is being used at an all-time high: Is this a good thing?
Every generation has its own slang. In the 1920s it was words like "big cheese" and "speakeasy." In the 1960s it was "groovy" and "funky."
With today's communication being so influenced by new technology, phrases like "lol" (laugh out loud), and "brb" (be right back) are easily recognized among today's youth.
There are countless ways to shorten the length of a regular conversation over the computer or while texting by decreasing the number of letters typed with clever, and sometimes, incomprehensible acronyms and phrases.
What began as a convenient and informal way to communicate with one another is starting to sneak into classrooms.
"It has become its own language," said JoAnne Melfa, who teaches seventh- and eighth-grade reading at York Catholic High School. "It is not a bad thing, but education needs to focus on the proper use of language."
The Internet is influencing most aspects of our lives. People can post videos, or check the latest stock update for a particular business, so why wouldn't the Internet also affect our language?
With blogs, AOL Instant Messenger, and social networks like Facebook and Myspace, proper English is being distorted in almost every imaginable way.
"In graded essays, I see the letters 'r,' 'u' and other incorrect abbreviations instead of typing out the full words," said Terri Eline who teaches English at York Catholic High School.
Eline said that the transition from cell-phone texting and communication on the computer to typing essays is almost an unconscious act.
"It is done often enough that it translates into academic work," she said.
Both teachers agree that computer slang used in schoolwork is not yet a major problem, but could become one. As technology becomes more interactive, accessible and convenient, people will use it more.
Why talk in person when you could simply send an e-mail to someone?
"I see our people skills weakening in terms of face-to-face communication," Eline said.
This could be, and mostly likely, is the result of internet-based language.
Language is constantly changing.
Vernacular in the 1800s is different than present-day language. In 50 years, "lol" and "brb" might appear in the English dictionary as acceptable phrases, just as words like "bling" and "booty" have found a place in some of today's dictionaries.
Though most people would like to preserve the correct way to speak English, no one can stop trends and slang from changing the way we communicate.
Whether it is cave men's drawing on walls, writing in sand with a stick, or sending an "IM" to the other side of the world, the human language is something that will never be permanent.
Ty 4 RTWT. (Thank you for reading the whole thing.)
I agree that people use the computer language too much in class rooms. I myself find myself writing things like "u" in essays and have to go back and change them. On the other hand it is a handy way to cut back on the amount of typing in an IM or a text message.
I like sum happy time with mum and dad ;)
I am currently studying A2 English Language and am on the subject of language change. I completely agree with you've said and would like to add that the teachers interviewed were quite possibly PRESCRIPTIVISTS, meaning they would rather lay down a set of rules to overn the language and preserve it as it is, which they believe to be the "correct" way. I, on the other hand, am a DESCRIPTIVIST, meaning I acknowledge and welcome change into our language, this is due to the fact that change is inevitable. Over the years, the English as a culture and a nation has "borrowed" words from other languages, almost as if we are trying to make a "Best Of" of the world's languages, and then carry on changing the lexical, pragmatical, graphological and phonological aspect of the words. For example, "sluagh ghairm" was derived from Gaelic, meaning "war cry" and over time, the meaning has broadened and the spelling has changed dramatically to "slogan".
Also, as already stated, social and technological changes suggests a push forward in the language, a new chapter if you will, which will ultimately result in the continuation of our language changing over time. You never know, in 50 years time we may have words that we'll hear and think "What on Earth does that mean?"
Language change is going to happen, nobody can change that, and unlike the French, I don't honestly believe too many people in this country care whether or not the language changes because with language change comes an all-round change. We have come to far to fret about the "state" of the language, we should allow, and prosper in the thought of, the language changing and never being stagnant.
Blake Lee