Is Texting Ruining the English Language?

Eva LinDep. of Edu

ACTIVITY

HOW TEXTING DEVELOPED?

How texting developed?

• “Short” text message sent between electronic devices(PC, cellphone, etc.)

• Less punctuation, loose structure, less capitalization

• more and more popular among younger generation through the internet

LANGUAGE AND TEXTING

Language and texting Spoken Language Written LanguageAge earlier much laterAcquisition start speaking during

the first two years of life inborn rather than

learned

have to learn to write typically builds on learning to speak

Retrievability could not be captured or preserved without recording

permanent

Formality more casual (7~10 words in a sentence)

more formal, reflective

Change continual and fast change

slower and less sweeping changes

Write like the way we speak

Language and texting

• Speak like writing v.s “write like speaking”• Development of technology makes it possible• Spoken language mixes with the written

language

A NEW FORM OF LANGUAGE

A new form of language

• A decline/down fall of writing skills/literacy?• Emerging complexity• LOL• Slash

Susan: I love the font your using it, btw.Julie: lol thanks gmail is being slow right now.Susan: lol, I know.Julie: lol, I see it.Susan: So what’s up?Julie: lol, I have to write a 10 page paper.

Sally: So I need to find people chill withJake: Haha so you’re going by yourself? Why?Sally: For this summer program at NYUJake: Haha. Slash I’m watching this video with suns player trying to shoot with one eye

A new form of language

• Require more awareness to text• Increase writing

CONCLUSION

conclusion

• An uncertified worry• A whole new language and an inevitable trend

in the near future• Similar changes in Chinese

潮屌 立馬已讀不回

GG了 神回覆肉搜

References

• http://www.linguisticsociety.org/resource/whats-difference-between-speech-and-writing

• http://ideas.time.com/2013/04/25/is-texting-killing-the-english-language/

• http://www.ted.com/talks/john_mcwhorter_txtng_is_killing_language_jk#t-503715

• http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.468.1595&rep=rep1&type=pdf