verbtenses usage Textspeak is Streamlining Language. Not Ruining it. | The New Republic txt msgs r running language *ruining ^lol, jk!! In many casual discussions of language and the internet, it’s not uncommon to hear about how such “textspeak ruins language”—how technology has made everybody lazy with their speech and writing. Of course, language does change when it’s used to text or write messages on the internet. And contrary to the idea that these innovations are corrupting language, they actually demonstrate a creative repurposing of symbols and marks to a new age of technology. Change doesn’t mean decay It turns out that people have been complaining about language being “ruined” for as long as they’ve been writing and speaking. In a TED Talk, linguist John McWhorter shared stories of people complaining about language change through the ages. And a 1871 quote from Charles Eliot, the president of Harvard University, might sound familiar: Wikimedia CommonsFormer Harvard president Charles Eliot spouted a ‘kids these days…’ refrain that’s been repeated throughout history.
Structure of speech This web page is intended for students who are following GCE Advanced level (AS and A2) syllabuses in English Language. This resource may also be of general interest to language students on university degree courses, trainee teachers and anyone with a general interest in language science. For a more detailed explanation, see the guide to Pragmatics on this site. Introduction In answering questions at Advanced level, you will have opportunities to interpret language data, which are included in the exam paper. Speech and writing The outward difference between speech and writing is a source of much confusion. Speech is historically prior to writing, and most people speak long before they are literate. Back to top However, if either deserves to be called the "real" or original form of the language it is speech. It may well be that in the 21st century, speech will no longer be seen as the poor relation of writing, or its less educated precursor. Transcribing spoken data Conversational maxims
Emoticons and symbols aren't ruining language – they're revolutionizing it txt msgs r running language *ruining ^lol, jk!! :) In many casual discussions of language and the internet, it’s not uncommon to hear about how such “textspeak ruins language” – how technology has made everybody lazy with their speech and writing. Of course, language does change when it’s used to text or write messages on the internet. And contrary to the idea that these innovations are corrupting language, they actually demonstrate a creative repurposing of symbols and marks to a new age of technology. Change doesn’t mean decay It turns out that people have been complaining about language being “ruined” for as long as they’ve been writing and speaking. In a TED Talk, linguist John McWhorter shared stories of people complaining about language change through the ages. And a 1871 quote from Charles Eliot, the President of Harvard University, might sound familiar: Young Theodore Roosevelt – a student at Harvard in the 1870s – was possibly among those young men being described.
Rhetoric Rhetoric Rhetoric is the study of effective speaking and writing. "That form of speaking which has the intention of making an impact upon, persuading, or influencing a public audience." Rhetorical devices are frequently used consciously in advertising and in public speeches to create an effect. Rhetoric may be used to present a case in the most effective way, showing verbal dexterity. Examples of Rhetorical Devices Onomatopoeia (sounds suggest meaning) Metaphor (a thing is spoken of as being that which it only resembles) Syllogism (a logical argument in three parts - two premises and a conclusion which folows necessarily from them) Irony (deliberate use of words to mean the opposite of their literal meaning) Allegory (a symbolic narrative) Isocolon (the use of clauses or phrases of equal length) Antithesis (words balanced in contrast) Anaphora (repetition of a word at the beginning of consecutive sentences) Hyperbole (exaggeration) Two basic principles of Socrates: 1. The Skills of Rhetoric
Death of the English Language | Karen Ann Kennedy It started out innocently enough with text messaging. Suddenly, we all started to LOL with our BFF. We politely alerted people when we were AFK by announcing BRB. When asked, we IMO told people what we were thinking (yes, that haircut was a bad idea), and when someone ticked us off (which they inevitably do) we declared in our most exasperated way of typing WTF! Then, this insidious habit of abbreviating everything started creeping into our spoken word. Suddenly things were just "gorg," teenagers thought your nagging was just "whatevs," and that gift you got for your birthday was "amaze!" Have we really become this lazy? As a writer, I am a fan of the English language. I've long despised this shortening of words, and it began with my name, Karen. The name shortening has been happening for years, and I've never ranted and raved about it, but with this new habit of shortening every possible word in the English language, I've had enough! So what? "Is it as bad as I fear?" "It's worse."
Recommended Teachers' Resources This site exists to support students and teachers of English A Level, especially English Language. Copyright Beth Kemp 2005-present. Text from this site may not be copied for commercial gain, although you are free to use for study purposes. If you teach English Language A Level, I’d recommend the following online resources: Membership of the English Language List (found under ‘subscriptions’ on this site) This email list is where teachers of A Level Language share resources and discuss aspects of the course. The relatively new site The Grammar Teacher, maintained by Dick Hudson and Geoff Dean has lots of helpful (and recent and positive) material about grammar. Membership of Teachit - especially the now-included Language SputnikSubscription to Emagazine and EMC Extra Emag is a fantastic magazine for sixth form students of English (all varieties!) As for books: David Crystal’s “Cambridge Encyclopaedia of the English Language” is great to have in the department.
LOL if you must, but the internet is actually making English better - Quartz The internet is positively amazeballs. But the unedited, character-limited way we communicate on the web and mobile is often blamed for ruining the purity of language, English or otherwise. What hope is there for future literary greats when wacky internet terms like “adorbs” and “LOL” make it into the most revered dictionaries? Is the internet destroying the foundations of language? The answer is no. Here’s the full, 21-minute documentary: “Every time a new technology comes along, people think it’s the end of the road for the English language, and indeed sometimes for languages in general,” linguist and author David Crystal says in the film. Indeed, many past technologies have aroused similar fears of linguistic doom: The printing press allowed people to spread dangerous or immoral material; the telephone blocked people from communicating face-to-face; the telegram undercut the rules of grammar. In a way, electronic communication has actually enhanced the written word.