I recently read an article called, “r u online?” by Kris Axtman for my ELANG class. I thought that it was very interesting, and that the author included some interesting points on the evolution of the English language. I decided to post up my response on it, as the author had some great ideas about the changing language.
The English language has been evolving since before it was created. Presently, a new language is emerging through IM and the internet. It is a shorthand written language, that is spoken mostly by teens and young adults. It is hard to understand how some people are still so against change in the language. In the article, Axtman writes, “To some, it’s a creative twist on dialogue, and a new, harmless version of teen slang. But to anxious grammarians and harried teachers, it’s the linguistic ruin of Generation IM (instant messenger)” (363). There are some who believe that this emerging language will be the downfall of English language as we know it, but those people need to realize the changes that English has gone through thus far. The English we speak and write is the result of those who made changes to the language to keep up with the changing world. Instead, I think that teachers should incorporate this emerging language into their classrooms. Students could blog using “Net Lingo,” as the author calls it, use it in rough drafts, or do translation assignments with it. The fact is that teachers do not know what the future will hold, or whether or not this new language will be important. On that note, it is imperative that teachers prepare their students for every possibility, or as many as can fit into the curriculum.
On the point of an evolving time, I found one statement in the article very interesting. In the article, Mary Anne Thomas stated that, “Instant messaging has just replaced the phone” (364). Considering that this article was written in 2002, the fact of a changing time is only reinforced. Presently, instant messaging is the phone. People of nearly every generation, including my parents, are now instant messaging through the phone. People are talking on their phones less and less, and instant messaging through them more and more. Our culture is changing before our eyes. Teachers need to jump onto this bandwagon and prepare their students for anything their futures may hold. The English language is bound to change and be changed. People need to learn that change is good, and that the English language is not being destroyed, but only being reinvented for the future.
Recent Comments