Monday, May 12, 2008

What's happening to the English Language?

? where r we mtg 2mor pm
404 SIG2R SUITM :-)

This is an example of a kind of linguistic shorthand commonly used by young people on cell phones, in instant messages and in emails. In plain English, it reads:
I have a question. Where are we meeting tomorrow afternoon?
I don't know (code: 404). Sorry, I've got to run. See you in the morning. >smile<

In his technology blog last month on WSJ.com, Ben Worthen quotes James Billington, the librarian of Congress, who recently expressed concern about what he called "the slow destruction of the basic unit of human thought, the sentence."

Worthen asks the inevitable question: "With these young people set to join the workforce over the next decade, are we headed towards a dystopian office culture in which employees turn in reports and make presentations full of abbreviations and emoticons?"

My opinion? I think chat acronyms are okay for text messaging or informal emails. Teachers and businesses should not accept them. This is possible only if our institutions hold fast to standards.


Technorati Tags: English Language, instant message, WSJ.com, Ben Worthen, James Billington, librarian of Congress, chat acronyms, emoticons, business, communications, public relations

1 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

I am a young person and NO ONE actually texts or emails like that. It is the biggest misconception that teenagers use text speak. More of us don't speak or text like that than those who do.

Sunday, April 03, 2011 9:27:00 AM  

Post a Comment

<< Home