John McWhorter: Txtng is killing language. JK!!! 1. In contrast to what many older generations believe about texting, discuss McWhorter's views on the subject. What does he think and why? Older people believe that texting is harming our language. But McWhorter argues that texting is helping evolve it. He also views texting as a language of its own. 2. Describe the similarities McWhorter draws between speaking and texting. Instead of viewing texting as a written language. He views it as a spoken language he thinks we should view it more like speaking. Whatever is texted we should say it. 3. Explain how "lol" has evolved over the years. Laughing out loud is lols old meaning. LOL is now used as a transition or a maker of empathy and accommodation, according to McWhorter. …show more content…
Discuss McWhorter's purpose for drawing a connection between various individuals from various points in time (i.e. the professor, a schoolteacher, the President of Harvard, a superintendent and a poor man, among others). To show how school officials from many years ago, have always wanted proper language. Such as, capital letters, correct spelling,etc. All of these generations listed have always thought young people couldn’t write or read well. 5. What is the last thing McWhorter says he would want to know if he had the ability to go into the future? What would he do with this knowledge? He wants to see texts from 16yr old girls. He would then send the texts back to his time and compare the future texts with modern texts. To, figure out where and how the language has
In the article “2b or not 2b”, David Crystal begins with discussing how others such as John Humphry argued that texters are “vandals who are doing to our language what Genghis Khan did to his neighbors 800 years ago. They are destroying it” (335). This is also the common belief of most people. People often argue about the bad points of technology over our language. However, Crystal believes that texting can improve children’s ability to read and write rather than hinder their literacy as many people claim. He also argues that not all texting are done in abbreviated words. Complex messages and institutional messages are often texted in standard form of
Authors such as David Crystal along with language teachers like Shirley Holm supply Cullington with valuable experiences and opinions on why texting benefits young adults. Cullington picked up that texting allows students to have a “comfortable form of communication” (365) which aids them in their growth in the English subject. After the author gathered a great number of sources and opinions from either side, she then decided to conduct her own experiment to which she got her own results.
We as a society are evolving with each generation to come. We are getting stronger, faster, and smarter. Just as cell phones are no longer square blocks with numbers on them and TV’s are not in black and white, writing itself has also evolved. Once upon a time many wrote and spoke in a Shakespearean form of language and over the years it has evolved into something we call modern English. In recent years, technology has advanced greatly and cell phones have become one of our primary use of communication. With cell phones came a new form of writing called text messaging. Text messaging is used to send short, concise messages to anyone around the world. Often times text messages involve the use of abbreviations which stand for different things and also involves frequent use of emoji’s as a form of expression. This form of writing is now considered informal writing and is not acceptable in academic settings. In Michaela Cullington’s essay “Does Texting Affect Writing?” she touches on both sides of whether texting is hindering students writing or if it’s actually having a positive effect. She then makes is clear that she believes most students are educated enough to know when text speak is appropriate and when it’s not so therefore it has no effect on students. Although, I agree with her thesis, she lacks credibility due to her insufficient evidence. In addition, I also believe
Recently I read ‘Feed’, by M.T Anderson, a dystopian novel about how advancement in technology is negatively affecting our society and the way we communicate with each other. The author led me to believe that these advancements, such as texting, are causing our language to deteriorate. Further research proves that texting may be improving and many are learning to accept. When the era of the written word dies, will we be left with an illiterate generation with poor grammar? Students are texting constantly. In and out of class, it is becoming a bigger and bigger part of their lives. Some might say that we are creating a less literate generation, but research shows that texting improves student literacy for three reasons. First, texting improves
The Texting Generation Has texting changed the way you write or speak? In the article “2b or Not 2b?” by David Crystal, the advancement in technology and texting is explained to have effects on English and the way people write. Crystal also mentions that texting has helped students in their writing. Even though texting has taught kids and students how to create shortcuts in their writing, the English language will not change, students’ writing will not change, and the understanding of texting being different from writing will not change.
“Does Texting Affect Writing" is divided into four parts: Concerns about Textspeak, Response to Concerns,
In David Crystal’s article “2b or Not 2b”, he disapproves the common belief that texting will destroy language. Crystal states that he thinks texting may even add a new dimensions to how we communicate and or improve our literacy skills. Pointing out the fact that no one has to actually know the proper form of language before using alternatives or abbreviations. Texting gives freedom and creativity to the person writing and an opportunity to experience a different way to interact with others. Crystal on page 341, simply concludes that no matter how much we are playful and powerful with texting it is just simply overall “fun”. Though, not all will agree, many feel it is a problem that needs to be removed.This came from a counter argument written
She seemed to be “surprised” at how unique the responses between college students and teachers were. Cullington examined research papers that students wrote and reported situations of textspeak. She discovered as the research papers demonstrated the base effect regarding texting on student composition and how college students have been able to separate in formal or standard English and informal or casual writing, tested by their term papers. Ever since technology began so prominent in the modern world, can anyone remember going outside for more than 30 minutes and not see a cell phone or computer? This is not only just like a phone call, but you'll be looking at your partner in the face, and are required to reply on the spot in this situation.
In Does Texting Affect Writing? Michaela Cullington responds to the criticism from the naysayers in the section called “Responses to Concerns about Textspeak.” I don’t feel she persuasively responds to the criticism from the naysayers. Cullington provides us with findings from a book and what supporters of texting think, but it lacks the “why” part of how texting is beneficial. She also goes on to say that teenagers created “an entirely new language” but that still does not explain to me how texting is affecting writing in a positive way.
Among the language and writing, arise the texting. In the video, John affirms that texting it’s not writing, instead of this, texting is the act of write in same way that we talk. In my opinion, the main reflection that we have to do is how the technology affect
In the article” Is Texting Killing the English Language?” from TIME, they start the article off with one critic referring to texting as the downfall for the written word. “Penmanship for illiterates,” The article goes not agree with the critic. The article explains that texting is the new kind of talking. In these times there is hardly any hand written correspondence. If you want to reach out to someone you send then an email or the most common is a text. Texting has made reaching out to someone so easy and convenient. If you have a thought, or an idea you grab your phone and send a text message. You usually have a response within seconds. I don’t think that technology is killing the written language; I feel that it is just making it easier to have quick communication with others. I feel that texting is like short hand you are abbreviating words to get your message across quickly. Our society is so rushed and
Texting is not a language, it is not killing language. The language children are around is what determines the way they speak, not a simple text. In the TED Talk video “Txtng is killing language. JK” by John McWorther we are told that it is incorrect when a statement like this is spoken “Texting is a scurge. Texting spells the decline and fall of any kind of serious literacy or among any young people in the U.S and now the whole world today.” In order to see that texting is a miraculous thing we have to pull the camera back and look at what language really is. Texting is not writing, when you text you do not write in complete sentences, sometimes do not even give a complete thought.
John McWhorter a linguistic(someone who studies language or linguistics) says texting is killing our language or damaging the writing portion of it. But he says it isn't true. Texting is a way for kids, teenagers, and adults express their feeling in a different kind of way. They express our feelings by saying things we wouldn't say in person. Some people think texting and writing are two of the same types of writing styles. Language started about 80 thousand years. Writing is something that came along much later. First came speech and then writing. Before we write an article or a presentation on something we think or even say it out loud. When we talk casually we usually attend to talk in a more looser way. Meaning
Texting is a fairly new form of communication that has taken the world by storm. It became popular around 2001, and originally had its limitations, such as the 160-character limit. But now that technology has advanced, texting has followed along and is now a convenient, casual, and a more immediate way of communicating. So naturally, texting has evolved also in terms of the language used within it. We see this mostly in the form of abbreviations and short hand spelled words. Some people argue that texting has ruined the English language. Studies and observations have shown that the benefits of texting and cyber speak are much more broad then expected. Textisms have been shown to increase phonology skills, brain activity, creativity and provide a relatable outlet for students in education.
Texting has been brand new for the last twenty years. It is our latest way of communication and can be controversial in many ways. I would like to speak to the High schoolers who are learning how to become better writers and readers. In our generation the phone and many other electronic devices were invented. We have Apple's new iPhone 10 and many other devices at the tips of our fingers. This has made many of the older generations doubt these new devices are helping rather than hindering our educations and lifestyle choices. A man named David Crystal wrote an article about how texting is beneficial for our communication.