Is Texting Ruining the English Language?

Some people argue that the new technologies and their new words and grammar are ruining the English Language. CMC (Computer Mediated Communication) are now part of our daily lives, believe it or not. Every day, we look down on our phones to check our social media and to send texts and messages, we discuss and talk to other people through chatrooms and social networking sites. In fact, there are 3.84 billion active social media users around the world, which represents 45% of the world’s population and it is likely to continue increasing in the next few years ⁽¹⁾.  See? It is part of daily lives of many people. However, does it really change the English Language for the worse? There are many myths about texting and how it destroys the English Language, such as “text messages are full of abbreviations”, “abbreviations are new-fangled”, “kids use textese in essays and exams and are failing as a result” and of course “The English Language is being destroyed”. Those who answered yes to my question would probably agree with these myths, but they are called myths for a reason. Are you ready for the reality now? If that’s the case then keep on reading. Professor David Crystal, a British Linguist, proved in an interview that those were just myths. “Text messages are full of abbreviation”, wrong, in fact only 10% of the words we typed in are abbreviated. “Abbreviations are new-fangled”, well actually they were from 100 years ago. People used to play language games many years ago and used abbreviations. “Kids use textese in essays and exams and are failing as a result”, kids don’t do it all the time. Invigilators were interviewed about this matter and they even stated that “there are the odd ones but it is very unlikely to find essays and exam answers that include abbreviations and text features”. School children were also interviewed and one even said “it’s stupid and we would lose marks if we did that”. Lastly, “the English language is being destroyed”. No. The English Language and changing and evolving, it’s not being destroyed. Ever heard of the saying “change is inevitable”? Well, it also applies to languages, but just because it is changing doesn’t mean it’s being ruined and destroyed. It just means we’re improving and adding more features in our language that can be more efficient when used appropriately, like in texts and social networking sites.

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(1)  Battisby, A. (2019). The Latest UK Social Media Statistics for 2019. United Kingdom: [online] Avocado Social. Retrieved from https://www.avocadosocial.com/latest-social-media-statistics-and-demographics-for-the-uk-in-2019/

Road to Success: Regional Accent or Received Pronunciation?

“It is important that we teach children that, to get on, they must speak Standard English with an RP accent”

I agree with most of what the statement say; that it is important to teach children to speak Standard English because it makes a person look smart and educated. Also, Lindsay John, a writer who mentors young people in London, states that slang/improper English “sounds stupid and uneducated”, and he also said “I want the young people that I mentor to be taken seriously” (1). He has a point. If children and young people get used to speaking Standard English then it would be easy for them to communicate with many different people as they grow older. Also, during job interviews, speaking proper/Standard English is really beneficial as it makes you sound clever and knowledgeable. The last part of the statement, “with an RP accent”, is I think unnecessary. If you grow up in a particular part of a country, it is expected that you’d pick up the accent as you grow older, so you don’t need to change or disguise it because it’s part of who you are. In fact, Esther McVey, Britain’s Secretary of State for Employment, says “young people with strong regional accents should not have to change the way they speak when they are trying to get a job” (2).

However, it is understandable that RP or Received Pronunciation is the easiest accent to understand by many people. Speaking Standard English with an RP accent makes a person seem more educated than speaking Standard English with a regional accent. According to BBC, RP is “considered to be the language of elites, power and royalty” and “RP English is said to sound posh and powerful” (3).  Lindsay John says “under pressure… the young people revert to type. They revert to street slang and therefore it prejudices their application” (1). Therefore, it would be very beneficial for children if they learn to speak Standard English with an RP accent at a young age. The Guardian reveals that “28% of Brits feel discriminated against because of the way they speak” (4).

Overall, I think the most important thing to teach children is to speak Standard English. After all, to be successful in life, it’s how hard they work that matters and not how hard their accent is.

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Appendix 1: Maynard, P. and Green, L. (2013). Should schools ban slang from the classroom? Video debate. United Kingdom: [online] The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/video/2013/dec/09/should-schools-ban-slang-video-debate

Appendix 2: Graham, G. (2014). Don’t drop your regional accent just to get a job, employment minister says. United Kingdom: [online] The Telegraph. Retrieved from https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/jobs/11165178/Dont-drop-your-regional-accent-just-to-get-a-job-employment-minister-says.html

Appendix 3: Hogenboom, M. (2018). What does your accent say about you? United Kingdom: [online] BBC. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20180307-what-does-your-accent-say-about-you

Appendix 4: Dathan, M. (2013). Does your accent really hinder your job prospects? United Kingdom: [online] The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/careers/accent-hinder-job-prospects