Language & Technology

1. Language & Technology Catherine Janson 0702090 Elizabeth O’Sullivan 0700234 Amie Saxby-Hines 0704870 Charlotte Hayhoe 0703082

2. Rationale “A new technology always has a major impact upon language, whether written or spoken” (Crystal, D. 2002, p.126) • Interesting • Contemporary issue • Lots of new research • Has an impact in schools

3. Introduction • Text Talk • E-Mail • Abbreviations • Internet – blogging Email+Texting+Blogging+Social Networking sites = people writing more how they speak and less like they used to write (http://www.englishlanguageexpert.com/articles/technology.php 25/11/08)

4. Background • Language of technology now called ‘Nerdic’ language • Communication technology brings speech and writing closer together – blended together “The internet is a genuine new medium of linguistic communication taking some of the properties of the two traditional mediums, speech and writing, synthesizing them in a novel way, and adding further properties which were unavailable to either” (Crystal, D. 2002, p.129) • “The world of computing generates a rich crop of neologisms which are likely to endure” (Johnson, 2004)

5. Text Talk • Gr8 • WUBU2 • LOL • CUL8R • G2G • T2UL • TB • ROFL • BRB Some research has found that teenagers do not see text messaging, instant messaging and emails as writing. However, they believe writing is a fundamental skill for success. (Lenhart, A. Arafeh, S. Smith, A. & Rankin Macgill, A. 2008)

6. Neologisms! • LOL • Google- transition to verb • Blog • Emoticon • Phishing

7. Investigation • Aim: To find out how different generations view technology, and its effect on language. • Method - ask 15 people to complete questionnaire • 0-19yrs • 20-39yrs • 40+

8. Investigation cont. • Qu. 2 – are children using mobile phones at a younger age? • Qu. 4 – If people use predictive are they less likely to abbreviate? • Qu. 8/9 – does informal setting increase abbreviation use?

9. Investigation cont. – What we found • Younger people are more technologically advanced, therefore less aware of the drastic change in language. • However, we found all but one were in agreement that language had changed due to technology; teenagers seem to be using/recognising abbreviations more than the older generation in their everyday vernacular.

10. School Experience • Young children using text talk • Must be taught Standard English • Professional in school – model language • Level of formality in situations

11. Conclusion • The prescriptive view is that language shouldn’t change and many participants in our investigation reaffirmed this. • Huang (2008) argues that some teachers and politicians are worried that the increasing use of text messaging is going to make future generations illiterate. This is because it involves misspelling words, not using vowels and punctuation.

12. Conclusion • However, progressionists believe language change enriches our vocabulary “Languages and means of language production continue to evolve for centuries … people have been constantly intervening with the English language”(Baron, N. 2000, p.261) • Some linguists, such as Jean Aitcheson, retain the academic standpoint that language changes constantly, and it is neither good nor bad, just natural.

13. Bibliography • Baron, N. (2000) Alphabet to email: How written English Evolved and where it’s heading London: Routledge • http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A765722 10/12/08 • Crystal, D. (2002) The English Language: A Guided Tour of the Language London: Penguin Books • Crystal, D. (2006) Language and the Internet Cambridge: Cambridge University Press • http://www.englishlanguageexpert.com/articles/technology.php 25/11/08 • Huang, L (2008) "The Death of English (LOL).(The Technologist)(text messaging)."  <http://find.galegroup.com/itx/start.do?prodId=AONE>(Accessed 21/11/2008)

14. Bibliography cont. • Johnson, R. (2004) New words, slang, idioms, street talk, and euphemisms, http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/oxf-dent.htm • Lenhart, A. Arafeh, S. Smith, A. & Rankin Macgill, A. (2008) Writing, Technology and Teens • http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSTRE4B90YA20081210?rpc=64 12/12/08 • http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~kemmer/Words04/neologisms/e.html 9/12/08 • Waters, N (2006) Eats, Roots and Leaves: An open-minded guide to English Norwich: International Waters