New-age lingo changing our lives
by Jane Sissons
“Cn u rd ths witot ne prblm?” Of course you can, because communicating in full and coherent sentences is now a thing of the past.
Due to the introduction of new communication technologies such as email, and mobile text messaging, the English language is in a state of rapid transformation.
Text lingo has now become a second language to most teenagers and has created short-cuts in people’s lives. This is because abbreviated words make these messages easier and quicker to communicate therefore making this technology such as the cell phone even more desirable.
Although text-speak makes communication easier, overuse of mobiles can be dangerous. Making hundreds of tiny repeated movements can cause repetitive strain injury, or otherwise known as “text finger”. The symptoms include, painful swelling and inflammation of the fingers and thumb.
In 2006, a Wellington high school allowed their students to use text language in their exams. They can use abbreviations for many words, such as, “2moro” for tomorrow and “gr8” for great.
“Text-speak can save time and gets to the point,” says Wellington’s Hutt High School, film and media teacher, Judy Cassidy, “I have no problem with my students using text language in their work.”
NZQA deputy chief executive of qualifications, Bali Haque, said that credit can be given in exams as long as the answer shows a clear understanding, even with text abbreviations.
Meanwhile, Bill English, National Party’s education spokesperson, comments that it is “ridiculous” to accept text-speak in exams and that the Education Minister Steve Maharey should throw this idea out.
In London, the quickest way to call for help in an emergency will soon be through text messaging. By sending the message to a new emergency line, 999, people will be able to use text-talk to call for help, such as, “hlp, fyr n hse”, which is text speak for “help, fire in house”.
Signals sent out from the mobile will let emergency services know of the location of where the text sender is.
With increase use of text-talk in people’s lives, and the introduction of many more communicative technologies, the full English language will slowly fade away.
Wot do u fink?
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Wihle one can raed, wtih rletavie esae, any wdros taht hvae tiehr ltetres all mxeid up (jsut not tiehr frist or lsat oens), taht dosen’t maen tehy csotniute good Elsnigh. Txet seapk is jsut for taht - txeitng! Cehr.
I LIke the idea that the Beyebull has been trnsltd in2 txt. The owenlee prblm w/tht is it co$ts a 4toon to dwnld, chptr’n'vrse