IM language is not spoiling English, say Canadian researchers
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Tue, 01 Aug 2006 12:26:00 GMT |
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Nigel Wright |
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TORONTO: Are you one of those conformists who believe the IM culture is spoiling Queen's English? Here's evidence to disprove you! A research team from University of Toronto has found that teenagers, while using the messaging language, are in fact showing their mastery of both formal and informal language. They are not losing touch of what they learn in English classes.
Sali Tagliamonte, a professor of linguistics at the university, said these teenagers are "showing us that they have a really good command of the English language, so much so that I was really blown away by how fluidly they operate."
The findings of the research are being presented at the annual meeting of the Linguistics Association of Canada and the United States.
Tagliamonte and her team studied the conversation logs of 71 Toronto teenagers, comparing their use of language while speaking and while messaging. They found that while they tended to use popular acronyms of the web like "lol" (laughing out loud), they also made extensive use of formal language in their messaging.
Instant messaging language mirrors patterns in speech, but teens are using a combination of formal and informal language in their on-line conversations, the researchers concluded. They use similar language to chat on-line as they would in person, but they are also throwing in some of the formal language taught in English classes.
Tagliamonte said the teens have demonstrated fluid mastery of the full spectrum of resources that is available to them.
"When you look at the total number of words these kids are using in the full spectrum of their communication, these types of features represent a ... rare subset of their communication," she said.
An interesting feature of the research is that the shortened language messaging enthusiasts use, like lol, and the emotional text language, like 'ha, ha' and 'argh,' represented just 2.4 per cent of words in IM texts.
They are really not as widespread as one would believe, said Derek Denis, 21, Tagliamonte's student researcher.
Copyright,
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IM Language
By:
Student ,
Sat, 24 Feb 2007 01:11:35 GMT
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well its not our fault that teachers are too old and cant understand the writing of the future, i think that all of the teachers should have to do some IM's to become a teacher, becuase if they dont understand the writing of the furture who will?
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Makes sense...
By:
Matthew Thomas ,
Thu, 10 Aug 2006 14:17:32 GMT
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It makes sense that IMing would have at least some positive effect on using language: even if you are using slang and misspellings, you still must be able to piece together words in a coherent manner to get your point across. It's easier to let "good grammar" slide when you're talking -- you can convey more information through body language and tone. But when you've got only letters (and the occasionally "smiley") to communicate, you need to make sure it's going to work. The more you IM, the more you realize that some word combinations, though they work verbally, don't work in text. Unless they come up with their own rules, the rules we've already got is the only way to go. (The same goes for all the emailing we do too, but of course, IM is at a much faster pace.)
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IM-ing
By:
Scott Kushner ,
Tue, 08 Aug 2006 14:34:35 GMT
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In the 90's, I was worried about the how computer use would decrease the amount of human interaction, and that still worries me to a certain degree. But I have since become addicted to email, to name one thing. It has enabled me to interact with friends and family that I might not normally have steady contact, not to mention the ease by which one can be involved in what's happening in the world at large. At the same time, I still highly value an articulate use of the language. To me, it represents how much effort a person puts into their thinking, before that thought comes pouring out of their mouth (or keyboard). The hair on my neck still goes up when a colleague sends me an email that has "i" instead of "I", no punctuation, etc.
That being said, it seems that technology has enabled a whole different level and means of communication. I attended a conference last year, and just about every workshop mentioned IM. One of the speakers said that if you want to communicate with your kids, you better get on board with IM, even if they are in the next room. I have to say that, after having worked in a high school for ten years, that IM has provided a forum for communication and a sense of "belonging" for even (or especially) those on the outer fringe of the popular social strata. What does all this mean for language? If we are speaking about communication, then I think we are the ones falling behind. If we are speaking about writing a thoughtful essay, that involves critical thinking, editing and the like, that requires not only knowledge but patience. And that I believe, and there are studies to confirm it, is the real problem: lack of patience. Not just in young people, but in our society at large. I think we need to find a way to teach that before we can get people to take the time to think and write clearly, critically, and comprehensively.
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IM language
By:
Judy Harris ,
Thu, 03 Aug 2006 16:57:12 GMT
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I wish we would see that here. Our students struggle with formal English as it is, and IM bleeds over all over the place! I become very irritated when I get email from students that is FULL of IM "slanguage". I especially am frustrated when that "slanguage" then shows up in their essays and exams, even when they have 2-3 weeks to do essays and sometimes are even able to do rewrites! ARRRRGGGGHHHH!!!
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