Debate: Language and technology

Hi all, I hope you are all well. my name is Mahmud Amirat and a child of the British Empire-born in Burma new name is Myanmar, grew up and educated in Kosad-Surat, Gujarat State in India and arrived in the UK in 1950s.

My hobbies are education, travelling and sharing knowledge!

English is my 5th language: other are Bumease, Urdu-national language of Pakistan, Hindi-the national language of India, Gujarati- a state language of Gujarat, a mother- language of immigrants in the UK.
I am a teacher of Gujarati, holding Certificate in Gujarati from The London University.
I am a senior citizen, awiting result for a Diploma in 'Sociology' from the Open University and next year may qualify for 'BSc'.

Now come to the point recently most used words in media is 'Mantra' a Hendi scared word meant an object of concentration/repeating...'other' are Memshahib-a respected word for an English lady. 'GORA Shaheb: a respected word for an Europeon in the local language...

Q: KEM CHHO? How are in Gujarati

A: HOUN MAJEMA CHHON. Meant I am OK.

Hope to share enhance our knowledge with you academics people in due course.

Regards,

Mahmud

Does anyone think that instant messaging via the internet has a damaging effect on spelling and grammar by encouraging people to write phonetically. Abbreviations are OK but people need to know the formal standard forms and spellings. Or does it not really matter anymore. Will the written word ever become redundant??

When you're honest about the amount of writing doen by the average child in the good old days, you'll find that apart from the occasional Xmas letter, most kids wrote little but their homework.

More kids than ever are communicating with text. This is definitely effecting how they think, but it certainly doesn't effect their agility with words, as the explosion of street poetry shows.

And then there is the constant evolution of language away from adult decryption. It was never like this when the only form of remote communication with friends was the postman.

Having never SMSd in my life and having absolutely no foreseeable need or intention of ever doing so, I can't understand what the fuss is all about to anyone save cellphone marketers.

I think it may have a more damaging effect on those who are in their pre-teens rather than those who are perhaps in thei mid or late teenage years. Those who are, say, 16 or 17 were only introduced to the world of instant messaging a few years ago, whereas the children who are now getting their first mobiles at age 8 are more likely to be influenced by the txt tlk they are using to chat to their friends. Also, as children are now having access to instant messengers and text messaging from earlier ages, they come into contact with the simpler, phonetic spellings whilst they are still grasping the 'standard', less logical ways. Those who are currently in their later teens (or even adults) are likely to have a firm grasp of the standard spellings, making them less influenced by the txt tlk, however much it is used outside of formal situations.

I think that it is still important to know the formal standard forms and spellings. Whilst the abbreviated and phonetical forms have their place, so do the standard ways.

Does txt msg spk xst nemor?

Hasn't predictive spelling made it more or less obsolete, except for in Prince song titles and the modishly wacky?

I think you're wroung... As we have grown up with increasing technology we understand it well and know when it is appropriate to use such language features and when it is not. We change style in order to suite the context.

a wise point, what has happened to the youth of today?
Being a technophobe the affects of such things do not effect me. though i know a particularly stupid person - Chris Eaton