Everyday language and everyday life - Essay Example

Oh my gosh, I’m a dork, shoot me. Laughing out loud… “See you at the bar for pizza tonight!” Obviously, no parent, from his or her perspective, could interpret that perfectly! The preponderance for jargons or acronyms for texting and emailing came as a natural consequence of the need for speed in communicating messages across various medium. Further, since cell phones have virtually minute screens to contain long words and complete sentences, people who are in a hurry to send instant messages creatively designed messages in shorthand.

Even businesses need to be apprised of these jargons and abbreviations to answer messages coming from diverse stakeholders. A secretary behind closed door meeting could instantly text: PEBCAK to her colleague to mean Problem Exists between Chair and Keyboard – to which the recipient could reply: FYI I’m OTP (for your information, I’m on the phone). With the basic objective of increasing the speed by which messages are sent and delivered, the emergence of abbreviated words came as a necessity and as a form of creative expression.

Does it really have a negative effect on children in terms of literacy and correct usage of the English language? While viewing it’s Only a Theory from You Tube, an interesting proposition was being defended by David Crystal, a professor of linguistic from Bangor University, that “texting is good for the English language”. He disputed several myths, one of which is that kids use abbreviations in texting which leave letters out affecting their knowledge to spell. Likewise, these abbreviations continue to be used in essays and examinations which mean that adults are rearing this generation of kids that are totally illiterate.

The funny thing is that Professor Crystal concluded the contentions my saying that these are all a load of chicken droppings. Texting, with all its abbreviations, when used frequently is