The National Forum   Donate   Your Account   On Line Opinion   Forum   Blogs   Polling   About   
The Forum - On Line Opinion's article discussion area



Syndicate
RSS/XML


RSS 2.0

Main Articles General

Sign In      Register

The Forum > Article Comments > TXTNG - new language - new literacy > Comments

TXTNG - new language - new literacy : Comments

By Dale Spender, published 24/7/2009

There is probably more antagonism towards the mobile phone and txtng than there is to any other new literacy.

  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. 2
  4. 3
  5. All
I have no problem with texting. A clever and inventive way to save money. It seems to be just an updated version of Shorthand and serves a similar function...saves time and money.
However it is not a new literacy anymore than Shorthand was. You still need to understand the underlying language before you can read and text effectively and the number of words that you can creatively shorten is indeed limited. It's a bit like the calculator. It sure didn't replace numeracy.
Posted by blairbar, Friday, 24 July 2009 9:26:29 AM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Texting might be a new language but it's not a new literacy. In a thought provoking article, the one thing that's missing is an understanding of communications. There is no point in recording a thought in text (or heiroglyphics) if the person reading that thought can interpret the message differently from what was intended, or indeed, fail to understand it completely. Texting is no different from other forms of jargon that have been created by the legal profession, politicans or the military - language that assumes knowledge of, and experience in, dealing with the jargon presented.
Use of jargon is always risky because it assumes the reader has the same knowledge and experience as the author. Given that most mobile phone messages have a social undertone it is probably acceptable for most communication over the phone but it represents inappropriate use of jargon when used for writing essays, policy papers or letters to the editor.
Posted by Nigel from Jerrabomberra, Friday, 24 July 2009 9:53:22 AM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Texting is fine in its place. I predict it will die out as the phones that drive it become more sophisticated and communication becomes more oriented around voice rather than text.

There will always be a place for the written word and people could do no more than remember the following words of wisdom :)

Punctuation is the difference between
I helped my uncle, Jack, off his horse. and I helped my uncle jack off his horse.
Posted by mikk, Friday, 24 July 2009 10:57:41 AM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
I see that the brain-boiling features of mobile ‘phones are in the news again. This time a neurosurgeon is convinced. Just what kids need to finish off their already underused brains.

Any other ‘new literacy’! More like new illiteracy putting a finishing touch to the inability of youngsters to read, write and speak their own native language. Whether the young horrors are texting or talking face to face, they are totally incapable of communicating with other generations. They have nothing to say, no matter how they say it.

It will be interesting to see how far down society will go after the generation brought up on mobiles has to take over.

In the meantime, my main concern with mobile users is their brainless use of their stupid instruments while they are driving a car. That is far more important than blah from an academic writer whose sort is to blame for the dumbos being turned out of the education system.
Posted by Leigh, Friday, 24 July 2009 10:58:24 AM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Abbreviated texting is seen in other languages too - in Indonesian I've seen 'trims' for 'terimah kasih' (thank you).

Trouble arises when the recipient doesn't understand the clipped text.

I'm 63 and a former C'wealth policy person whose business was words. I place great value on literacy and the subtleties, nuances and power of language (and languages). Everything written has its own 'register' - high, middle or demotic - but in a world where language is power: job applications requiring statements addressing formal selection criteria, for example - I wonder how many of today's frenetic texters make the elliptical style so 'normal' that they lose, or never develop, the ability to write English that is effectively functional for serious purposes.
Posted by Glorfindel, Friday, 24 July 2009 11:09:26 AM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Some suggested reading:

http://crabbyoldfart.wordpress.com/2009/06/15/god-damned-young-people-and-their-cell-phones-make-me-furious/
Posted by Clownfish, Friday, 24 July 2009 11:09:48 AM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Texting is OK. No prob there. Crystal cares more about language preservation than new fangled technologies. Dale buried the lead in this story which was that kids think virtual communities are real, like you and me and a car crash is real.

Nope.

They are simulators. Texting simulates and 'shorthands' text, that's all.
Posted by Cheryl, Friday, 24 July 2009 3:57:42 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Clownfish,
Thanks for that link.

Funny old bloke. I loved it.
Posted by Banjo, Friday, 24 July 2009 10:16:57 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Here are a few personal thoughts in support of text and the mobile phone:

1. Promotes the user ID in an otherwise idiotic world.
2. promotes externalising behaviour over internalising behaviour
3. Exposes the ID of the new politic of the Juvenile tribe .
4. Prioritises the personal value of communication to an economic equation
5. Aids in the OHS of youths by simple and habitual text communication.
6. Formidable Political protest tool of the people (used effectively following the 2004 Madrid train bombing and attributed to currying of support amongst the Spanish for Zapatero’s Socialist workers party and the shock ousting of the pro Iraq war/pro Bush Peoples party of Aznar in the 2004 Spanish general elections ).
Posted by diver dan, Friday, 24 July 2009 10:41:12 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
g 1 d

I'm 55 love txting, tlk with mates and kds on txt att.

I also have a great grasp of comparing people to summer's days and ask ? re a 2 bruta, I get brb communication which is now old -^-, speak espanol and with real effort can translate Krudd.

Lifes g8 eh?

2 ell wid old ds
Posted by keith, Saturday, 25 July 2009 10:50:32 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
every mother allowing her children to be up all night in their room texting away is depriving them of sleep (wasn't the CIA using that as torture) and encouraging them to fail at school, or in other words abusing them by over indulgence.
Posted by Formersnag, Sunday, 26 July 2009 4:46:54 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Keith
Como estas! My post above. Come on make my day!
Posted by diver dan, Sunday, 26 July 2009 5:52:36 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Muy bien, Diver Dan. ?Y Tu?

Soy estudiante y primo leccion dos semana mas alla.

Soy espanol es lento y poco.

Tu peguntas facil y dificil ... En espanol!

Hasta luego mi nuevo amigo
Posted by keith, Monday, 27 July 2009 3:50:33 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
I have no problem with new words, new literacies and the evolution of language. I can imagine that many prudish people were put off by Shakespeare's 'corruption' of the language through the invention of new words. He did it a lot!

The problem I have with textspeak is that it destroys the meaning of words, in a sense. I teach my literacy classes to look for word roots when trying to understand the meanings of words. Those word roots are often revealed by obscure spelling and basic letter patterns, all of which are destroyed by textspeak.

If kids are able to use the language of texting as an alternative language pattern, rather than a replacement pattern, then that is fine. We don't mind kids learning Japanese alongside English, as long as they don't forget how to use English. The same applies here. If, however, the new spellings replace the old ones, we have a problem. We could effectively reduce kids' vocabularies which, according to recent studies, reduces their ability to learn.

The focus needs to be the same as it was in the days of shorthand and still is with the phonetic alphabet - text spelling is a useful tool to be used in specific contexts.

By the way, I NEVER use text spelling. I just can't bring myself to do it.
Posted by Otokonoko, Monday, 27 July 2009 10:59:49 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Keith,

Then a comment in English would be fine (I submit to your interest in Spanish: It is a close enough cousin to Latin. May I suggest as you study Spanish, delve into some corresponding Latin. If your interested, I can give you a web site with nine free lessons) .

I would be interested to hear of your comments on any conclusions from my list above; but in keeping with the Spanish theme, particularly the last on the list (Re Spanish overthrow in 2004).

"Dos vedanya Tovarisch!"
Posted by diver dan, Tuesday, 28 July 2009 9:26:10 AM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. 2
  4. 3
  5. All

About Us :: Search :: Discuss :: Feedback :: Legals :: Privacy