Assignment 7

In the Essay “A Way With Words, or Away With Words: Effect of Texting and IMing on Language” by Timothy Barranco , the author discusses about the usage of text and the negative impacts that text messages might make on standard English. As the author points out in the introduction, some people believe that the wide usage of text language among teenagers, a result of the growing popularity of instant communication such as text messages or instant messages (IMs), are damaging teenagers ‘ language skills and impairing their ability to use proper English. As those people argue, teenagers have a hard time differentiating formal English and text English after using the later on instant communication for a long time, and it results in research papers that are full of text abbreviations as well as other forms of improper and informal English. However, the author makes the counterargument claiming that many evidences actually suggest that there is no need to worry about the negative effects that text language might bring to young people. Moreover, as the author argues, text language is necessary and important in the evolution of language, and it adds a creative spirit into the writing of youth.

The author makes plenty of evidences to support his claim, and most of them cite from various experts on language. For example, in his first evidence, Barranco makes use of the findings of two researchers from the University of Toronto. According to their research, the usage of text language and other forms of informal languages actually holds only a small percentage in the writing of text users. As the two researchers conclude, one cannot possibly use abbreviations and informal English fluently and correctly without getting to know its proper form as well as components.

In the second evidence, the author quotes a professor of linguistics from American University in Washington D.C. After analyzing the data collected, the professor concludes that teenagers generally give up text language and other informal writing for standard writings as they enter colleges. According to the professor, few abbreviations are used among college writings, and the selling is good. In other words, as the author states, the potentially negative effects of text usage among teenagers are not lasting.

The author also draws other similar form of evidences, often analysis of data by experts, to support his claim. Nevertheless, I am the most convinced by the evidence drawn from his personal experience, which is more convincing and persuasive than a collection of data from sources unknown and impersonal. The direct experience of the author also supports the claim made in the previous evidence which suggests that a transition to college life reduces the usage of informal text language. As the author admits, as a college student he uses text language less frequently since his audiences are primarily businessmen, professors, and others who prefer formal language. He also adds that his peers and friends are also restricting informal usage of English as they enter the adult working world too.

Finally, the author reiterates that the formation of text language plays a vital role in keeping standard language alive and new. In other words, if the standard language cannot adapt to the adding of languages like text language, it will be gradually out of the scene. Here the author uses examples of great writers like William Shakespeare and Charles Dickens to illustrate his point that throughout the history English language has been modified to reach its full potential in expressing ideas. Most important of all, as the author put it, we shall embrace the introduction of text language while knowing that some informal and shortened usage of words like “b4” (before) will never ever replace their predecessors.