While most teenagers use shorthand expressions in their instant messages, it’s not actually lowering standards of grammar. That’s according to a University of Toronto study by Sali Tagliamonte and Derek Denis. Detailed analysis found that while the words and phrases differed from the registers that would be expected by parents and teachers, the structures of their expression were often perfectly correct:
The study finds that instant messaging language does mirror patterns in speech, but that teens, surprisingly, are actually using a fusion of different levels of diction. Teens are using both informal forms that their English teachers would never allow, yet they also use formal writing phrasing that, if used in speech, would likely be considered “uncool.â€
“Everybody thinks kids are ruining their language by using instant messaging, but these teens’ messaging shows them expressing themselves flexibly through all registers,†says Tagliamonte. “They actually show an extremely lucid command of the language. We shouldn’t worry.â€
Via slashdot
Share this post:
No related posts.
Recent Comments