The Effect of Texting on the Language

SMS languageor Textese (also known as txtese, chatspeak, txt, txtspk, txtk, txto, texting language, or txt talk) is a term for the abbreviations and slang most commonly used due to the necessary brevity of mobile phone text messaging, in particular the widespread SMS communication protocol. SMS language is also common on the Internet, including in e-mail and instant messaging. It can be likened to a rebus, which uses pictures and single letters or numbers to represent whole words [17].

For words which have no common abbreviation, users most commonly remove the vowels from a word, and the reader is required to interpret a string of consonants by re-adding the vowels (e.g. dictionary becomes dctnry and keyboard becomes kybrd). The reader must interpret the abbreviated words depending on the context in which it is used, as there are many examples of words or phrases which use the same abbreviations (e.g., lol could mean laugh out loud or lots of love, and cryn could mean crayon or cryin(g)). So if someone says ttyl, lol they probably mean talk to you later, lots of love not talk to you later, laugh out loud, and if someone says omg, lol they probably mean oh my god, laugh out loud not oh my god, lots of love. Context is key when interpreting textese, and it is precisely this shortfall which critics cite as a reason not to use it (although the English language in general, like most other languages, has many words that have different meanings in different contexts). SMS language does not always obey or follow standard grammar, and additionally the words used are not usually found in standard dictionaries or recognized by language academies.

The advent of predictive text input and smartphones featuring full QWERTY keyboards may contribute to a reduction in the use of SMS language, although this has not yet been noted.

The objective of SMS language is to use the least number of characters needed to convey a comprehensible message, also as many telecommunication companies have an SMS character limit, another benefit of SMS language is to reduce the character count of a message, hence, punctuation, grammar, and capitalization are largely ignored.

The dialect has a few hieroglyphs (codes comprehensible to initiates) and a range of face symbols. According to a study, though it is faster to write it takes more time to read than normal English. According to research done by Dr. Nanagh Kemp of University of Tasmania, the evolution of ‘textese’ is inherently coupled to a strong grasp of grammar and phonetics.

There different even contrary point of view on this phenomenon. Some scholars and professionals claim than this language is destructive only but others affirm that it develops the language.

Welsh journalist and television reporter John Humphrys has criticized SMS language as "wrecking our language". The author cites ambiguous examples such as "lol" which may mean "laughing out loud", "lots of love", or "little old lady", depending on the context in which it is used. Humphrys describes emoticons and textese as "irritating" and essentially lazy behaviors, and surmises that "sloppy" habits gained while using textese will result in students' growing ignorance of proper grammar and punctuation.

David Crystal has countered the claims that SMS has a deleterious effect on language with numerous scholarly studies. The findings are summarized in his book ‘Txtng: the Gr8 Db8’. Despite scholarly research to the contrary, the popular notion that text messaging is damaging to the linguistic development of young people and to the English language itself persists. In one American study, researchers found that less than 20% of messages used SMS language. Looking at his own texting history, the study's author, linguist David Crystal, noted just 10% of his messages used SMS language [7, 135].

We would like to present the most widespread and the brightest examples of SMS language. Single letters can replace words: be becomes b, see – c, okay – k, okay cool – kk, are – r, you – u, oh – o. Single digits can replace words: ate becomes 8, for – 4, to or too – 2, won or one – 1. A single letter or digit can replace a syllable: ate becomes 8, so: great – gr8, wait – w8, later – l8r or l8a, tomorrow – 2mro, for or fore becomes 4, so: before – b4, therefore – thr4. Abbreviations for the whole phrases are used: As far as I know - afaik, Age/Sex/Location - a/s/l or asl, As soon as possible – ASAP, At the moment – atm, Be right back – brb, By the way – btw [17].

Another group of people stick to statement that SMS language has a good effect on the language. Text messaging may help language development. Text speak, rather than harming literacy, could have a positive effect on the way children interact with language, says a study. Researchers from Coventry University studied 88 children aged between 10 and 12 to understand the impact of text messaging on their language skills. They found that the use of so-called "textisms" could be having a positive impact on reading development. The study is published in the British Journal of Developmental Psychology. "Children's use of textisms is not only positively associated with word reading ability, but it may be contributing to reading development," the authors wrote in the report. The children involved in the study were given 10 different scenarios and asked to write about them using text messages. The textisms were split into categories, including shortenings, contractions, acronyms, symbols and non-conventional spellings, and analysed for their use of language alongside more traditional schoolwork [18].

"The alarm in the media is based on selected anecdotes but actually when we look for examples of text speak in essays we don't seem to find very many," said Dr Beverley Plester, the lead author of the report and senior lecturer at Coventry University. Texting is likely to be an important part of a child's learning development, she thinks. "The more exposure you have to the written word the more literate you become and we tend to get better at things that we do for fun," she said. The study found no evidence of a detrimental effect of text speaks on conventional spelling. "What we think of as misspellings, don't really break the rules of language and children have a sophisticated understanding of the appropriate use of words," she said. Other reports have produced similar results. Research from the University of Toronto into how teenagers use instant messaging found that instant messaging had a positive effect on their command of language.

To our mind text messaging for all that has a negative effect because communicating a lot by text messaging we get accustomed to the SMS language so much that even not consciously we use it in our everyday speech and in formal writing. Moreover the grammar rules are violated in texting and finally step by step we become victims of illiteracy caused by the SMS language influence.

So, with the advancement of technology come new etiquette rules, for example, cell phone speech etiquette which as a subtype of speech etiquette has its own set of etiquette formulas which are used both in oral and written forms of communication on the cell phone. Cell phone speech etiquette is especially important for people in business as using this type of etiquette favours the success and positive result of negotiations. Cell phone conversation needs such preparations as getting an information about whom one is calling, convenient time to do this, the reason for call and help one can offer. The most common etiquette rules are: short and exact questions and answers, listening to partner, low volume of speaking, smiling while speaking, professional speaking, and using general speech etiquette formulas. Written representation of cell phone speech etiquette is texting etiquette. It appeared recently as text messaging began less than twenty years ago. But texting usage has both advantages and disadvantages because it is very cheap, quick and convenient mode of communication but it effects the literal language badly.

 

 

CONCLUSION

Speech etiquette undoubtedly is of special importance for investigations as it is inalienable moment in communication in different social situations. That is why we have chosen the topic of our study ‘Speech and Texting Etiquette on the Cell Phone’.

Accordingly, we analysed the literature and investigated the formation and development of etiquette and the variety of its types, the use of SEF in communication. Cell phone etiquette, as one of its types, implies using of the SEF conformably to situation. Texting etiquette is a written representation of the SEF but in brief form.

So, we have come up to the following conclusions:

► etiquette began because of the need to behave correctly in social situations;

► depending on the sphere of usage etiquette can be of different types: Court Etiquette, Diplomatic Etiquette, Business Etiquette, Netiquette, Wedding Etiquette, Speech Etiquette, Cell Phone Speech Etiquette, Texting Etiquette, etc;

► functions of the SE are based on communicative function of the language;

► within the speech etiquette two more subtypes can be distinguished: cell phone and texting etiquette, the first pertains with oral communication and the second pertains with written one;

► cell phone speech etiquette is the system of communication formulae which can be used to establish contact, to make the it go on or to break it between the participants of communication;

► cell phone speech etiquette appeared as a result the advancement of communication technologies which demand using SE;

► cell phone speech etiquette favours successful and effective communication acts;

► the most common etiquette rules on the phone are: short and exact questions and answers, listening to partner, low volume of speaking, smiling while speaking, professional speaking, and using general speech etiquette formulas;

► texting etiquette – are rules of using formulas of speech etiquette in sending short messages from one phone to another;

► the scholars have opposite points of view on problem of the SMS language effect, the first state of its negative effect on language and the second of its positive effect.

 

RESUME

Курсова робота досліджує проблему етикетного спілкування, яке регулюється правилами мовленнєвого етикету в типових ситуаціях спілкування по телефону. Ця проблема є актуальною сьогодні, оскільки розвиток і застосування новітніх технологій у спілкуванні сприяють застосуванню мовленнєвого етикету у нових умовах, що формують нові види етикету.

Об’єктом даної роботи виступає спілкування по телефону. Предметом – особливості використання мовленнєвих етикетних формул в усному і письмовому спілкуванні по телефону.

Актуальність проблеми визначила мету нашого дослідження – дослідити і визначити особливості етикету у спікуванні, а також грунтовно дослідити поняття і використання таких підтипів мовленнєвого етикету як телефонний мовленнєвий етикет та телефонний текстовий етикет.

Робота складається з двох частин. В першій частині “Етикет, його типи і функції” розглядається мовленнєвий етикет, історичний та лінгвістичний аспекти його розвитку, а також фактори, що визначають вибір комунікативної формули.

В другій частині “Типи телефонного мовленнєвого етикету” досліджуються причини виникнення телефонного мовленнєвого етикету, його типи, використання комунікативних формул під час спілкування, а також вплив мови текстових повідомлень на розвиток мови в цілому.

Робота викладена на 30 сторінках, список використаної літератури складає 21 джерело. Курсова робота складається з наступних структурних компонентів: титульної сторінки, змісту, вступу, двох частин, висновків, резюме і списку використаної літератури.

Ключові поняття: етикет, мовленнєвий етикет, телефонний мовленнєвий етикет, етикет текстових повідомлень, формула комунікації, SMS мова.

 

LITERATURE

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16. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Text_messaging

17. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMS_language

18. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7910075.stm

19. http://www.essortment.com/all/telephoneetique_rbpa.htm

20.http://www.sideroad.com/Business_Etiquette/business-phone-etiquette.html

21.http://www.wirelessdevnet.com/newswire-less/thefeature04.htm