The Internet and the English Language by Terence Carter

1. The Internet and the English Languageby Terence Carter Clark Undem April 21, 2008

2. Millions of people use the internet every day English is the language choice of the internet Reading/Writing is the main form of communication online One would expect to see a trend toward improved writing skills The opposite is true Facts

3. Overview The overwhelming popularity of the internet is causing the English language to suffer. • Possible Reasons • Young people • Young internet users are “shiftless” and uninterested • Typing is a slow form of communication • Most internet communication is informal • Internet Lingo, a Second Language? • Evolution or Devolution • Invisible person syndrome • All things must change

4. Example Email • terry:how R U?i hope things OK. System crashed yesterday, possibly fried HDD. if you could, please swing by the office tonight to fix it.thx!cul8r-cp

5. Very Informal • There are 11blatant errors highlighted. And that’s not including the words that are completely omitted such as: • I hope things ARE OK • Can anyone imagine turning in something like that into Mrs. Harris.? • Does everyone understand the email?

6. terry:how R U?i hope things OK. System crashed yesterday, possibly fried HDD. if you could, please swing by the office tonight to fix it.thx!cul8r-cp

7. Evolution or Devolution • Devolution • The English language is clearly being butchered • Internet Lingo • Correction Tools • Evolution • People seem to be unhindered, accepting, even preferring the so called “internet lingo” • Everyone loves Spell check

8. Why Use Internet Lingo • Users try to contend with the rush of incoming information in real-time • Increased pressure to receive, process, and react to information on the fly often results in responses that are in general: • Curt or short in nature • Smaller words are preferred over longer, more difficult to spell synonyms • Abbreviations creep into the structure of the sentences. • All finesse is omitted in the interest of saving time

9. A Second Language

10. Examples • U • C • R • 2 • @ • lol • ttyl • g2g • lmao • jk • ihiptc

11. U C R 2 @ lol ttyl gtg g2g lmao jk ihiptc You See Are To At Laughing out Loud Talk/type to you later Got to go Laughing my ass off Just kidding I hope I pass this Class Examples

12. The “Invisible Person” Syndrome • Why strive for perfection in the English language when no one knows or cares who you are? • Anonymity breeds indolence

13. All Things Must Change • New technologies=New words • Industrial and Technological Revolutions • Internet communication has its own set of rules that do not follow the standards of good English. • Is this an evolution of the language, or merely a phase that must be endured until the medium evolves, and finds its own voice. • Only when a comfortable medium between today's "net-speak" and standard English is reached, can we hope to see any substantial positive changes in the English language.

14. Questions?

15. g2g l8ter