Abbreviated language: 

Innovation or Linguistic laziness?

Undoubtedly, the answer for the teachers is the latter one. Not only do they see this as linguistic laziness but they also view this as a big headache and the death of English. Is this really true? I mean, have the teachers or educators overstated the seriousness of the phenomenon?

However, according to Hazadiah Mohamad Dahan and Noor Zaina Idris, who have done a study about 'How technologies affect language use and how this can potentially lead to language change in Malaysia", "New objects, concepts, new activities may require new terms, new ways of expressing... This involves creation & innovation in language use (Stockwell, 2002; Coulmas, 2005)." (Quoted from a study on Research, Asia Research News)

Nowadays, many students are blamed for using abbreviated language which they use in electronic communication in their classroom writing. Students tend to write what they want to say with as few words as possible. Actually, those students are not lazy or stupid at all! To play with the abbreviated language, students must have a good sense of how the sounds of the shortened words connect with the letters. They need to think before they spell the words. Why don’t we consider this as creativity and innovation instead of laziness?

In fact, there are many abbreviated forms are closely related to our daily life. Have you ever thought that why we add “A.M.” after the morning time? It is actually an abbreviated language that was recorded long time ago. “A.M.” stands for “Ante Meridiem” which means before noon in Latin. Imagining we always write “Ante Meridiem” after a specific of time, does this imply that we are very smart and not lazy? No! Conversely, people may think that we are a weirdo. So why is this abbreviated form generally accepted but not “skool”, “gr8” or “oic” that are mostly used in text messaging?

I remember Rodney mentioned about Shakespeare creating many words by himself in the lecture. Yet, we don’t think that they are the errors or affecting our spelling skill even though we learn them. Instead, we see his poems and poetries etc as one of the most beautiful and important literature in the history of mankind. Why?

I think people accept “A.M.” or “thee” but not “u” because the former ones were created much earlier than the text message-abbreviated language and have been recorded in the dictionaries for many decades. However, text messaging is criticized a lot and some people think that they were made up by children. Ironically, the tendency towards text messaging in growing and sweeping all over the world nowadays. There are not only students use it, my student’s mom also uses it!

I don’t think people should be old fashioned anymore! The world is changing because of the advanced development of technology. However, if we fear, that will only hinder the progress. We need innovations!