Purchase Solution

What has changed the language we use in the United States?

Not what you're looking for?

Ask Custom Question

This is an assignment I am trying to help my daughter with and although I will not be giving her the answers I need to know how to help her please.

What is the main point of this essay?
What is the greatest strength of this essay?
Does the introduction grab your interest and make you want to read on? Explain your answer.
What material does not seem to fit the main point of the essay or does not seem to be appropriate for the audience?
Where should the author add more details or examples? Explain your answer.
Where is the writing unclear or vague?
What is your favorite part of this piece of writing?
What other comments can you provide for the author?

What has changed the language we use in the United States? The question is something we may not always ponder. Put a frog in boiling water and hill jump right out of the pot. Put him in cold water and set it to boil he will slowly cook. The point being are we slowly letting the conceptual language of good grammar and substance content slip away? I just wonder if change for the sake of shortcuts and glib internet communication is shortchanging the youth of today. The internet has changed the language we speak, and write today by accepting acronyms, texting, instant messaging and abbreviated speech as normal communication in the United States.

Last year (Simpson, 2007) stated that according too the CTIA the wireless association, people under the age of 25 years old text an average of 30 billion messages a month.

Leading our future generation into a path of instant and abbreviated communication and leaving the youth of today confused and unable to carry on face-to-face communication.

In the world of texting phrases like ADIP: another day in paradise or IMHP: in my humble opinion. There are thousands of acronyms today even a web site:
www.netlingo.com, where a person can find any acronym to abbreviate almost any communication from substantive speech-or-written in addition, smiley faces and blurbs.

With emailing today, we use catch phrases and smiley faces to express ourselves. In College today we learn too, use appropriate language in business emails. The problem is what constitutes appropriate language today. The fasted paced world we now live in is dictating the way we communicate. Email has certainly improved the speed in which we communicate but has given way to faceless and always the probability of misunderstandings. Leaving us with difficulty to explain confusion in a misread email or text, because sometimes the acronyms we use others may not understand or know another meaning, for them. The problem today is once we send a text-or-email it is gone forever. Leaving us no opportunity to expound or change if we find a possible flaw in our communication.

Instant messaging has become another counter culture all on its own. The people using instant messaging find themselves replacing normal communication. Through web sites like Yahoo.com or MSN.com making it easy for quick, and spontaneous communication with little or no substance between two people or a large chat room. Now to most people they would say, so what. The problem lies in what are youth are learning from day-to-day interaction and communication with others. The days of a child reading a book at home or enjoying simple talking to family member on the phone are long gone. Today's youth emails grandma and grandpa leaving the book at the library replacing it with a My Space chat.

The internet has certainly improved the quality of or lives. Making it possible too even receive an education. Saving lives through immediate communication between doctors and even rescues personal and instant access for law enforcement personal. Only begin the question if the internet is so helpful how it can be harming our form of communication. Well, if we look at the article by (Sullivan, 2006) quoted William Farrell a professor at St. Anselm as saying, "the worst part is that things like cell-phones and text messaging are making us lazy socially." Are we lazy or just making communication simpler, or have we just given way to the internet wave of ever changing-communication.

With Dot.Com era we now live in access the worldwide web to anyone having a cell phone, personal computer, IPods, Blackberry's and internet access at work and school. Making instant communication possible but not always substantive and giving rise to our children using web sites like My Space and Face book. These web sites are now a haven for instant messaging and a form of communication only explainable by the Nelingo dictionary of acronyms. Using these web sites should be for entertainment not replacing substantive dialogue. Referring to them as valid information sources and forms of suitable communication forms, because if anyone has ever visited My Space they would realize that it is for enjoyment not a replacement for face-to-face interaction. Speaking about interaction, I am referring to the way we talk today and the use of language in the United States. If we only talk in text and instant messages how much information can we honestly relay. 30 billion texts a month is just a small indication that we are moving closer to an abbreviated world. Can we truly use the full potential of the English language if we continue to forge ahead with texting and instant messaging? Is the youth of today going too continue to use simple educational tools such as the local library? These questions are disturbing to me as parent because the influence of instant communication is only growing as the instant internet. My concern for the language has come from returning to school learning that communication with logic and substance makes sense if we use the right language. Learning to master communication only serves a persons ability too understand and respect another person. The premise for any communication is that we have too chose words and sentences that convey meaning and thought.

Has cell phones created a crutch, for this generation and future generations leaving us unable honestly convey thoughts of varying discourse. The cell phone user today can take emotion and honest viable communication too a robotic almost mindless sub form of language. Bring a new term the "Crack berry" a person crippled and addicted to an electronic device. If we do not ask now where the language is taking us, we may lose its fundamental purpose forever. Therefore, would my next sentence, be better started like this: IMHO and OWTTE: or words to that effect.

The fact we communicate in such a different way than we did just 10 years ago is amazing. Languages have taken century's to evolve. We seem to change it in an anon second. Have we truly changed it or have we just abbreviated the language. The facts are obvious we accept limited correct communication for quick communication. There is no substitute for good grammar and structured communication. IMHO I think language is what defines are intent and are stature of being a master of our language.

Purchase this Solution

Solution Preview

For most of these questions there is not necessarily a correct answer because they are based on opinion. If you can support your opinion with evidence from the essay, then your answer should be correct. I will give you examples of my opinions on the essay, but feel free to come up with your own!

What is the main point of this essay?
The English language is changing because of the rapidly changing communication options available to people today. We are "slowly letting the conceptual language of good grammar and substance content slip away". I'm not entirely sure if the author thinks the change is slow since it is being blamed on the "youth of today". Again, in the conclusion the author days that these changes have taken place in the last 10 years, which is not slowly.

What is the greatest strength of this essay?
This essay provides many examples of types of communication that are changing the way we speak. Text messages, email, instant messages, the internet, cell phones, blackberries, and social networking sites ...

Purchase this Solution


Free BrainMass Quizzes
Macbeth Comprehension Act One

Test how well you understand the basic plot of Macbeth as well as the deeper themes, symbols, and character analysis.

Grammar Quiz - English 102

This quiz addresses many of the grammar issues that English 102 students face at the college level.

The Short Stories of Edgar Allan Poe

How well do you know Poe? This brief quiz will take a look at key plot points, characters, and settings of several of Poe's short works.

Shakespeare's Plays

Do you know all about Shakespeare and his work? Find out with this quiz!

The Third Wave Reading Comprehension

Check students' understanding of initial reading of The Third Wave (found at http://libcom.org/history/the-third-wave-1967-account-ron-jones). Great ESL exercise!