Text Response Coursework

Text response coursework

Dear John Humphrey’s,

You wrote an article in 2007 titled “I h8 txt msgs” and you argued “how texting is wrecking our language”. It’s been nine years since this article was published and now as I look back at your arguments and critics for texting I can finally say you were wrong. Texting hasn’t ruined our language, in fact in many ways it has saved it.

You stated that you find looking a word up in a dictionary “infinitely more satisfying than looking something up on the internet.” Well I disagree as I know looking up a word on internet can be just as satisfying as looking up a word in the dictionary, it saves people countless minutes not having to struggle to find words in the dictionary as not everyone is as efficient or fast when looking up words. I mean why would you waste time flicking through pages of words when the internet can do it in a split second. Surely you don’t think your self above the wonders of modern technology and the advantages it gives us. In conclusion it’s a lot less tedious.

Thanks to the internet we can easily and instantly find words, definitions, synonyms, emotive language; basically anything and everything in the English language you want you can get your hands and somewhat teach yourself and learn new things. Can the Oxford English Dictionary do that? I am not the only one who feels that texting is good for our language as a man named David Crystal a British author argued that “texting has added a new dimension to language use”, and that “It is not a disaster. I would also like to point out that research has now made it clear that the dangers of text messaging were misplaced.

I hope you haven’t forgotten that the English has had abbreviated words ever since it began to be written down. Words such as exam, vet, fridge, cox and bud are so familiar that they have effectively become new words, and that one of the most enjoyable things you can do with language is to play with its sounds, words, grammar – and spelling. This idea was expressed by David crystal, he highlights the creativity and intellectual skill it takes to play on the English language. I completely agree and that’s why texting is such an epidemic because it is fun, it allows people who may usually struggle with the English language to communicate and express themselves freely. Texting allows you to create your own style of English language not destroy it which I believe this is a highly intellectual thing to be able to do.

People say that texting “Linguistically it’s all pig’s ear … it masks dyslexia, poor spelling and mental laziness. Texting is penmanship for illiterates.” To these people I say you’re stupid and ignorant. Have you forgotten Shakespeare was the innovator of slang, who was always making up new words for his plays like ‘addiction’ which was first used in Othello, ‘assassination’ which was first used in Macbeth and ‘disheartened’ which was first used in Henry V. He was probably criticised and ridiculed for this back then but now those same words are what we use in everyday life and is seen as ‘proper English’. Shakespeare is a great writer, whose work has been studied, adapted and idolised for nearly four hundred years. So I ask you Mr Humphrey, have you  ever enjoyed a Shakespeare play? I think Stephen Fry Said it best “Anyone who expresses themselves with originality, delight and verbal freshness is more likely to be mocked, distrusted or disliked than welcomed.” This is what you are doing to the texting society, and it is wrong

Many people like to say texting is ugly well to them I say It’s only ugly because it’s new and you don’t like it.John Humphry’s I think you should remember there is no right or wrong language however there is always a time and a place for a certain type of language.

Texting is In short is fun. So get on board. Send a text you might surprise yourself and you might just like it.