Can the English language survive?

SRSLY?

 

As long as there are hiring managers who frown upon using text messaging slang in a formal setting, there will ALWAYS be room for learning precise, grammatically correct English.

KTHNKSNBAI.

 

I recently read a Pew report that says most teens consider good writing skills to be important, but that they don't consider their e-mails, IMs and text messages to be "formal" writing. It seems that there is a mental distinction between when slangs are acceptable and when they are not. However, about 30-some percent said they sometimes use shortcuts like LOL and emoticons in school assignments.

So no, I don't think good English is going the way of the dodo, because I don't see the day when people will start writing formal reports and such in SMS style. But I do think it's easier for those habits to slip from day-to-day communication into formal writing, which means we need stronger emphasis in school on writing ... and more copy editors.

 

Tough. Times like these, we've got to do more with less fewer.

 

The sky is falling!

Medial, you are approaching this as if the English language has always been this static thing that is suddenly changing. That is not even close to the truth. Read some Shakespeare if you don't believe that. Better yet, try reading Old English.

Languages evolve and change over time. They are more stable now than they used to be, in large part due to changes in technology. There was a time we could not listen to how our language was spoken 50 years in the past, so it was much easier for the pronunciations of certain words to change. But that does not mean the English language will ever remain static.

I am certain that a scholar from Shakespeare's time would wonder what the hell we have done to the language, too. Good writing will survive. In time it may look a little different than it does now, but it will still exist.

 

Over the years, the English language had devolved into a combination of Valley Girl, Hillbilly and various inner city crunks. Joe understood them, but when he talked, he sounded pompous and faggy.

 

Water? Like from the toilet?

 

WTF?

ROFLAL!!!

U B COOL, THO.

WB, KITA......and TYVM!!!


[burp]

 

And 90 percent of their teachers put big red circles around them and dock points.

I'm one of the 90 percent . And I don't teach English.

 

IDK MY BFF JILL

 

Others have pointed it out, so I hate to pile on, but it's incredibly ironic that you misspelled two words in that post in addition to screwing up "it's".

 

When email first became popular, it was the "cool" thing to do to type in all lower case (or even worse, upper). Thankfully, that fell out of favor. A few of the things you speak of now will fall out of favor too.

Proper grammar and punctuation developed because they are useful for precise thinking. That need won't go away. I think we'll be OK.