{"id":2105,"date":"2020-05-05T11:13:19","date_gmt":"2020-05-05T18:13:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca\/callmebog\/?p=2105"},"modified":"2020-05-06T08:57:20","modified_gmt":"2020-05-06T15:57:20","slug":"texting-or-txtng-is-it-a-language","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca\/callmebog\/2020\/05\/05\/texting-or-txtng-is-it-a-language\/","title":{"rendered":"Texting or . . . TXTng . . . is it a Language?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Texting or . . . 
\nTXTng . . .
\n<\/span><\/i><\/span>Is it a . . . Language?<\/span><\/i><\/span>
\n<\/i><\/span><\/i><\/h1>\n

TEXTING! Everyone I know, EVERYONE (except for one technologically averse brother!<\/em><\/span>) uses their phones to text … EVERYONE!<\/b><\/p>\n

FULL DISCLOSURE<\/strong> – I rely on my iPhone mostly to . . . take photos!<\/p>\n

And I bought my current phone because my daughter had the same one … and she can then help ME figure it out! 🤣<\/p>\n

I regard it as a camera … with texting on the side! I don’t even have a data plan!<\/p>\n

But I could easily set the camera aspect aside, and as little as I actually use texting, I find it indispensable. Confirming with my daughter she is almost done with her meeting for her ride home, checking that coffee buddies are on the way, sending amusing gifs or clip art to friends, letting colleagues know I might be a bit late due to a flat tire ON the way to work, the plane just landed and be out soon, and even emergency warnings from my community! INDISPENSABLE<\/strong>! <\/p>\n

But …. is it a language<\/strong><\/em>? It is. It absolutely IS!<\/p>\n

Texting is a form of instant communication. It might look different, but most languages DO look different from each other! It is a silent form of communication but so is American Sign Language! It may not have the subtle gestures and mannerisms of an actual conversation with important topics to be discussed, but the Rosetta Stone is not a great coffee buddy!<\/p>\n

Who didn’t pass notes during high school? How is that different from texting? Okay, a bit more sophisticated nowadays but basically, the same thing!<\/p>\n

MORE FULL DISCLOSURE<\/strong> – I admit that I really have no idea what many of the new ‘words’ used in texting actually mean, and that includes the graphics too! That doesn’t matter! Getting the message across is what matter! And in many ways, texting requires imagination as well as brevity!<\/p>\n

\u201cSince brevity is the soul of wit \/ And tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes, I will be brief\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Can you imagine how quick with the quip, Shakespeare<\/a><\/strong><\/span> would have been, if he had laptops, pads, phones and instant messaging? Macbeth may just have been talking about the Internet when he doth said:<\/p>\n

“Life’s<\/del><\/span> The Internet<\/span> is but a walking shadow, a poor player
\nThat struts and frets his<\/del><\/span>  it’s<\/strong><\/span> hour upon the stage
\nAnd then is heard no more: it is a tale
\nTold by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
\nSignifying nothing.”<\/p>\n

And of course, the inevitable happened. Shakespeare was weaponized<\/a><\/strong><\/span> … as text messages!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

And some marvelous TED Talks<\/a><\/strong><\/span> from John McWhorter<\/a><\/strong><\/span> about Texting are below. And according to him, texting is a Linguistics miracle<\/strong><\/span>. Enjoy!<\/p>\n

As long as there are words out there, there will be interesting topics! <\/p>\n

E<\/span>N<\/span>J<\/span>O<\/span>Y!        <\/span><\/strong><\/span>\"\"      <\/span><\/strong>  <\/strong><\/span>T<\/span>T<\/span>F<\/span>N<\/span>!<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/h1>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/h2>\n

John McWhorter:<\/span>
\nTxtng is killing language. JK!<\/span><\/h2>\n