Ted Talk Response: "Txtng is Killing Language. JK!!!"

Many have said before that texting impairs peoples' ability to write in standard American English as English classes require. In the Ted Talk "Txtng is killing language. JK!!!" John McWhorter identifies that texting is not in fact writing, but "fingered speech." 

He supports this by stating that writing was invented to get a point across to a certain audience in a very formal way, whereas many people text in the way that they speak. Also, new words, slang, and terminologies have arisen and evolved through texting. 

The only issue I had with McWhorter's presentation is that he provided texting samples that did not seem very accurate, or slang that my class mates and I had never heard of before watching his presentation. For example, everyone I know spells out words for the most part and does not attempt to leave every letter out they possibly can to shorten their message (like the example to the left), which is what he presented to be closer to the truth. My friends and I simply tend to write with our own personal lingo and expressions to make the texts readable in a way most similar to how they would sound if we were speaking those words ourselves.

Language is constantly changing, with new slang and word usages and even just brand new words that were created to identify recently invented or popularized objects, games, TV shows, acts, and many other things as well. Because of this, it is not necessarily fair for someone to say that someone else is speaking 'incorrectly' simply because it is different. 

As many linguists have identified, standard American English is not the "correct" way of speaking, but rather only one type of english. There is African American English, British English, and many other types of english that are valid languages spoken in a variety of places around the world with different terms and ways of spelling the same words.

I know that I have a certain way of speaking myself, which changes depending on the environment I'm in. At school I do not tend to use my personal way of speaking, but try to keep it more academic and appropriate for the environment, as I am not with my friend or family but in public. In a school or work setting people want to be treated with respect, and that will not happen if they break certain boundaries, such as using too much profanity or speaking in such a way that your teacher and/or peers can no longer understand what you're saying because there is so much personal slang involved.

Personally, when I am at home I shorten half of my words so I am only pronouncing the first one or two syllables. If I did that at school I am pretty sure people would think there was something wrong with me and be confused about what I was trying to say, but at home I am with my friends and family and they understand what kinds of things I say and the meaning and context behind them.

In a professional environment it is safest to stick to common expressions recognized by most age, racial, and cultural groups and keep standard American English grammar errors to a minimum when speaking. Just because someone uses made up words and slang at home or with their friends definitely does not mean that he or she does not know standard American English, but rather that the individual understands the parameters in which it is necessary and appropriate to use.