chatspeak; heresy or handy?

Is chatspeak detrimental to the English language? Only if proper English is not taught well in schools. Vernacular, dialect and slang have existed since English has existed in it's modern form. As educators, we must adapt to the language variants our students utilize to communicate with each other, and must remain able to understand their language. Technology has fueled a new version of communication, so we must keep up. Just as shorthand is used by stenographers to speed their ability to translate events, chatspeak may well become the new shorthand in our increasingly technology based society. This in no way means that proper English should be put on the back burner.

I pity the job applicant who cannot put together a coherent sentence. A legal document or research paper written in chatspeak will not only be completely discounted but laughed out of the room. Proper English simply must be taught in schools to ensure the success of our students. Imagine a college application with the sentence " I m the bst cndidte 4 u". That student is not going to that college. The beauty of wordcraft is one of the joys of reading a novel. The language is compelling, descriptive, and elicits emotion. Would you read a novel that relied on abstract contractions, sideways smiley faces and lol? I would guess not. Student's learning of the intricacies of traditional language is crucial to their success in the academic world, the workday world and the real world of legal documents. The skill to write and read our established language is essential for our students. We have to understand that simple person to person communication has changed, though. In any regard, if we do not like it, there is not a thing we can do about it.

I have always been amused by lingo. It doesn't hurt anyone, and can be a bonding force for those "in the know". I definitely laughed the first time a surfer buddy of mine called me "bra". Sure he was confused when I called him "panties", but that was my own personal joke because I am a bit of a stickler for proper English. We need to have a sense of humor about slang and such constructs as chatspeak. It will only hurt the users if they do not know any other way to communicate. It is our job as teachers to provide a good education to help our students succeed. It is also our job not to get indignant when all they are trying to do is create a little bit of language of their own. It is rather creative, in it's own way, kwim?