Instant messaging improves vocabulary?
@sophiasmom911 (1345)
United States
May 18, 2008 8:17am CST
Reading the below category I guess I would have to agree a certain bit with this peice of information. We all know teenagers really don't want to study so by texting and instant messaging do you think they are intorduced to new words and meanings? I think so. I think this also helps typing skills.Let me know what you think about this guys I'm super curious!
http://www.asylum.com/2008/05/15/lol-helps-the-vocabulary/?icid=aimDBDL2_link3-aCO-ED Magazine has the scoop. It turns out instant messaging actually improves teenagers' vocabulary and language abilities, according to a new study that refers to instant messaging as a "linguistic Renaissance."
"IM is interactive discourse among friends that is conducive to informal language," says Derek Denis of the University of Toronto, "but at the same time, it is a written interface which tends to be more formal than speech."
Some other ways technology is improving your communication abilities:
-- The new BlackBerry helps you express your anger, as in "Get off your f_cking BlackBerry when I'm talking to you."
-- Facebook lets you be "friends" with girls you were too scared to talk to in high school.
-- Twitter helps you with your not-so-secret desire to broadcast meaningless observations to strangers.
1 person likes this
5 responses
@wayz12 (2059)
• United States
18 May 08
This is very interesting.
I used to say that the advent of texting is the beginning of the downfall of the next generation linguistic skills, most especially grammar and spelling. What with the many abbreviations, shortened words and modified spellings, there is almost a separate jargon just for texting and IM.
After reading your discussion, this got me thinking again. Although, I still would not agree that texting and instant messaging will improve their vocabulary, It does present another venue for them to practise their language skills. There are some people who indulge in text-based online roleplaying whose writing skills are phenomenal. I assume though that their skills are already in good form before they start playing around with technology.
Still, I would not scuff at texting and Instant Messaging. It has its uses and if for some, it will help their verbal abilities, then good for them. I still recommend though that they should continue to pay attention in school for their language lessons, and armed with better skills, then they sure can impress the person they are texting or chatting with.
@sophiasmom911 (1345)
• United States
18 May 08
thank you for your insight wayz it was very helpful! I think that it gives them a very good chance to practice the speed of typing. Which is almost crucial in our society today!
@stephcjh (38473)
• United States
18 May 08
I think it can definitely improve their wording and vocabulary skills. I know alot of people like to use abbreviations though so that will not help the much in learning new words or how to spell them or use them. I think they can learn alot from one another only if the words are spelled out in full correctly.
@sophiasmom911 (1345)
• United States
18 May 08
Well for this website in example most people spell out all words correctly for the most part. Plus its super practice typing. I think mylot would be a good way to build your vocabulary!
@terri0824 (5203)
• United States
19 May 08
I'm not so sure if I agree with this or not. I know it sure don't help with spellng, because everything is abbreviated. Though it does allow for communication that otherwise wouldn't take place.
@Elixiress (3878)
•
18 May 08
I am split on this. I think that it does help as different people use different words, so you will learn new years, but loads of people type in text speak so how will that help your vocab, it won't unless you are going to do a degree in text speak.
@pholdermomof3 (214)
• United States
24 May 08
It is true. My son is a horribe speller and since he started IM'ing his friends his spelling has improved a lot. Also, he builds webpages and in doing that it helps his spelling too.
