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Emily Cruz-Rivas Professor Lewis English 114 November 21, 2013 What do you think? Texting has become something that Americans do all the time. If you take your time and look around, you will always see someone with their phone on their hand typing like their fingers were unstoppable. Some are also on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snap chat and all those social networking sites that have been created. It is a way for people to communicate with each other in different cities, towns, countries or even just next door. It is an entertaining thing to do when you are bored. Shortening words and using acronyms only helps to communicate and text fast when you are speaking to someone. It does not necessarily mean you use the text language when you speak verbally or in the English language. The majority of people are aware of what language to use in certain situations, but if the texting language incorporated itself into the English language, and then it will only help expand new vocabulary and make communication even faster. This will cause to create a new, all exclusive language. Texting is a way for society to communicate with their friends that is easy and convenient. Sometimes people do not have time to write the entire word because they are in a hurry, or simply because they wanted to text something but the word came out different which becomes their texting language. Instead of writing whole words, people can shorten them and write more words into their sentences. There is also the matter of space; today people have so much to say but a text only covers 140 words, without acronyms we wouldnt be able to write so much information in our text. Not only is the new generation communicating like this but also

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older generations, like my mothers. She shortens words and uses shortcuts to write me a message, but this doesnt mean it affects her communication skills. In the article Is texting Killing the English Language by John McWhorter, it says , Civilization, then, is fine people banging away on their smartphones are fluently using a code separate from the one they use in actual writing, and there is no evidence that texting is ruining composition skills. It only proves that texting and writing are two different things. Texting is the form you write to someone using codes and shortening of words, while writing is the language you use in school, essays, and jobs and without any codes. He also mentions in his article that, Texting is actually talking with your fingers. If people shorten a word when they are texting, this does not mean they will shorten the word when they are writing. It challenges them to change their writing style whenever they need to and it is something they have to face daily. Texting is a form of new language invented by people who text. People who do not text are not aware and exposed to the texting language used by people who text. This makes it harder for them to understand the language of people who communicate through text. Language was invented because of the way people used to talk in the old times, the first writing was based on the way people talk, with short sentences think of the Old Testament (MCW). People argue that short sentences and shortness of words are no good for the English language but language was derived from what people used to speak in the old days. In the old days people were not born with language, they created language and everything that was spoken was then written. All the English we speak and write were formed by past generations. Society should have the chance to modernize their language and expand new words.

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Some people claim that texting does not help our language because it ruins the origin of the English Language. The article Texting Affects Ability to Interpret New Words in the Science Daily website, conducted a study where it said that people who were texting werent able to accept and interpret new words, while those who read newspaper and traditional print were more open minded and accepting of the new words. [Joan]Lee [Conducting a study for her masters in linguistic], suggests that reading traditional print media exposes people to variety and creativity in language that is not found in the colloquial peer-to-peer text messaging used among youth or 'generation text'. She also adds on to say that reading traditional print helps the new generation be creative about their language than what is found texting. They did not take into consideration that some people read more than others; it is all a choice a person makes. If texting were to become its own language, it would help people who text interpret words and be acceptable of the new words. Texting is developing its own kind of grammar. Take LOL. It doesnt actually mean laughing out loud in a literal sense anymore [Science Daily Website]. In contrast to this idea, texting is helping the English language create its own grammar and meaning to its own words. The word LOL does not just stand for laughing out loud but conveys emotion. For as people who do not text, they are not aware of the texting language, and write the word LOL as if it meant nothing and thats where controversy starts. The use of texting language is used to reply back to a conversation using codes. Some people say that it ruins the way students and others are writing but how you do know whether the person texting knows how to write correctly? We do not know, so we cannot make judgments that texting is killing the language. If someone who text does not know how to write, texting is helping this person be aware of the texting language and also learn English. This means it is not just a way of communication but a way to learn.

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The texting language has evolved because of the creation of new technology and social networking sites. People are able to communicate faster using this type of language that many say it is inappropriate and no good. Whatever was written on paper, can now be transmitted into an email, post or picture online. Just like technology is advancing, language is too. If people want to advance they have to accept everything that comes with the new advancement. There is also a misconception of how texting is used by people. For example, some may say that because texting was created society does not want to interact with the world. However texting is actually doing the opposite. With just a click away people are able to communicate all over the world and write to each other all the time. It allows long distance relationships be connected despite wherever they live. Society has to learn to modify to the new language just like they do with music, clothes and everything else. In conclusion, the advances in technology have created something incredible called the texting language. Some agree it helps the English language while others disagree. Studies have shown that texting is only talking with your fingers which do not affect how people speak. However a simple post online, tweet or status helps you communicate faster, efficient and all around the world. Others fear of losing the English language, but with new advances made, a new language is also being created. Society should have the write to create new language. It will help new generations be more open to new words and new vocabulary. This will only increase the English language and not affect it.

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Works Cited
"Texting Affects Ability to Interpret Words." Science Daily. N.p., 12 February 2012. Web. 21 Nov 2013. McWhorter, John. "Time Ideas ." Is Texting Killing the English Language?. N.p., 25 April 2013. Web. November 21, 2013.