What is happening to vowels?

Pearl

Pearl

Administrator
Staff member
What it happening to the English language?
No one uses vowels anymore and they use numbers in stead of words or don't use capital letters when necessary!!

We have a wonderful language and its being destroyed.
I say we fight for the rights of our vowels, we have human rights now its time for vowels rights!
 
I like reading this forum etc. But there is someone here who is writing in text and find it very annoying. This is not a mobile telephone but a forum. Even if it was a mobile phone what is this idea of writing in text???? Do we not even have time anymore to write normal everyday words????
 
I worry about this as well Susan and Compo. I am coming up to 73 and have seen a lot of changes in my life, who, for instance would have thought that I would be sitting here at a keyboard talking to people in America and other countries, certainly not me, but you get used to change over the years. I must admit that I don't text, I have no need, but if I needed to would probably do it, but it is a lazy way of communicating. I find my self writing more letters on the computer, mainly because my hands get tired. I write a much longer letter this way, by hand it is a short note. I wonder if in a few years letter writing will become a thing of the past, it must be hard on English Teachers who are sitting in front of a class of kids who never intend to send a letter by 'snail mail' (dreadful words) trying to whip up a bit of enthusiasm for the written word. I have friends, on the other hand, who don't even own a PC, and they make me feel so superior, which is naughty of me. A quick survey of my family shows that they are as bad as any, except my husband and his brother, neither of whom even own a mobile phone!
 
I'm hopeless at phonespeak. I never know what anyone is saying! I sometimes feel rather behind the times but I don't much care. I never fully joined this headlong charge into the computerised world so the technicalities of it all leave me cold. However, I agree with you Sue, Compo and Susan. Our language is beautiful. Why waste it?
 
is this topic suppose 2 b a slight dig at me seeing i do the shortened words, i cant help the generation i was brought up in and its easier 4 me, im sorry if it upsets people but its how i go on here.
 
Eli Thingy said:
is this topic suppose 2 b a slight dig at me seeing i do the shortened words, i cant help the generation i was brought up in and its easier 4 me, im sorry if it upsets people but its how i go on here.
Click to expand...

This sounds almost as if you had learned this style of writing at school.
I find it a bit tricky for the foreigners on this forum, like me. I can read it, but it is a bit troublesome, I must admit. I´m a moderator in a huge German forum and we always ask members to write properly and avoid mistakes, to proof-read. I suppose it´s all a matter of habituation.
 
Eli Thingy said:
is this topic suppose 2 b a slight dig at me seeing i do the shortened words, i cant help the generation i was brought up in and its easier 4 me, im sorry if it upsets people but its how i go on here.
Click to expand...

I think what us older generation is trying to say we cannot always work out what is being said with text speak,which is a shame if you go to the trouble of posting something and it does not get read because it is hard work,though you cannot be blamed because of the generation you grew up with, it does not stop you making things easier for most people here,Terry
 
Eli Thingy said:
is this topic suppose 2 b a slight dig at me seeing i do the shortened words, i cant help the generation i was brought up in and its easier 4 me, I'm sorry if it upsets people but its how i go on here.
Click to expand...


I certainly had no intention to single anyone not that was not my reason for starting this topic, if this has offended anyone in any way then I apologise it was meant has a general topic brought on by text messages I receive from my 12 year old granddaughter, I usually send the text back and ask her to send it again in English it usually comes back with a TUT at the beginning. The thing that annoys me most is that she is still (for now) tort to write properly. This was not meant to offend anyone I'm sorry.
 
I think it offends a lot of parents who wish their children to have a good education so in future they will find a good job. But if all they are going to learn is text they will find it very hard to use the real English language. Sorry but this is all laziness. My brother in law and my wife were teachers and the students "tried" many times to hand in their homework in text.
 
Please ignore my note above, it was posted before I was ready (well it is a bit early in the morning). I was going to say that I meant no slight to anyone, but also as I said before I worry just where it is all going to end. Will the authors of the future put out books in text speak? It is a bit like having to learn another language. Can I ask, Eli Thingy, do you send from your mobile phone? I asked my youngest grandson about letter writing, his face was a picture, but he is aways there for me if I have PC troubles so I must not grumble.
 
well i did wonder if it was a dig at me but seeing it isnt please excuse me, it just sounded as tho i was being singled out, altho i do understand where maltrab is coming from with the older generation, i will try harder in future to use proper english altho it will b difficult for me, btw sue i dont use this site from a mobile, just the computer, but with all the txting i do 2 people of my age its sort of automatic now 2 use txt speak, oh and susan now i kno u hadnt done this topic as a dig at me then theres no need 2 apologise, tbh every1 i was wondering shud i leave the site and yesterday i was seriously considering it but after finding out this topic wasnt slagging me off this morning im back at not sure atm.
 
No need to leave the forum mate.
It is a sort of abbreviation like calling the show lotsw.I must admit at times I haven't a clue what some text means but I ask my kids and grandkids and they put me right.Mind you sometimes they lie.I just found out that wtf is not why the fuss. :)
 
Eli Thingy said:
well i did wonder if it was a dig at me but seeing it isnt please excuse me, it just sounded as tho i was being singled out, altho i do understand where maltrab is coming from with the older generation, i will try harder in future to use proper english altho it will b difficult for me, btw sue i dont use this site from a mobile, just the computer, but with all the txting i do 2 people of my age its sort of automatic now 2 use txt speak, oh and susan now i kno u hadnt done this topic as a dig at me then theres no need 2 apologise, tbh every1 i was wondering shud i leave the site and yesterday i was seriously considering it but after finding out this topic wasnt slagging me off this morning im back at not sure atm.
Click to expand...

First of all, please don't leave the site. You make very good points here.

Second.... I am a high school teacher in the states. I try really hard to teach students that there is a time for text-style typing and proper writing. I also tell students there is a place for their slang and proper spoken English (to the best of one's ability of course if it a second or third language for someone). I emphasize that my classroom is not a place for text-style writing nor slang.

So my advice is to "attempt" somewhat fuller writing.....
2 = to
4gotten = forgetten, etc.

For me, Eli, I have noticed your writing before but I first notice the good quality of your statements over text-style writing.

Third.... I feel for **** at times :). A few seasons back I joked with her about learning English by observing Compo on Summer Wine! Hope all this doesn't make your head spin, ****!

And lastly, I make some silly grammatical errors on this site. I sometimes post the topic and then read it, and then cal myself an "Idiot". A lot of times in this forum we write with our hearts more than with our heads!
 
maltrab said:
Eli Thingy said:
is this topic suppose 2 b a slight dig at me seeing i do the shortened words, i cant help the generation i was brought up in and its easier 4 me, im sorry if it upsets people but its how i go on here.
Click to expand...

I think what us older generation is trying to say we cannot always work out what is being said with text speak,which is a shame if you go to the trouble of posting something and it does not get read because it is hard work,though you cannot be blamed because of the generation you grew up with, it does not stop you making things easier for most people here,Terry
Click to expand...

This is the problem exactly: I find shortened words and texting style harder to read and a lot slower. I am used to reading at 600- 800 words a minute (I had to for my job) and could generally spot a mis-spelt word straight away. Which is why, in the past, I have bemoaned my inadequate typing skills on this forum which allows spelling errors!

I do not text on a mobile telephone, so am totally unused to the conventions. I did try but found the quadruple push required for an 's' often defeated me and they came out 'rp' - so decided many years ago to ignore that part of the technology. Also I happen to live in an area of poor mobile reception and it has taken my wife over four hours for a text message to get through!

Getting back to the point of this post. Thus regretfully some useful things may not be read if I find the writing difficult. We all make the occasional mistake, but I find the automatic spell check very useful for my poor stenographic skills.

 
Just to add: not intended at anyone in particular; but one of my jobs was involved with training people in management. When I was doing this impeccable English was essential.

It was once brought home to me when I was attending a Computer Show and various companies were making presentations. One of the presenters had a spelling error on their PowerPoint presentation. Most people remembered the error but not the message - it was the sort of culture that predominated in those days. possibly things are more relaxed now but there will still be many a business person who will wince if, to choose an example out of thin air, they use principal when they mean principle.

Another very common error is 'compliment' when you really mean 'complement' which I have seen in official documents. But then I am just a pedant!
 
I have mentioned this before but I have one daughter who sends me txt spk messages. Her excuse is that she has teenage children who send similar messages to her. My other daughter has no children and cannot stand anything but "proper" english.If anyone forgets, she sends the message straight back to them with a long drawn out whaaaaaaat at the end.They have to resend in "proper" english.As for spelling mistakes surely all modern pc s have spell check??I still send mistakes through though :-[
 
My Aunt, 94, asked me to copy out a diary which she had written on an old typewriter in 1983 about her very interesting trip to South Africa. It was beautifically written and spelt. The few things that I needed to change involved Commas and capital letters. I had to go on line and find a basic English site to be sure that I did it properly. Her spelling was much better than mine as well!

Is there a site which tells you just what the Text Speak codes mean? I know LOL, and a few others, but I am worried that I may be swearing if I ever use others.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top