THE TRANSFORMING STUDENTS’ LANGUAGE

ARRA L.SOLANO

Language, having been known for its dynamic characteristic, is becoming increasingly flexible at the present generation. One word can pertain to many definitions and vice versa. People, especially the younger generations, or the so-called millennials, tend to coin new words which they use in their daily conversations. This inevitable occurrence of newly coined words may lead evident change in the Language communication.

In this regard, the words have spoken by students nowadays evolve the same with our time, from the time of the” Jeproks” to “Jologs” which words have spoken by the 80’s and 90’s then the birth of “Jejemons” and here comes the (# )Hashtag, LODI, petmalu and other words used by the millennials’. Youth are creative and inventive in playing words that they used in their everyday vocabulary words.

Wecanpointitoutthatherampantuseofsocialmedia/textingslangby teenagers is largely due to increased accessibility to mobile phones; 91% of teenagers polled in 2015 by the Pew Research Center reported going online at least occasionally from a mobile device and had an access to the different social media sites where teenagers engage in some form of online personal communication as a result youth invent new words slang that became part of their communication. However, does it really help our students become proficient in language?

A 2010 study in Communication Research provided evidence that frequent use of texting slang negatively impacted formal writing and daily communication, but positively affected informal writing. Others argue that the use of internet slang improves language skills by permitting creativity through the development of new words and encouraging good editing skills in order to convey messages within short character limitations. Interestingly, the 2008 Pew study cited above found that while 60% of teens don’t consider texting or communicating on social media as “writing,” 64% admit to using this type of language in their schoolwork.

We cannot deny that the use of slang is also important to some subcultures that it can lead to widening of the communication gap between the millennials and to the adult people, Digital natives and Digital immigrants. It is hypothesized that students must sometimes make a choice between whether to learn their subculture’s slang to fit in or learn proper English to succeed down the road. The need for social acceptance differs between cultures, thus those with a higher need for it would prefer to learn slang over proper English. Also, those that start out with a disadvantage in reading or writing skills are more likely to be negatively affected by the use of slang, as it further limits their already impaired communication skills.

With these thought in mind, it is important for educators to understand and accept that today’s students will always be using mobile devices, internet, and social media to communicate with one another. It is equally with these thoughts in mind, it is important for educators to understand and accept that today’s students will always be using mobile devices and social media to communicate with one another. It is equally important to teach students the difference between formal/ professional writing and speaking common slang. Hence, curriculum, educators and parents could influence the increased use of and access to technology and the internet’s wealth of information and toolboxes to provide proper instruction on formal and academic writing and speaking. Slang does have a place in society and learning, but students must be taught what that is and what the adverse looks like in order to develop well-rounded communication skills.

— oOo—

The author is SST I at San Pablo 2nd National High School