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Dave
Im doing a research project for school and this is my topic. Im having trouble finding current sources to support my thesis( technology has drastically changed the english language). I was hoping someone could guide me to some articles or books, or provide your professional opinion on the topic.
Thanks in advance
Answer
This is an article I've had bookmarked for a while that actually contains a lot of information against your thesis: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7926509.stm I often quote parts of it when refuting some ridiculous claim like "texting is destroying the English language".
If anything, I think technology has had a greater impact on other languages than it has on English. Virtually every language spoken in any developed nation has absorbed quite a few English loanwords relating to technology, internet, and other phenomena that have accompanied the beginning of the digital age. Similarly, if you were to visit an internet chatroom in, for example, Portuguese, you'll find that many speakers substitute English words relating to technology for words that already exist in Portuguese.
For instance, there's an awkward Brazilian word for "chat": bate-papo. However, I see the English word "chat" used more often than not. "E-mail" can also be referred to as "correio electronico" (literally "electric mail"), though this word is very rarely used. I could continue to list English words pertaining to technology that have filtered into languages like Portuguese, French, German, and Hindi, but these don't really help your cause, nor do they represent "drastic" changes in any of these languages.
All of this aside, modern culture (not necessarily technology) has had some very profound effects on the English language. For example, it is totally ungrammatical to say something like "everyone in the class lost their lunch." The correct form is "everyone in the class lost his lunch"-- likewise, it's incorrect to say something like "I'm going to my friend's house. Their address is ____", but it is becoming increasingly more common to hear the pronoun "they" (and its various forms) used as a third person singular pronoun of unspecified gender. When gender is either unspecified or indefinite, and the subject is still singular, it is proper to use the word "he". But with the advent of a new "politically correct culture" this structure seems oddly "sexist" somehow.
Some other odd things are happening to the English language as well, such as the attrition of the dental fricative, the attrition of the distinction between "who" and "that" (as relative pronouns), and the increasing use of prepositions as adverbs (turn off, shut down, fall off, get up, write out, etc).
All in all, I'm quite hesitant to assert that technology has had any real impact on the English language at all, never mind a "drastic" one. If anything, the rise of technology has slowed down the rate at which English is evolving. Digital media, such as internet news and youtube, create a situation where English speakers from all parts of the United States, and the world at large, are exposed to forms of English that they would likely hear only very rarely. On the BBC news website, I can hear people speak RP (received pronunciation)-- something I'd only hear very rarely in northern New Jersey. This increased connectivity means that it is easier to reinforce a standard language across continents, oceans, and deserts-- something previously impossible. Of course, while access to the internet means that people have increased access to heavily standardized English, rather than just that of their region, it also means that new lexemes can spread extremely quickly from one place to another-- just look at the ubiquity of "lol".
This is an article I've had bookmarked for a while that actually contains a lot of information against your thesis: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7926509.stm I often quote parts of it when refuting some ridiculous claim like "texting is destroying the English language".
If anything, I think technology has had a greater impact on other languages than it has on English. Virtually every language spoken in any developed nation has absorbed quite a few English loanwords relating to technology, internet, and other phenomena that have accompanied the beginning of the digital age. Similarly, if you were to visit an internet chatroom in, for example, Portuguese, you'll find that many speakers substitute English words relating to technology for words that already exist in Portuguese.
For instance, there's an awkward Brazilian word for "chat": bate-papo. However, I see the English word "chat" used more often than not. "E-mail" can also be referred to as "correio electronico" (literally "electric mail"), though this word is very rarely used. I could continue to list English words pertaining to technology that have filtered into languages like Portuguese, French, German, and Hindi, but these don't really help your cause, nor do they represent "drastic" changes in any of these languages.
All of this aside, modern culture (not necessarily technology) has had some very profound effects on the English language. For example, it is totally ungrammatical to say something like "everyone in the class lost their lunch." The correct form is "everyone in the class lost his lunch"-- likewise, it's incorrect to say something like "I'm going to my friend's house. Their address is ____", but it is becoming increasingly more common to hear the pronoun "they" (and its various forms) used as a third person singular pronoun of unspecified gender. When gender is either unspecified or indefinite, and the subject is still singular, it is proper to use the word "he". But with the advent of a new "politically correct culture" this structure seems oddly "sexist" somehow.
Some other odd things are happening to the English language as well, such as the attrition of the dental fricative, the attrition of the distinction between "who" and "that" (as relative pronouns), and the increasing use of prepositions as adverbs (turn off, shut down, fall off, get up, write out, etc).
All in all, I'm quite hesitant to assert that technology has had any real impact on the English language at all, never mind a "drastic" one. If anything, the rise of technology has slowed down the rate at which English is evolving. Digital media, such as internet news and youtube, create a situation where English speakers from all parts of the United States, and the world at large, are exposed to forms of English that they would likely hear only very rarely. On the BBC news website, I can hear people speak RP (received pronunciation)-- something I'd only hear very rarely in northern New Jersey. This increased connectivity means that it is easier to reinforce a standard language across continents, oceans, and deserts-- something previously impossible. Of course, while access to the internet means that people have increased access to heavily standardized English, rather than just that of their region, it also means that new lexemes can spread extremely quickly from one place to another-- just look at the ubiquity of "lol".
What books do you read in AP English Language?
ah!
I know it varies with the teacher/school, but I was wondering what books you read in AP English Language. I want to read some of them this summer. Also, how many books were you required to read the entire year?
Thanks,
Ah!
Answer
The books I remember were...
Slaughterhouse 5
The Great Gatsby
A Tale of Two Cities
Waiting for Godot
There were a bunch of others as well. We would finish a shorter book or play in 1 or 2 weeks. Maybe a month to two months for novels.
The books I remember were...
Slaughterhouse 5
The Great Gatsby
A Tale of Two Cities
Waiting for Godot
There were a bunch of others as well. We would finish a shorter book or play in 1 or 2 weeks. Maybe a month to two months for novels.
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