Natasha's English Language Blog

Opinion Article – Should teen language be celebrated as being representative of the diversity of our language or judged to be restrictive and inferior?   Teenagers are often portrayed as lazy, moody and an article in the Daily Mail says that teenagers only use 800 words compared to adults who use 20,000+. As a teenager myself, I am here to tell you why I strongly disagree with this accusation. I’m constantly surrounded by people my age and have to interact with them on daily basis so of course my language is going to be shaped by them.   However, every individual teenager has their differences in how they communicate. For example, a life event such as grieving from a death will cause a teenager to mature much quicker than they would have before. Theorist Penelope Eckert (1998) believes that any life event that affects social relations and attitudes help to develop a teenagers language. Jenny Cheshire (1987) adds to this theory by saying life events also affect adult...

Attitudes to TeenSpeak - The Teens Who Can Barely Talk What does the article suggest contributes to the drop from knowing 40,000 words to using 800? Communicating through electronic media and text messaging which is short and brief. Do you agree with this argument? I agree that teenagers shorten words and use texting language when using media platforms and chatting to friends however, I feel like most teenagers know when that language is appropriate and when it is not. Do you agree that teenagers having their own language is their way of saying 'we are different'. Is it inventive, ever changing and brilliant? I think that every generation has their language quirks and developments from the previous generation. This current generation of teenagers is just one of the many language changes that have happened and will continue to happen. What is your opinion on the comment that 'some disadvantaged children don't know that there is a different way of speaking ...

TeenSpeak Questions If we are to assume that we do speak differently at various times in our life, how could you argue that age is the most significant factor? Your age affects who you spend time with i.e. people in your age category in places such as school, therefore, you develop language specific to your age group. What is your opinion the view that 'life events' are more influential and more significant on our language than age? I think that life events affect your language i.e. if you are surrounded by older siblings, you'll have a more mature lexicon range. However, I believe age affects your language more as your constantly around your age group. What 'life events' may influence your language? Grieving from death can course you to mature faster than you would have before.