Clive Thompson’s “The New Literacy” brings to us the idea that even though technology has broken down the English language to short hand and slang; it has actually made people today more proficient at writing. Thompson brings up the work of Andrea Lunsford who is of the opinion that “we’re in the midst of a literacy revolution the likes of which we haven’t seen since the Greek civilization” (par 4). Both Thompson and Lunsford believe that due to technology we are going through a new renaissance in writing because people are witting more with like twitter, MySpace and face book texting also factors into this. Lunsford calls this life writing because most of the writing that is done in these mediums are updates on an individual’s life from their own perspective. Thompson believes that because of the amount of exposure these types of writing get, due to being on the internet, that the writing done today is the closest that we have come to open public conversation like that of the Greeks. Thompson then goes on to explain that because people are writing in a public medium that these writers have become masters of kairos- the ability to understand who you are writing to and how to adapt to that audience. Thompson concludes that the internet and the new hyper exposed public forum are pushing literacy into new and exciting directions. It’s almost like these short hand writing styles are becoming a whole new language unto themselves. We can take a look at all of the commonly accepted abbreviations that have come from this style of writing such as LOL, BRB, ROFL, even things like ;) and XP that make expressions. Most of these short hand messages are understood and accepted in today’s culture. It kind of makes me wonder that if by speeding up the way that we communicate are we also speeding up the way that language evolves? I can agree with both Thompson and Lunsford in that technology is pushing the boundaries of language, literacy, and communication but at what point is it going to stop. If we continue on the path we have chosen one day we will look back and realize that we are communicating in a completely different language that the one we started out with. In retrospect though hasn’t this always been the way language has behaved? I think the thing that interests me the most is that the core vocabulary of our language is so slow to change its like the rock that holds our ability to communicate steadfast in its place, but the meanings of that vocabulary are the things that change from culture to culture and slang slang. Let’s take a look at the word fag for instance in Europe it is a commonly accepted term for a cigarette but here in the states it is a derogatory term for a homosexual. It also seems like every generation has its own form of slang. Even slang has redefined itself over the years for example in the 60’s people used the term ball as in it’s a ball or it is fun/ it’s a good time. The term later became a slang term for having sex. Or the term bag which then meant to steal, but now is used more in the way that you got something like I bagged a deer last week when I was hunting. I guess when it comes down to it language is going to continue to change and evolve over the course of time regardless of what anyone does so we might as well sit back and enjoy the ride.
Welcome to our Eng 100 Blog “Applause Please”! The title of this blog refers to the audience of active readers we are creating by sharing our academic writing for Eng 100 with a larger group of students, instructors, academics, and just about anybody who chooses to follow our blog! When you write and post your reader responses here (and, later, as you write your essays for the course), we encourage you to use this audience to conceptualize who you are writing for and, most important, how to communicate your ideas so that this group of academic readers and writers can easily follow your line of thinking. Think about it this way: What do you need to explain and articulate in order for the other bloggers to understand your response to the essays we’ve read in class? What does your audience need to know about those essays and the authors who wrote them? And how can you show your readers, in writing, which ideas you add to these “conversations” that take place in the texts we study?
As students of Eng 100, you will use this blog to begin conversations with other academic writers on campus (students and instructors alike). We become active readers of each other’s writing when we comment on posts here. And, best of all, we are using this space to share ideas! We encourage you to use this blog to further think through the topics and writing strategies you will be introduced to this quarter. As always, be sure to give credit to those people whose ideas you borrow for your own thinking and writing (you should do this in the blog by commenting on their post, but you will also be required to cite what you borrow from your peers/instructors if and when it winds up in your essays. More details on that later…J).
Finally, keep in mind that writing to and for this audience is a good way to prepare for the panel of readers (faculty at WCC) who will be reading and assessing your writing portfolio at the end of the quarter. We hope that as a large group of active readers, we can better prepare each other for this experience. But, in the meantime, let’s have fun with it! We are really excited see how far we can take this together!
--Mary Hammerbeck and Anna Wolff, Instructors of Eng 100
Clive Thompson’s “The New Literacy” brings to us the idea that even though
ReplyDeletetechnology has broken down the English language to short hand and slang; it has actually made
people today more proficient at writing. Thompson brings up the work of Andrea Lunsford who
is of the opinion that “we’re in the midst of a literacy revolution the likes of which we haven’t
seen since the Greek civilization” (par 4). Both Thompson and Lunsford believe that due to
technology we are going through a new renaissance in writing because people are witting more
with like twitter, MySpace and face book texting also factors into this. Lunsford calls this life
writing because most of the writing that is done in these mediums are updates on an
individual’s life from their own perspective. Thompson believes that because of the amount of
exposure these types of writing get, due to being on the internet, that the writing done today is
the closest that we have come to open public conversation like that of the Greeks. Thompson
then goes on to explain that because people are writing in a public medium that these writers
have become masters of kairos- the ability to understand who you are writing to and how to
adapt to that audience. Thompson concludes that the internet and the new hyper exposed
public forum are pushing literacy into new and exciting directions.
It’s almost like these short hand writing styles are becoming a whole new language unto
themselves. We can take a look at all of the commonly accepted abbreviations that have come
from this style of writing such as LOL, BRB, ROFL, even things like ;) and XP that make
expressions. Most of these short hand messages are understood and accepted in today’s
culture. It kind of makes me wonder that if by speeding up the way that we communicate are
we also speeding up the way that language evolves? I can agree with both Thompson and
Lunsford in that technology is pushing the boundaries of language, literacy, and communication
but at what point is it going to stop. If we continue on the path we have chosen one day we
will look back and realize that we are communicating in a completely different language that
the one we started out with. In retrospect though hasn’t this always been the way language
has behaved?
I think the thing that interests me the most is that the core vocabulary of our language is so
slow to change its like the rock that holds our ability to communicate steadfast in its place, but
the meanings of that vocabulary are the things that change from culture to culture and slang
slang. Let’s take a look at the word fag for instance in Europe it is a commonly accepted term for
a cigarette but here in the states it is a derogatory term for a homosexual.
It also seems like every generation has its own form of slang. Even slang has
redefined itself over the years for example in the 60’s people used the term ball as in it’s a ball
or it is fun/ it’s a good time. The term later became a slang term for having sex. Or the term bag
which then meant to steal, but now is used more in the way that you got something like I bagged
a deer last week when I was hunting. I guess when it comes down to it language is going to
continue to change and evolve over the course of time regardless of what anyone does so we
might as well sit back and enjoy the ride.