Technology and language change Flashcards
What does Chatfield say about the influence technology has on language change?
- all becoming authors and audiences
- don’t all speak in SE sop there are less drastic differences in our dialect
Why did Plato warn us about writing?
- weaken our memory
- pencil was dangerous
- typewriter was too noisy and lowered our handwriting standard
What are the 3 reasons why ‘writing technologies’ cause concern?
1- Negatively influences writing abilities- illegible
2- Humans becoming less skillful, useful, easily replaceable, lack authenticity
3- slower development in standard writing/spelling- future impact?
Speaking Technologies
SCHEGLOFF
Sequences of telephone calls
1- summons, answer
2- identification
3- greetings
4- initial inquiries
Texting Technologies
HERRING
Communications takes place between humans via the instrumentality of computers
- blurs the line between writing and speech
Texting Technologies
BARON
Links between speech and writing when using CMC, unedited, first and second pronouns
Technology and new words
Words have undergone semantic change
virus- medical term- programmes interfere with computer
Why does LC lexis and semantics?
DEUSTCHER
- 3 patterns in CC
1- ECONOMY
> save users time n energy
2- EXPRESSIVENESS
> new ways to emphasise meaning
3- ANALOGY
> cumulative changes match other change
Why does CC Grammar?
CONVERSION- changing grammatical function
‘like’- verb to a noun
CHATFIELD
The word ‘friend’- Facebook contemporary sense
Texting/SMS
Key prescriptivists
SUTHERLAND
2002
Texting masks dyslexia, poor spelling and mental laziness
Texting/SMS
Key prescriptivist
HUMPHRIES
2007
Destroying language, savaging sentences
KRUPNICK
Texting slang invading academic work
- breaches in formality in communication between teacher and pupil etc
What do descriptivists say about language change?
1- expanded communication
2- changed language, not destroyed it
3- more grammatical functions
4- coined new words
CRYSTAL
Language evolution
