"It's only words and words are all I have" ..to say what I have to say!
Recently on tv I heard an interviewer questioning public of all ages about abbreviations and the modern text language. His question was: "Do you always know or understand what someone is trying to say to you or message they have for you?" In this ever speedy world we live in, when news travels faster the the speed of light, do we make ourselves clear when communicating? Is a quick message on the phone with BRB ( Be Right Back) and a 👍 polite? One gentleman, say age wise around the mid 60s said, " oh the young people don't use words, they use those pictograms. You know, those funny face things like a smiley. I've got them on my phone too but don't really know why or when I should use them." Another comment was, " "Why should students learn to write? They can't spell anymore they just use abbreviations. I never now what my children are on about these days!
Well, the abbreviations and bad spelling is something that's very evident when I see posts online. Now I am not a language buff, expert or champion. I make grammatically technical mistakes and know it. I do like language(s) though. I also think we need clear, concise and comprehensible language skills to stay in communication with each other. To continue the dialogue about who we are, what we mean and what our intensions, hope and dreams are.
There is so much to learn about language, spoken, written, or symbolized in pictograms or sign language. My language, your language. I've Googled some information:
History
The language dates back to roughly 150,000 years ago. However, all the linguistic evidence dates back to around 6000 years ago, when writing began. Consequently, the major history of language is discovered through guesses and written evidence that is much newer than the era that the linguists study.
Why is language important to identity? Language is intrinsic to the expression of culture. As a means of communicating values, beliefs and customs, it has an important social function and fosters feelings of group identity and solidarity. It is the means by which culture and its traditions and shared values may be conveyed and preserved.
I live in a Dutch speaking country, well it was originally. Now I do not have a problem with multi cultural multi lingual communities, countries and the spread of peoples around the world. I was once an immigrant too. What does get to me though is that individual countries it seems, are losing a grip on their own language, their customs and identity as certainly in our country, we are replacing our language with English. Yet we aren't an English culture country. There are things we can't express in the same manner. My example of this was many years ago when I lived in New Zealand and needed to take my young son to the doctor. I tried to explain an emotion/feeling/symptom and was EVER SO GLAD I had a Dutch doctor as GP. Now there was nothing wrong with my English language skills. I had spent more years there than in my country of birth- yet for a certain emotion or feeling I just couldn't find the words to do that justice. Of course I found a substitute, but it wasn't one that came from the inner ME.
So taking that back to the interviewer, how do we with our 'new age' language skills help express ourselves according to upbringing, culture and ability to make ourselves understood? Are those EMOJIS enough? Are abbreviations multi lingual?
Sometimes I get caught up in these thoughts and wonder how the world is going to look in say 100 years from now. We live in an era where we can source information about our past at the touch of a keyboard. What sort of information will there be to read about in 100 years time about our language development? Will we have gone back to symbols like the Greeks, cave people and Romans, to name a few, used?
One of the reasons for this soul searching subject was our time in France recently. A 5 week road trip. Our French was deplorable having not been to France for a number of years, where as we used to go annually. We coped with Google Translate, hands, feet, gestures and the English language. I'm ashamed we were left wanting. It also hampered connecting with some lovely people we never got to know due to our lack of language skills.
So that's my burble for today. Have a great day/week and
Be safe Be kind Keep smiling
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