From the birth of the word \u201cteenager\u201d in the 1950s to the millennial generation, young people have consistently made an effort to make the English language their own by developing new slang and communicating with one another in their own unique, stylized fashion.<\/p>\n
But students will also have to develop an acute understanding of how that level of communication fits into their academic career.<\/p>\n
Twenty First century neologisms, or slang, can emerge amongst a small group of friends or from online sources such as Facebook, Twitter or Reddit.<\/p>\n
They range from portmanteaus (combinations of two or more existing words, like \u201cbromance\u201d from \u201cbrother\u201d and \u201cromance,\u201d or \u201cchillax\u201d from \u201cchill\u201d and \u201crelax\u201d) to acronyms (words formed from initials, like \u201cYOLO\u201d from \u201cyou only live once\u201d).<\/p>\n
Some enjoy a level of longevity, while others fall out of fashion and go as quickly as they came.<\/p>\n
Jesse Martin, a 24-year-old Liberal Arts major at Sinclair Community College, said that he views the use of slang as being advantageous when trying to quickly bond with new people.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a way to get on the level of the person you\u2019re speaking with and be a little more connected,\u201d he said. \u201cYou want to associate with people you can relate to.\u201d<\/p>\n
Martin said he and his friends have adopted a vernacular that includes substituting or attaching the prefix \u201cbro\u201d to certain words and phrases like, \u201cbro and arrow\u201d and \u201cBroseph Stalin,\u201d or attaching a suffix to form words like \u201changsies\u201d (hang out) or \u201cbeersies\u201d (beer).<\/p>\n
He said his friend\u2019s girlfriend will sometimes shorten words like \u201cperfect\u201d to \u201cperf\u201d or \u201cdefinitely\u201d to \u201cdef.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt injects a playfulness to whatever you say,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen you say that and somebody knows what you\u2019re thinking, it gives you camaraderie.\u201d<\/p>\n
Staying on top of the newest slang may seem like quite the task, but students will also have to gauge its appropriateness \u2014 knowing when to separate how they communicate in their social life and how they communicate in a more professional, academic setting.<\/p>\n
Kent Zimmerman, Communication professor at Sinclair, cited Ralph Nichols as saying, \u201cthe most basic of all human needs is the need to understand and be understood.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said that in public speaking, formal English serves as a common language thread and enhances the possibility for shared understanding amongst a diverse audience.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the basic principles in public speaking is knowing and adapting to your audience,\u201d he said. \u201cIf I want them to gain an understanding of my ideas, I need to present my ideas in a manner they can understand. If I use an abundance of slang terms that only few would comprehend, I have not adapted to my audience. I would be, in essence, talking to a group of friends and myself.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, he said appropriate slang can aid creativity and serve as an effective tool when hoping to immerse an audience into the \u201cnew world\u201d of unfamiliar subject matter.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we create slang terms, we tend to use them initially with a designated group,\u201d he said. \u201cSociety is like a jury. If the majority of us like the term, its usage in conversation becomes common place. The term may eventually make the revised dictionary. Most slang terms, however, die a quick and painless death.\u201d<\/p>\n
Furaha Henry-Jones, English associate professor at Sinclair, said she\u2019s not the kind of person who would ever put down informal language and that \u201cdifferent ways of speaking and writing have their place.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t ever want a student to feel like they\u2019re having something taken away from them; I want a student to feel as if they\u2019re adding other another dimension to their way of communicating with the world,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
She said formal, college-level English is desired in most written assignments, but slang is acceptable when communicating during certain class discussions or more exploratory, personal activities, like class journal entries.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve had students, for example, who are writing a paper and the only way that they know how to express something is in the everyday, casual language that they use; that\u2019s what they know, right now,\u201d she said. \u201cSo, they might write a draft and they have slang or informal language, and then in those drafts, I can point out, \u2018okay, this is maybe not the best word choice, or this is not the best phrase, or did you know that there are other ways to say this?\u2019 and show them other ways to say the same things using academic language or a different register.\u201d<\/p>\n
She said her English 1101 and 1201 courses can be quite diverse and using Standard English is the best way for a diverse cross-section of students to understand each other.<\/p>\n
She also said many students have specific career goals in mind, and that the ability to communicate using Standard English will be desired.<\/p>\n
Martin said in a recent job interview, he consciously avoided using informal language that had become second nature and although doing this initially seemed weird, he made an effort to choose his words carefully.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou definitely need to turn it on and off,\u201d Martin said. \u201cNot everybody knows you [and] first impressions last a long time. You need to know when to do it and when not to.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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